Mega March Madness
Encyclopedia
Mega March Madness was a pay-per-view
out-of-market sports package
covering games in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
which was exclusive to DirecTV
since 2002
and supplemented the coverage from CBS Sports
. The charge for the package was a one-time $69 charge per year. After the 2010 tournament, Mega March Madness was discontinued, as the NCAA's new tournament deal with CBS and the networks of Turner Broadcasting System
(TBS
, TNT and truTV) facilitated national coverage of every game on a cable or broadcast channel without cut-aways or staggered scheduling, making the Mega March Madness package superfluous.
In many markets however, CBS also provided sub-feeds of games for affiliates to air on digital subchannel
s or secondary sister station
s. Though these games featured regular advertising and analysis and were only aired in standard definition, it was regarded as duplicative and as the stations offered the coverage for free, Mega March Madness was among the lowest-subscribed DirectTV sports packages as many viewers utilized a secondary cable connection or antenna to receive the games without charge, although in latter years CBS only allowed stations coverage of one further game on a digital subchannel to protect the Mega March Madness package. Further development of streaming of all games over video on demand
on the Internet cut further into the package's appeal.
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
out-of-market sports package
Out-of-Market Sports Package
In the North America, an Out-of-Market Sports Package is a form of subscription television that broadcasts sporting events to areas who are unavailable to see them because the games are not broadcast in their local market....
covering games in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
which was exclusive to DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
since 2002
2002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
and supplemented the coverage from CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
. The charge for the package was a one-time $69 charge per year. After the 2010 tournament, Mega March Madness was discontinued, as the NCAA's new tournament deal with CBS and the networks of Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
(TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
, TNT and truTV) facilitated national coverage of every game on a cable or broadcast channel without cut-aways or staggered scheduling, making the Mega March Madness package superfluous.
Description
Viewers were able to watch games which did not air on their CBS affiliate, and Mega March Madness also had a multiplex channel allowing all four games to be framed on the same screen. Game coverage still used CBS coverage and announcers, though DirectTV promotional advertising replaced CBS station local breaks and the games were uninterrupted by in-game analysis or a cut-over to a more compelling game like was done on the main CBS broadcasts.In many markets however, CBS also provided sub-feeds of games for affiliates to air on digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
s or secondary sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
s. Though these games featured regular advertising and analysis and were only aired in standard definition, it was regarded as duplicative and as the stations offered the coverage for free, Mega March Madness was among the lowest-subscribed DirectTV sports packages as many viewers utilized a secondary cable connection or antenna to receive the games without charge, although in latter years CBS only allowed stations coverage of one further game on a digital subchannel to protect the Mega March Madness package. Further development of streaming of all games over video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
on the Internet cut further into the package's appeal.
Other Out-of-Market / pay-per-view sports packages
- NFL Sunday TicketNFL Sunday TicketNFL Sunday Ticket is an Out-of-Market Sports Package that broadcasts National Football League regular season games unavailable on local affiliates. It carries all regional Sunday afternoon games produced by Fox and CBS...
- MLB Extra InningsMLB Extra InningsMLB Extra Innings is an Out-of-Market Sports Package distributed in North America by satellite provider DirecTV since 1996 and by most cable providers since 2001. The package allows its subscribers to see up to 80 out-of-market Major League Baseball games a week using local over the air stations...
- NBA League PassNBA League PassNBA League Pass is an out-of-market sports package that allows its subscribers to watch up to 40 out-of-market National Basketball Association games a week....
- NHL Center IceNHL Center IceNHL Center Ice is an Out-of-Market Sports Package distributed by most cable and satellite providers in the United States and Canada. The package allows its subscribers to see up to forty out-of-market National Hockey League games a week using local and national television networks.NHL Center Ice...
- MLS Direct KickMLS Direct KickMLS Direct Kick is an Out-of-Market Sports Package distributed by most cable and satellite providers in North America. As of the 2011 season, package subscribers will be able to watch up to 221 Major League Soccer regular season games as well as some MLS Cup playoff matches. The package costs $79...