March Madness Television Schedule

Mar 1 2012

The most significant change to the NCAA Tournament this season -- you'll be able to see more of it. The only way to see the games you wanted in their entirety was to purchase a special package from a cable or satellite operator; without it, you were at the mercy of CBS, reduced to hoping they'd break away from the Duke game to show the end of your alma mater's nail-biter.

No more.

Starting this season, NCAA Tournament games will be broadcast by four different networks - CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV - and game times will be staggered to allow viewers to catch more of the action.

Here's a look at how the new schedule will stack up. Actual matchups will be released on March 13.

(All times Eastern)

First Four

The new "first four" games will be broadcast on TruTV on March 15 and 16, with games at 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM both nights.

Second Round

The second round - which is what the NCAA is calling the "Round of 64" these days - is when fans will really start to see the benefit of the new television schedule - all four networks will be running a solid block of games from noon to midnight on March 17 and 18. Start times will break down as follows:

• CBS: 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM
• TNT: 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 7:15 PM and 9:45 PM
• TBS: 1:30 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:45 PM and 9:15 PM
• TruTV: 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 7:15 PM and 9:55 PM

TruTV will also broadcast the official tip-off show at 11 AM and 7 PM, and a wrap-up show at 12:30 AM.

Third Round

The preliminary schedule for the first weekend of March Madness features a CBS quadruple-header on Saturday, March 19.

Saturday Games

• CBS: 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM
• TNT: 6:00 PM, 8:30 PM
• TBS: 7:00 PM, 9:30 PM

Sunday Games

• CBS: 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM
• TNT: 6:00 PM, 8:30 PM
• TBS: 7:00 PM, 9:30 PM
• TruTV: 7:30 PM

Regional Semifinals

The Sweet Sixteen shifts to prime time on CBS and TBS on Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25. Preliminary schedule for both nights:

• CBS: 7:00 PM, 9:30 PM
• TBS: 7:15 PM, 9:55 PM

Regional Finals

When we reach the Elite Eight, all games return to CBS. The start times for Saturday, March 26 will be 4:20 PM and 6:55 PM. Sunday's starts will be at 2:10 PM and 4:55 PM.

The Final Four and National Championship Game

The schedule for the final weekend of March Madness will be familiar to fans. A Saturday evening doubleheader on CBS - games at 6 PM and 8:30 PM - and the National Championship Game on Monday, April 4, starting at 9 PM.

View the original article here

March Madness Television Schedule

Dec 31 2011

The most significant change to the NCAA Tournament this season -- you'll be able to see more of it. The only way to see the games you wanted in their entirety was to purchase a special package from a cable or satellite operator; without it, you were at the mercy of CBS, reduced to hoping they'd break away from the Duke game to show the end of your alma mater's nail-biter.

No more.

Starting this season, NCAA Tournament games will be broadcast by four different networks - CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV - and game times will be staggered to allow viewers to catch more of the action.

Here's a look at how the new schedule will stack up. Actual matchups will be released on March 13.

(All times Eastern)

First Four

The new "first four" games will be broadcast on TruTV on March 15 and 16, with games at 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM both nights.

Second Round

The second round - which is what the NCAA is calling the "Round of 64" these days - is when fans will really start to see the benefit of the new television schedule - all four networks will be running a solid block of games from noon to midnight on March 17 and 18. Start times will break down as follows:

• CBS: 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM
• TNT: 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 7:15 PM and 9:45 PM
• TBS: 1:30 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:45 PM and 9:15 PM
• TruTV: 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM, 7:15 PM and 9:55 PM

TruTV will also broadcast the official tip-off show at 11 AM and 7 PM, and a wrap-up show at 12:30 AM.

Third Round

The preliminary schedule for the first weekend of March Madness features a CBS quadruple-header on Saturday, March 19.

Saturday Games

• CBS: 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM
• TNT: 6:00 PM, 8:30 PM
• TBS: 7:00 PM, 9:30 PM

Sunday Games

• CBS: 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM
• TNT: 6:00 PM, 8:30 PM
• TBS: 7:00 PM, 9:30 PM
• TruTV: 7:30 PM

Regional Semifinals

The Sweet Sixteen shifts to prime time on CBS and TBS on Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25. Preliminary schedule for both nights:

• CBS: 7:00 PM, 9:30 PM
• TBS: 7:15 PM, 9:55 PM

Regional Finals

When we reach the Elite Eight, all games return to CBS. The start times for Saturday, March 26 will be 4:20 PM and 6:55 PM. Sunday's starts will be at 2:10 PM and 4:55 PM.

The Final Four and National Championship Game

The schedule for the final weekend of March Madness will be familiar to fans. A Saturday evening doubleheader on CBS - games at 6 PM and 8:30 PM - and the National Championship Game on Monday, April 4, starting at 9 PM.

View the original article here

Christmas Day NBA Schedule

In a normal NBA season, Christmas Day marks the debut of the Association's network television schedule. This year it will double as Opening Day of the 2011-12 season. Here's a look at the matchups that will open this lockout-shortened season on December 25th.

1. Boston Celtics at New York Knicks: 12pm ET on TNT

Getty Images Sport - Doug Pensinger/Staff

The Celtics and Knicks will tip off the 2011-12 NBA season at Madison Square Garden at noon (ET) on Christmas Day. This is a fairly compelling matchup - the Knicks and Celtics are expected to compete for the top of the Atlantic Division this year, and as with all sporting events featuring New York and Boston teams, there's a fair amount of animosity involved. The Celtics swept New York 4-0 in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last spring, but that Knick team was without both Amar'e Stoudemire (back) and Chauncey Billups (leg) for much of the series.

This game will serve as the regular-season debut of TNT's broadcast crew, which will feature newly-retired Shaquille O'Neal. The game was originally scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN, but was switched to TNT when it became the season-opener; TNT has the rights to broadcast the first game of the season. It will also be the first official NBA game played at newly-renovated MSG.

2. Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks: 2:30pm ET on ABC

Getty Images - Mike Ehrmann

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James will get to watch the Dallas Mavericks raise their championship banner in person... and on network television. That's sure to put 'em in the Christmas spirit. Of course, this year's Mavericks may have a very different look - starters Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson and key sub Jose Juan Barea are among the Mavericks set to hit free agency; Chandler has already told reporters he doesn't expect to return to the team this year.

3. Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers: 5pm ET on ABC

Getty Images Sport / Ronald Martinez

The Bulls and Lakers are fixtures in the NBA's annual Christmas Day showcase; might as well just pair 'em off. The Bulls had the NBA's best record last season but couldn't get past Miami and reach the NBA Finals; they enter this season looking to build upon last year's success. The Lakers were emphatically knocked out of the playoffs, swept 4-0 in the Western Conference Semifinals by eventual champion Dallas, and will be playing their first game under new coach Mike Brown.

4. Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder: 8pm ET on ABC

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The NBA added two night games to the slate to make for a more compelling season-opening schedule... and few teams are as compelling as OKC. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and company are my pick to make it out of the West and reach the Finals this year. The Magic will make for great television so long as Dwight Howard is suiting up in an Orlando uniform... and while that may not be for that much longer, I don't think he'll be changing teams before Christmas. For added fun: Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is known to hate playing on Christmas, which could make for highly entertaining pre and post-game interviews.

5. Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors: 10:30pm ET on ESPN

Getty Images - Stephen Dunn/Staff

Sure, you may be a bit sleepy after all the food and egg nog... especially if the kids wake you up at the crack of dawn to tear into presents. But this game will feature the regular season debut of Chris Paul in a Los Angeles Clipper uniform. Seems safe to assume he and Blake Griffin will combine for at least one eye-opener of an alley-oop.

View the original article here

2011-12 NBA Schedule: No Rest for the Weary

The 2011-12 NBA season is set to begin on Christmas Day - almost two months later than usual - with each team playing a 66-game schedule. The playoffs will begin on April 28 and end by June 26.

The basic format of the season will be as follows:

Conference Games: 48

? Play 6 teams 4 times (2 home, 2 away)
? Play 4 teams 3 times (2 home, 1 away)
? Play 4 teams 3 times (1 home, 2 away)

Non-Conference Games: 18

? Play 3 teams 2 times (1 home, 1 away)
? Play 6 teams 1 time at home
? Play 6 teams 1 time away

Squeezing all those games in means teams will lose some down time. Expect to see teams playing more back-to-back sets than usual, and even the occasional "back-to-back-to-back" - three games in three nights. The league has warned that every team will play at least one back-to-back-to-back, with some teams playing as many as three.

View the original article here