March Will Be Madder than Ever

I love March Madness. But even though I no longer trek to an office, it’s difficult to be near a TV during all of the match-ups I want to see. After all, we are talking middle-of-the-work-day, middle-of-the-work-week broadcasts.

Luckily, this year CBSSports.com is expanding their free web streaming service March Madness on Demand (MMOD) to include all tournament games. Meaning, even if I’m in the local broadcast blackout zone without a TV nearby, I can still watch Duke trouncing this year’s upstart 16-seed. Traditionally, local blackout restrictions have been observed online. But CBS has decided it can push the proverbial envelope, knowing most people will watch the games on TV (via local affiliates) given the choice. As CBSSports.com SVP Jason Kint told paidContent.org, “It’s an across-the-board decision by all partners that this is additive–not cannibalistic.â€?

This no-risk move by CBS is a good way for the company to fortify its public image as a progressive broadcaster when it comes to content distribution. Both programmers and broadcasters are learning they have to be a bit more open-minded about distribution models in a world where consumers expect to be able to watch what they want, when and where they want. Otherwise they end up with a lot of unhappy sports fans.