Happening now, Sports Business Daily is reporting that ESPN has decided not to increase its bid for an expanded NCAA Tournament. This means that a combined bid by CBS/Turner Sports will likely win the rights for the men’s basketball tourney over a 14 year period. SBD’s John Ourand and Michael Smith report that the rights would be worth more than the $710 million fee that CBS is currently responsible for the last three years of the current contract.
It also means that CBS and Turner, most likely TNT, would alternate coverage of the Final Four meaning that the event would be on cable for the first time.
We’ll continue to follow the story.
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