Media Release

Turner Sports and CBS Sports Announce 2018 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Programming Schedule

NCAA March Madness

TBS to Televise National Championship Along with Final Four® National Semifinals

CBS to Broadcast Elite Eight Games on Sunday, March 25;
TBS to Present Elite Eight Games on Saturday, March 24

“TeamCast” Presentations for National Championship &
Final Four Games to Air on TNT and truTV

NCAA Tournament Coverage Tips-Off with Two-Hour Selection Show on TBS,
Sunday, March 11, at 6 p.m. ET

For the eighth consecutive year, CBS Sports and Turner Sports will provide live coverage of all 67 games from the 2018 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 televise the NCAA Final Four® National Semifinals on Saturday, March 31, and then the National Championship on Monday, April 2, from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This marks the fourth time San Antonio has hosted the Final Four.

On-site Final Four studio coverage airing on TBS on Saturday will begin with At the Final Four presented by Infiniti from 3-4 p.m. ET, followed by the Final Four Show from 4-6 p.m. The Capital One Championship Central pregame show will air from 7-9 p.m., leading into the National Championship game on Monday.

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 “TeamCast” presentations on TNT and truTV. TeamCasts 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.

The Regional Final games will once again be split by CBS and TBS. TBS will air the games on Saturday, March 24, beginning at 6 p.m., while CBS will televise the games on Sunday afternoon, March 25 starting at 2 p.m.

Coverage of the 2018 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship will begin with a two-hour Selection Show on Sunday, March 11, from 6-8 p.m. on TBS. Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson will host and be joined by analysts Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg, Kenny Smith and Seth Davis from Turner Studios in Atlanta.

NCAA Tournament game action tips off with the NCAA First Four™ on truTV presented by Northwestern Mutual on Tuesday, March 13 and Wednesday, March 14, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. both nights.

Additional highlights (complete telecast schedule attached):

  • CBS will broadcast 21 games throughout the tournament including the Elite 8®, Sweet 16® and first and second rounds.
  • TBS will televise 21 contests including the National Championship, Final Four Semifinals, 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, in addition to TeamCast presentations for the National Championship and Final Four Semifinals.
  • TNT will televise 12 games including first and second round match-ups, in addition to TeamCast presentations for the National Championship and Final Four Semifinals.

CBS Sports and Turner Sports will also return March Madness Confidential, providing exclusive, behind-the-scenes access of select NCAA Tournament teams, with features airing during studio coverage and on NCAA.com, chronicling their Tournament journeys.

Turner and CBS will again present integrated game and studio productions with pregame, halftime, bridge and postgame shows from studios in New York City and Atlanta. Studio shows will include The Road to the Final Four® and Infiniti NCAA Tip-Off pregame shows, AT&T at the Half, Capital One Tournament Central and the Inside March Madness® presented by Buick postgame 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.  Additionally, social integrations will include the latest highlights, behind the scenes content and news updates across the official March Madness Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat accounts for companion content throughout the tournament.

Follow us on Twitter: @MarchMadnessTV and NCAA.com for schedule updates and the latest NCAA Tournament broadcast news and information.

NCAA, March Madness, Elite 8, Sweet 16, First Four, Final Four and Road to the Final Four are trademarks owned or licensed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

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