TruTV will handle the feeds for Villanova and Loyola Chicago for Saturday's gamesGETTY IMAGES
The NCAA tournament broadcasting partnership between CBS and TBS could be "described as a happy, fruitful marriage -- at least for now," according to A.J. Perez of USA TODAY. Saturday's Final Four and Monday's title game both will air on TBS for the second time, and the net will "blend a talented cast from both networks." CBS and Turner also "share production and sales staffs." Plenty of broadcast and cable outlets "share sports properties, but it would be hard to call many true partnerships." Turner President David Levy: “When this all started out in 2011, it was clear that this would be a 50-50 partnership or no deal of this magnitude would have been done.” This year’s Final Four "again will include TeamCast -- game telecasts that are focused on local story lines and include team-specific coverage." Each will "feature a tailored crew." TNT will "air the Michigan and Kansas feeds with truTV handling the Loyola and Villanova feeds Saturday" (USA TODAY, 3/30). In St. Louis, Dan Caesar notes the Final Four "isn’t expected to translate into ratings royalty" for TBS, as it is "almost a given that viewership, no matter how good the games are, will be low." That is because the games will be "shown exclusively on cable." The '16 Final Four and title game "drew their lowest ratings since records began being kept" when they aired on TBS the first time (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 3/30).
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MEN'S FINAL FOUR VIEWERSHIP TREND
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YEAR
|
TEAMS
(EARLY GAME)
|
NET(S)
|
VIEWERS
(000)
|
TEAMS
(LATE GAME)
|
NET(S)
|
VIEWERS
(000)
|
|
'17
|
Gonzaga-South Carolina
|
CBS
|
14,683
|
North Carolina-Oregon
|
CBS
|
18,825
|
|
'16
|
Villanova-Oklahoma
|
TBS/TNT/truTV
|
10,451
|
North Carolina-Syracuse
|
TBS/TNT/truTV
|
12,939
|
|
'15
|
Duke-Michigan State
|
TBS/TNT/truTV
|
15,307
|
Wisconsin-Kentucky
|
TBS/TNT/truTV
|
22,626
|
|
'14
|
UConn-Florida
|
TBS/TNT/truTV
|
11,654
|
Kentucky-Wisconsin
|
TBS/TNT/truTV
|
16,250
|
|
'13
|
Louisville-Wichita State
|
CBS
|
14,468
|
Michigan-Syracuse
|
CBS
|
17,104
|
WELCOME TO TEXAS: In San Antonio, Jeanne Jakle noted there will be "lots of great exposure for San Antonio and its picturesque delights" during the weekend. In addition to the crew calling the games inside the Alamodome, Greg Gumbel will "host the first hour of 'The Final Four Show'" on Saturday from a "set on the River Walk." Ernie Johnson will call the second hour of the pregame show along with his "gang of analysts in the dome." Adam Zucker will anchor CBSSN's coverage "from a set in Alamo Plaza" (MYSANANTONIO.com, 3/29). Meanwhile, Wake Forest coach Danny Manning will be part of Saturday's pregame coverage along with Sparks F Candace Parker, former Duke F Christian Laettner and former Villanova G Kris Jenkins. This marks the 30-year anniversary of Manning’s Kansas team winning the title (JOURNALNOW.com, 3/27).
CLIP & SAVE: N.Y.-based tech company 15 Seconds of Fame is working with the NCAA to offer fan clips from the upcoming men's Final Four and championship game. The effort involves capturing fan moments from when they appear on Alamodome videoboards. Those moments are then easily shareable on social media. The 15 Seconds of Fame capability will be directly integrated into the official Final Four mobile app presented by AT&T, and follows a similar deal for the company with the NFL for last month’s Super Bowl LII. The NCAA alignment will also be promoted through in-arena graphics and video messaging. 15 Seconds of Fame additionally signed deals for ’18 with the Marlins, Rays and Padres, adding to an existing relationship with MLBAM (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).
