CBS, the broadcasters of NCAA March Madness basketball, is bundling some of its broadcast and Internet properties and launching CBS College Sports Media. CBS calls the fusion of the CBS College Sports Network, in partnership with the NCAA and CBSSports.com, “an Interactive vertical advertising network containing the multitude of college athletic properties in the CBS family.”
The network will offer both display and video advertising on multiple platforms and include NCAA.com, the collegiate sections of CBSSports.com as well as the official athletic sites of about 215 colleges now operated by the CBS College Sports Network. All CBS interactive sports properties will “discontinue use of remnant networks,” CBS said in a statement.
“The creation of CBS College Sports Media incorporates all the college sports assets at CBS and will provide a tremendous opportunity for our partners to access the unrivaled loyalty of college sports fans, including dedicated alumni,” said Eric Krasnoo, vice president for sponsorship sales at CBS College Sports Network. “Weaving interactive assets in with original CBS Sports and CBS College Sports Network productions such as College Football Today and NCAA March Madness Central provides advertisers the ability to reach an audience of college sports fanatics that is unmatched in this business.”
CBS College Sports Network, the official Interactive sports partner of the NCAA, produces NCAA.com. Live video on NCAA.com includes coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. In 2008, the CBSSports.com production of “NCAA March Madness on Demand” gave users the ability to view all 63 games, including the Championship game, marking the first time ever that a major U.S. sporting event has been shown live and in its entirety on the Internet.
