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NCAA March Madness Live streams on Oculus Go
It'll be particularly easy to stream NCAA March Madness games this year, especially if you'd rather watch matches in total privacy. The NCAA and CBS are making the March Madness Live app available on 17 platforms for 2019, including first-time support for Android TV (shown above) and Oculus Go. That last addition could be particularly helpful if you live in a packed household -- you could have a big-screen game experience (including the 21 VR-native broadcasts) without monopolizing the TV or your phone.
Pizza Hut's 'smart' shoes turn you into a fashionable couch potato
When it comes to fast-food PR stunts, Pizza Hut doesn't hold back. Seriously, this is the company that's made a jacket that keeps you as warm as, well, a pizza. The ridiculous garment came with the same insulating materials as those used in Pizza Hut's delivery pouches, including an inner pocket where you can fit a naked slice to take on the go, because why not. But, as mind-boggling as the parka is, Pizza Hut's best stunt might be the Pie Tops II, a pair of sneakers that let you order a pie and control your DVR right from the tongues.
Google will predict Final Four performance based on in-game data (updated)
Google has been working closely with the NCAA during this year's tournament, but now, during the Final Four, the company will be using predictive analytics to make predictions about second half performance. The wrinkle here is that the team will use data from the first half of the game to come up with their prediction during halftime. They'll then create an ad right in the Alamodome, which will air before the beginning of the second half of the game.
Twitter will host Final Four 'watch parties' with live analysis
Twitter's sports offerings have grown quite a bit over the last couple of years. Between game coverage, 24/7 streams and analysis shows, Twitter keeps expanding its sports content, and this weekend, Variety reports, it's adding March Madness Watch Parties to its slate. In partnership with Turner Sports, CBS Sports and the NCAA, Twitter will host a "live social-viewing experience" during both Men's Final Four games this weekend as well as the National Championship game on Monday. The Watch Parties will consist of analyst commentary, highlights and even some special guests.
Put March Madness on your face with $3 VR livestreams
Turner Sports, CBS Sports and the NCAA will once again be offering VR livestreams of the March Madness tournament, Variety reports. The NCAA March Madness Live VR app will host 21 games starting with the first and second rounds and continuing through the National Championship. Users will be able to choose whether they want to view the game from a particular camera or watch produced coverage with multiple camera angles and audio. First and second round games will include commentary from TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV telecasts while the app will host play-by-play commentary from Spero Dedes, Steve Smith, Rich Waltz and Steve Lavin during Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. Dedes and Smith will also provide commentary during the Semifinal and Championship matchups.
Hulu adds sports features to Live TV just in time for March Madness
Just in time for March Madness, Hulu has added features for its Live TV service keyed specifically to the month-long event. Did you like choosing particular sports during the recent Winter Olympics and having Hulu curate coverage per your interests? They're bringing it back for the basketball finals: Just pick your favorite NCAA men's and women's teams and the service will make sure you never miss their games.
Hulu adds 60fps support for select live TV channels
Just a few days after Hulu added a new way for sports fans to customize their Olympic coverage, the company is back with another bit of news for sports fans. Subscribers to Hulu's live TV service will be able to watch their favorite games at 60 frames per second (fps) on select channels. The higher frame rate, common on video game platforms, will help you follow the quick action in broadcasts like March Madness and the Winter Olympics. "This was one of the most-requested features by our viewers," the company wrote in a Reddit announcement.
March Madness is back in VR, but it will cost you
Last year, the NCAA streamed the Final Four and championship game in virtual reality for free as March Madness came to a close. For the 2017 tournament that's already in progress, the college sports governing body is teaming up with Turner Sports and CBS Sports to offer VR streaming of not only those final three games, but of the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 as well. Those two rounds begin this Thursday, March 23rd and run through the weekend.
NCAA to stream Final Four and championship game in VR
Streaming sports in VR isn't that novel these days, but that's not stopping the NCAA from employing the tech this weekend in Houston. The collegiate sports governing body announced plans to livestream the Final Four and National Championship games in virtual reality Saturday, April 2nd and Monday, April 4th. This is the first time a VR stream will be available for the culmination of March Madness, offering 180-degree views of the action on the hardwood. The stream will be available on Samsung's Gear VR through the March Madness Live app in the Oculus Store. If you don't have a headset, there will be a 2D 180-degree livestream on the March Madness website alongside 360-degree game highlights.
Facebook Messenger has a hidden basketball game
March Madness is upon us, bringing dunks and layups galore as 68 college teams vie for the national championship. It's easy to get swept up in the hype, but if you're anything like me a trip to the court only ends in disappointment, rather than any spectacular recreation of a trick shot or buzzer beater. Instead, we recommend checking out Messenger Madness, a hidden game built into Facebook's chat app. Just send a basketball emoji to some friends and you can face off in a swipe-based shooting contest.
'Rocket League' is getting a basketball mode
It's already pretty tough to argue against Rocket League being the best multiplayer game of 2015, but things are about to get a lot more fun. With March Madness almost upon us, Psyonix, the team behind the smash-em-up soccer car game, has teased a new game mode they're working on -- and it looks incredible. Get ready, because Rocket League will soon let you swap goals for hoops with the launch of a new basketball mode.
NCAA March Madness Live streams games to even more devices
Oh, March Madness. The time of year when productivity takes a nose dive as sports fans follow along to see who will win the office pool. NCAA March Madness Live is the home for all your streaming needs when it comes to the tournament, and this year the live basketball action is available on more devices than ever before. In addition to the web portal and mobile apps, March Madness Live also streams to Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku gadgets. What's more, the mobile apps also feature Google Cast and AirPlay, should you need to beam the footage to a nearby TV or in-game audio to a wireless speaker.
Get your March Madness highlights and analysis on YouTube
While you'll want to venture over to CBS Sports to stream the March Madness live action, YouTube is gearing up for the Big Dance, too. The video library will provide highlights, pre/postgame shows and more on the March Madness channel during the postseason schedule. Of course, those who prefer to catch the action on live television can watch on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV when the tournament begins on March 17th. NCAA tournament highlights will arrive on YouTube just weeks after Google and the NFL agreed to circulate pro football clips on the site. No matter how you plan on watching, though, it'll be interesting to see which team will be this year's Mercer. My money's on North Carolina Central.
March Madness 2014 was live streamed nearly 70 million times
Hey, look, we all know the Super Bowl is a pretty big deal. But March Madness isn't that far off, both in terms of viewership and the great dose of excitement it injects into fans. And there are numbers to prove it too. According to Turner Sports, an NCAA partner, March Madness Live 2014 shattered all previous online viewing records for the tournament, netting a total of 69.7 million live streams. That statistic takes into account the different platforms in which the service was available this year, which included a website as well as apps on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows devices. In retrospect, Turner reports that March Madness Live 2014 streams grew by 42 percent compared to last year, while TV Everywhere (aka sites and apps from pay-TV providers) also saw an increase in usage during the basketball tournament, with an 85 percent growth from March Madness 2013. All in all, the NCAA can be pleased by the response from people in 2014, who clearly took advantage of the streaming options it was able to provide in association with CBS, Turner Sports and cable/satellite companies. [Image credit: Charlie Neibergall/AP]
Must See HDTV for the week of March 17th: March Madness, American Hustle, Infamous
This week the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament kicks off, so we hope you have your March Madness bracket filled out and ready to go. The full schedule of preliminary round games is available here, and don't forget you can always watch the games streaming over the internet (with a cable login anyway) on a PC or mobile devices. On Blu-ray, Academy Award Best Picture nominee American Hustle leads the way, while gamers can grab Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes across several platforms. PS4 owners however, will want to pick up one of the platform's big exclusives on Friday, as Infamous: Second Son arrives. Check after the break for trailers plus our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and gaming.
March Madness Live 2014: new apps, redesigned brackets and more social features
It's about that time again. That time for NCAA Division I schools to battle it out on the court during the month of March, all in search of men's basketball glory. Naturally, the NCAA, in partnership with CBS and Turner Sports, couldn't have kicked things off without revamping its beloved March Madness Live, both on the desktop and mobile apps. For the most part, however, the streaming service remains largely unchanged -- and we'd say that's a good thing. That said, there are a few new things coming to March Madness Live this year, such as apps for Kindle Fire, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8 (we'll come back to the latter two in a bit).
Daily Roundup: Ashton Kutcher designs smartphones, March Madness on WP8, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Google search adds sports info, gets a bad case of March Madness
Google's big push toward richer search just got a bit more sporty. The site announced that it's adding sports schedules, stats and other contextual information to its results. Interested parties can now find game scores, full league standings, schedules grouped by day and week and can drill down for more info on players in individual games. For the sake of timeliness, March Madness answer cards now feature a bracket view, which can be viewed on desktop or mobile, if you're the betting type.
March Madness Live apps are free this year, stream all the games -- if you have cable
This year's version of the NCAA March Madness Live app is live in the iOS App Store (an Android version is scheduled to arrive on Google Play this weekend) and unlike last year the apps are free. Unfortunately there's still a catch, since while the games aired on CBS will be streamed registration free via the web and apps, games on cable (TNT, TBS and TruTV) will require users to login with the account they use for their pay-TV provider. The action gets started with the seedings on Selection Sunday, with the First Four games kicking off on the 19th. The March Madness apps are ready for smartphones and tablets on Android and iOS and "redesigned for optimization across platforms" this time around. Whether or not you have the privilege of membership (or can borrow a login from a friend) the apps are available beyond the source link. Update: The refreshed Android app is now available on Google Play as well.
Simple Bracket for iPhone is ready for March Madness
Simple Bracket US$0.99) is the Kickstarter-funded iPhone app from Dan Provost and Tom Gerhardt. It's an app for tracking the action of March Madness, when the US NCAA Men's Division I basketball championship is decided. Provost and Gerhardt strayed from the traditional bracket-style tournament display and implemented something new with Simple Bracket. Instead of presenting a single bracket view, which is hard to read on the iPhone's small screen, their design compresses the list as you swipe while play advances. This way, you always have a nice, clear view. The app also features what the developers call "the most statistically sound way to score a bracket." Those interested in slick apps and NCAA men's basketball can pick up Simple Bracket from the App Store now.
