The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- November 9, 1998

DirecTV pact adds to basketball exposure

The NCAA, CBS Sports and DirecTV, Inc., have reached an exclusive agreement for DirecTV to offer CBS-produced broadcasts of out-of-market games from the first three rounds of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship on a pay-per-view basis.

DirecTV subscribers will be able to choose any game from the first three rounds of the tournament that is not broadcast via their local CBS affiliate. All games will be produced by CBS Sports. Viewers will see no change in CBS Sports' exclusive live coverage of all 63 games of the championship. DirecTV's pay-per-view distribution of out-of-market games will supplement CBS' broadcast of the tournament.

The announcement was made by C.M. Newton, chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee and athletics director at the University of Kentucky; Sean McManus, president of CBS Sports; and Eddy W. Hartenstein, president of DirecTV.

"We are excited that fans, no matter where they live, will now be able to watch their favorite teams' games in their entirety," Newton said. "We believe that this opportunity creates another level of excitement for this great event."

McManus also praised the agreement as the latest enhancement in the CBS's coverage of the NCAA tournament.

"While CBS Sports will continue to produce all games and provide comprehensive national broadcast coverage, DirecTV will provide fans the opportunity to purchase those games not available in their respective markets," McManus said.

Hartenstein said the agreement will provide an additional boost to an already premier event.

"The NCAA basketball tournament is one of the most coveted and highly anticipated events in sports," he said. "We're proud to partner with CBS Sports to provide fans with the ability to purchase all of the tournament games that are not broadcast by their CBS affiliate.

"Now, with access to all of the tournament games from either their CBS affiliate or DirecTV pay-per-view, college basketball enthusiasts can watch virtually every game of the tournament."

Pricing and packaging will be announced in the first quarter of 1999.

For the ninth consecutive year, CBS Sports will provide exclusive live coverage of all 63 games of the championship, starting with first-round action Thursday, March 11, and culminating with the national championship game Monday, March 29, from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.