Turner Sports and CBS Sports Announce 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Programming Schedule

Turner Sports and CBS Sports Announce 2016 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship March Madness Programming Schedule

TBS to Televise National Championship for First Time, Along with Final Four® National Semifinals

CBS to Broadcast Elite Eight Games on Saturday, March 26; TBS to Present Elite Eight Games on Sunday, March 27

 “Team Stream by Bleacher Report” Telecasts for National Championship & Final Four Games to Air on TNT and truTV

For the sixth consecutive year, CBS Sports and Turner Sports will provide live coverage of all 67 games from the 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across four national television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – with all games streamed on NCAA March Madness Live.

TBS will broadcast the National Championship on Monday, April 4, marking the first time the title game has been televised on cable in the 78-year history of the event. Coverage will tip off from NRG Stadium in Houston with the Capital One Championship Central pre-game show from 7-9 p.m. ET. For the third consecutive year, TBS will televise the NCAA Final Four® National Semifinals on Saturday, April 2, beginning at 6 p.m.

Additionally, Turner Sports and CBS Sports will offer team-specific, originally produced telecasts of the National Championship and Final Four National Semifinals with the return of “Team Stream by Bleacher Report” on TNT and truTV. Team Streams are tailored specifically for each of the teams competing. The six unique telecasts will feature separate announce teams and multiple viewing options highlighting each of the competing schools.

On-site Final Four studio coverage airing on TBS on Saturday, April 2, will begin with At the Final Four presented by Infiniti from 3-4 p.m., followed by the Final Four Show from 4-6 p.m.

The Regional Final games will once again be split by CBS and TBS. CBS this year will air the games on Saturday, March 26, beginning at 6 p.m. while TBS will televise the games on Sunday evening, March 27, with action also tipping at 6 p.m.

Coverage of the 2016 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship begins with the expanded two-hour Selection Show on Sunday, March 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on CBS.  Action tips off with the NCAA First Four™ on truTV presented by Northwestern Mutual on Tuesday, March 15, and Wednesday, March 16, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. both nights.

Additional highlights (complete telecast schedule below):

• CBS will broadcast 21 games throughout the tournament including the Elite 8®, Sweet 16® and first and second rounds.
• Turner will air 46 game telecasts across its three networks (TBS, TNT and truTV).
• TBS will televise 21 contests including the National Championship, Final Four®, Elite 8®, Sweet 16® and first and second round games.
• truTV will air a total of 13 games, including the First Four™ and the first and second rounds. The network will also provide “Team Stream” coverage of the National Championship and Final Four.
• TNT will televise 12 games including first and second round match-ups, in addition to the National Championship and Final Four “Team Stream” presentations.

Turner Sports and CBS Sports will again present integrated game and studio productions across the four networks with pregame, halftime, bridge and post-game shows from studios in New York City and Atlanta. Studio shows will include The Road to the Final Four^® and Infiniti NCAA Tip-Off pre-game shows, AT&T at the Half, Capital One Tournament Central and the Inside March Madness^® presented by Buick post-game show.

Accompanying the live television presentation, NCAA March Madness Live will once again be the ultimate digital destination for direct access to all 67 games of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, along with live streaming of the three distinct presentations of the NCAA Final Four National Semifinals and National Championship.