CBS Praised For Quickly Unveiling Brackets On NCAA Selection Show

CBS' Selection Show was widely seen as an improvement over last year's telecast on TBSCBS SPORTS

CBS' NCAA Tournament Selection Show "was a winner" yesterday, as it was "slimmed down and sensible" compared to last year's effort on TBS, according to Bill Goodykoontz of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The net rolled out the "four regions, one by one, between commercial breaks, and ended the broadcast with an interview" with Selection Committee Chair Bernard Muir. This was a "marked improvement over last year," when TBS aired a "bloated, two-hour affair that included revealing the teams in alphabetical order" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/18). In St. Louis, Dan Caesar writes CBS' show was a "fast-paced, information-laden one-hour production" and a "refreshing throwback to the way CBS revealed the brackets two years ago" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 3/18). In Atlanta, Mark Bradley notes CBS' "simplicity was light years better than the monstrosity TBS loosed on the world last March" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/18). In L.A., Tom Hoffarth notes there was "no artificially delayed gratification or an insistence on alphabetical order based on the whim of a different network partner that wants a new twist on a tried-and-true method" (L.A. TIMES, 3/18).

GETTING RIGHT TO THE POINT: In Chicago, Rosenthal & Bannon note CBS unveiled all four brackets in "just 36 minutes," a process that "should never take longer" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/18). The Athletic's Richard Deitsch tweeted, "That's a great job by CBS Sports and an example of a sports network listening to feedback and reacting with something viewer-friendly. Bravo." National Journal's Josh Kraushaar: "The broadcast was seamless. Kudos to CBS and the Selection Committee." The Athletic's David Ubben: "Thank you for getting down to business, CBS. Just run through the matchups ASAP. Not even flirting with us and revealing the No. 1 seeds first." But the Detroit News' Matt Charboneau wrote, "Oh CBS, why not all the No. 1 seeds first? Ugh" (TWITTER.com, 3/17).

BOOST IN OVERNIGHT RATING: The overnight rating for the Selection Show bounced back this year, with the telecast drawing its best number in five years. CBS’ 4.0 overnight for the telecast, which returned to broadcast TV and a 60-minute format this year, was predictably up from a 1.6 last year on TBS, when the telecast was two hours. That 1.6 was the lowest figure for the selection show since at least '95, when it was expanded from 30 to 60 minutes. CBS two years ago drew a 3.7 overnight for a 90-minute Selection Show that started at 5:30pm ET. Louisville led all markets yesterday with a 16.4 local rating, followed by Columbus (11.8) and Indianapolis (11.3). Meanwhile, March Madness Live for its streaming of the Selection Show from 6:00-7:00pm last night saw a 73% year-over-year uptick in live starts. It also was the second-best figure for the show on MML on record, behind only '16 (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).

Download the Selection Show Overnight Ratings

TIME TO SHIFT GEARS: In San Jose, Jon Wilner writes fans now need to "get ready for three weeks of the CBS and Turner broadcast crews, which are poor imitations of the ESPN play-by-play and color analysts" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 3/18). The N.Y. Post's Andrew Marchand: "When you turn to ESPN’s tourney show with Davis, Bilas, Greenberg & Williams, you feel like they live college hoops, while CBS’ selection show feels like they are renting it for an hour" (TWITTER.com, 3/17).

DOING THEIR HOMEWORK: In DC, Ben Strauss wrote there has been a sense among college hoops fans that Turner's Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith "have helicoptered in for the sport's marquee event." But Smith said, "This year, I've watched Kentucky play more than I've watched the Knicks." Barkley began his prep work the first of the year, and each week "receives a report from the Turner research staff on every conference in the country." He estimated that he has "watched around 100 college games this year." Johnson has files on "more than 200 college teams that he updates every year" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/17).

COMING FAST & FURIOUS: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's David Pierce noted CBS and Turner this year are bringing back the Fast Break component, a "live, best-of broadcast for the tournament's first weekend." Fans can watch "all the games' best moments, seconds after they happen." CBS is among the outlets "working on ways to do this for other sports, too, and even to personalize it" for viewers (WSJ.com, 3/17).