Live video of the 2006 NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball Championship at no charge
Massive audience anticipated and virtual lines will form on game day! While supplies last, pre-register to obtain "VIP" status and get the fastest access to the games
New York, NY, March 6, 2006 - CBS SportsLine, a leading Internet sports media organization and part of CBS Digital Media, in partnership with CBS Sports, CSTV and the NCAA® today launched NCAA® March Madness™ on Demand, the online video player that will stream the first 56 games* of the 2006 NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball Championship as they are broadcast by CBS Sports (game action only) beginning on March 16th.
NCAA® March Madness™ on Demand (MMOD) is available at NCAASports.com (www.ncaasports.com/mmod) and is presented free of charge for the first time since its debut in 2003. Users can also access MMOD via links on CBS SportsLine and CSTV.com.
MMOD is expected to attract one of the largest audiences in the history of live streaming events on the Internet. Capacity will be available to provide millions of video streams over the course of the Tournament. However, to manage a massive anticipated peak in demand during Thursday and Friday, March 16th and 17th, access to the MMOD video player will be carefully managed using a "virtual waiting room." When demand exceeds peak capacity -- and this scenario is expected to occur -- virtual lines will form.
Due to limited video streaming capacity, fans are urged to pre-register for MMOD before March 16th to obtain VIP status. VIP members receive quicker access to the action than fans that wait until March 16th or after to register (or before VIP access fills up). Fans that don't have VIP status will be placed in the General Admission area and will have to wait in line behind VIP members to gain access to the player if it is full on game day(s). Fans can register by simply visiting: www.ncaasports.com/mmod.
Features of the 2006 NCAA® March Madness™ on Demand video player:
Historical Tournament Highlights - Available beginning March 7th, MMOD will feature highlights from the past 25 years of CBS Sports' presentation of the NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
Full Tournament Scoreboard & Live Brackets - Even while glued to the live video action, fans can follow all the games with the tournament scoreboard and brackets, both updated in real time, that are only a click away on the MMOD player.
"Boss Button" - Afraid management is lurking? No sweat. One click of the "Boss Button" and the live video action on the screen will be replaced by a silent readymade spread sheet!
Archived Footage - Full game archives will be available for all games of the first three rounds (through regional semis). Users that were blacked out of a game originally, due to it being available on their local CBS affiliate, will not be able to view archived full games for five days after game was played. Additionally, highlights packages will be available for all games. The MMOD player and archival footage will be accessible through April 10.
"Buzzer Beaters" - For games that are particularly exciting and provide the great finishes fans are accustomed to seeing during March Madness™, MMOD will provide links to the last two minutes (game clock) of action on an archived basis.
More Sports Video - Besides all the NCAA® action, users will have access to hours of sports video clips including CBS SportsLine's original video program "College Basketball: Who's Hot, Who's Not", hosted by Jason Horowitz.
Free access to NCAA® March Madness™ on Demand is made possible by presenting sponsors Courtyard by Marriott and Dell as well as a host of other sponsors including Lowe's, Pontiac and State Farm.
CBS SportsLine has partnered with MLB Advanced Media, the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, for services related to the live and on demand delivery of games via the Internet.
CBS SportsLine has the rights to produce, host and manage the official NCAA® Championship website, NCAASports.com, as well as the Internet rights to the NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball Championship and many other NCAA championships.
To review the minimum system requirements for computers running the MMOD product, please visit the following page:
http://www.ncaasports.com/mmod/system* NCAA® March Madness™ on Demand will offer live and on demand streaming video of up to the first 56 NCAA Tournament games on an out-of-market basis, through the regional semi-finals. Webcasts of games broadcast by CBS Sports in fans' local markets will be subject to blackouts. Local blackout rules will limit availability to 37 games for most people. MMOD will not show the Opening Round Game on March 14th.
NCAA March Madness on Demand is only available to registered users of a CBS Digital Media network Web site thirteen (13) years of age or older. There is no cost to register for any of the CBS Digital Media network sites. Availability of NCAA® March Madness™ on Demand is subject to capacity restrictions. Certain terms and restrictions apply.
About CBS SportsLine.com
CBS SportsLine.com is at the leading edge of media companies providing Internet sports content, Fantasy sports and e-commerce. In addition to its flagship service, the company publishes the official Web sites of the NFL, PGA TOUR and NCAA Sports. CBS SportsLine.com is a member of the CBS family and a part of CBS Digital Media. For more information about CBS SportsLine.com and for the latest sports news, scores and expert analysis, please visit cbs.sportsline.com.
More information about CBS and its businesses is available at www.cbscorporation.com.
About CSTV
CSTV Networks, Inc., now part of CBS Corporation, is the leading digital and cable programming company dedicated to college sports. Connecting more fans to more college sports than any other company, its many platforms for programming distribution include CSTV: College Sports TV, televising regular-season and championship events for 35 men's and women's college sports; CSTV.com and its network of nearly 250 official athletic sites; CSTV All Access, broadband services providing live audio and video of more than 7,000 events annually; as well as satellite television and radio, in-flight entertainment, wireless networks and more. Further information is available at www.CSTV.com.
About the NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 360,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 49,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA Championships in Division I, II and III sports. NCAAsports.com is the official Web site of all 88 NCAA championships. For more information on NCAA championships, including official brackets; live stats, live audio and video broadcasts; scores and recaps; and feature stories on student-athletes around the country, visit NCAAsports.com.
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For further information, contact:
CBS SportsLine.com — Corporate Communications — (954) 489-4000 ext. 7535