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CBS, Turner Hope NCAA Selection Show Changes Entice Fans

Execs at both networks claim they are cognizant of the importance of not dragging out the bracket reveal GETTY IMAGES

What CBS and Turner are counting on with changes to Selection Sunday ahead of the NCAA Tournament is that the "mystery of where teams are seeded and who they will face will be enough to keep viewers interested beyond the first 15 minutes of the show," according to Jeff Eisenberg of YAHOO SPORTS. CBS Sports Exec Producer & Senior VP/Production Harold Bryant said that the goal is to "announce which 68 teams made the field in the first 15 minutes of the show and to unveil the brackets within the first 45 minutes." Execs at both networks are "very cognizant of the importance of not dragging out the reveal any longer than that." Bryant: "We tried to spread the show out a little bit two years ago thinking we could build even more drama, but what we heard from fans is they want information quickly." Eisenberg wrote it is good that CBS and Turner are "sensitive to the importance of releasing the bracket efficiently," but the notion that the "full audience will stick around seems overly optimistic." Bryant said, "We don’t think there will be any drop off in the excitement of the show." Eisenberg wrote the stakes with any changes to the Selection Show are "high given the money CBS and Turner have invested." Turner Sports Chief Content Officer & Exec VP Craig Barry said, "We’ve been thinking about this for literally the last two or three years. ... We’re ready to take a swing and evolve the show" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/6). The AP's Ralph Russo tweeted the changes constitute an "interesting twist" on the show's format. USA Today's Dan Wolken: "The fundamental failure by Turner Sports is not realizing that the bracket is the star of the selection show. That’s all anyone cares about. It’s literally impossible to eff this up unless you really try." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Dave Matter: "I don’t understand the change. Half the fun of seeing your team’s name pop up is immediately seeing the opponent and the location. That part will be anti-climactic now."

CHANGE FOR CHANGE SAKE? ESPN’s Sarah Spain said rolling out all 68 teams alphabetically at the top of the show is "so stupid." Spain: "That takes away the whole point of having two separate reveals.” ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez: “I do understand the idea of keeping more eyes glued to the TV for longer. There are some teams that just want to know if they got in and it really doesn’t matter who they face because they’re probably going to lose.” But Gutierrez added the revamp "isn’t enough of an important change to really make” a difference in viewership. L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke: “It was the lowest ratings ever last year. Fewer and fewer people are watching. It's a boring, boring show. Let’s try to spice it up” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 3/6).

CHANGE WAS NEEDED: In Philadelphia, Jonathan Tannenwald noted Turner has had the "right to put the Selection Show on cable in years when it has televised the Final Four ever since the partnership began." The net "hasn’t exercised the option until this year." Turner President David Levy said, "As we evolved and moved forward, we said, ‘You know what? Viewing habits are starting to change, people are finding things wherever they need to find them, let’s do something different with the selection show." Levy acknowledged that the viewership "might drop for this year’s bracket unveiling because of the move from over-the-air TV to cable." But he and his colleagues are "ready for that." Levy: "Things take time -- tradition takes time, breaking tradition takes time, and starting new habits takes time. If there’s less ratings, fine; if there’s bigger ratings, fine" (PHILLY.com, 3/6).

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