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March Madness Live brings multiview streaming to the web for up to four games
You can stream live game audio on CarPlay and Android Auto and use Live Activities on iOS to keep up with March Madness.
March Madness Live app will let you watch two NCAA games at once on more devices
The NCAA March Madness Live app will let you stream two basketball games at once on your TV.
Jalen Suggs announces he's going pro with an NFT
With Suggs now heading to the NBA draft and expected to land somewhere among the top three picks, he’s auctioning off a commemorative NFT celebrating his semi-finals buzzer beater.
NCAA cancels March Madness over coronavirus pandemic
The NCAA will not crown a basketball champion this year. Just one day after it said it would restrict attendance at upcoming Division 1 men's and women's basketball tournaments, the NCAA has officially cancelled those events, as well as all of its remaining winter and spring championships.
NCAA March Madness games will be played without fans
Precautions for the coronavirus outbreak are about to radically affect how many people watch college sports. The NCAA is responding to the risks of COVID-19 by restricting attendance at championship events, including Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, to "essential staff" and "limited" family members. You'll have to watch matches either online or on TV, no matter how much of a fan you might be.
NCAA will allow college athletes to earn money off their likeness
In a departure from a long-standing position, the NCAA has voted to allow student athletes to "benefit" from the use of their likeness. The organization's Board of Governors made the announcement on Tuesday, and said they've instructed all three of the NCAA's divisions to start looking at their relevant bylaws.
Alexa adds in-depth NFL stats ahead of the new season
Alexa's football knowledge is now decidedly more profound. Amazon has added a slew of info to its voice assistant's repertoire that includes "comprehensive, in-depth" stats for NFL teams and their players. If you want to know your favorite player's rushing yards or how many penalty yards the team has racked up, it's just a quick question away. You can even ask about fantasy football scores if your reputation is on the line.
Twitter is streaming live commentary shows for the NCAA's Final Four
Twitter is following March Madness with a frenzy of coverage for the basketball season's end. The social network is streaming an as-it-happens NCAA Final Four commentary show through @marchmadness, Final Four Twitter Live, starting with the Auburn vs. Virginia game on April 6th (that's right now, if you're watching in time) and wrapping up with a championship show on April 8th at 9PM Eastern. Whenever you tune in, the Turner Sports-produced show will "highlight" the Twitter discussions around each game using a host of analysts, reporters and special guests (such as Tiki Barber and Takeo Spikes).
A guide to watching March Madness
Conference tournaments are over. The 68-team field is set. It's officially time for March Madness. While technically the first game is on Tuesday, we all know the real action begins later in the week. This Thursday and Friday are arguably the two biggest days of the year in sports (and likely the two least-productive days at your job). However, the 2019 NCAA Tournament officially begins Tuesday and Wednesday (March 19th and 20th) with two First Four matchups -- or as the purists call them, play-in games. Both of those games will air on truTV, but if you have a cable log-in, you can stream them through the March Madness Live app.
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.
Turner's live sports streaming service launches April 7th
Turner's long-in-the-making live sports service is here... almost. The broadcaster has announced that its Bleacher Report Live service will debut April 7th in a free preview mode, with "flexible" pricing when you have to start paying in the summer. It'll present live sports in a Facebook-style home feed, with personalization that aggregates content based on your tastes. The sports selection won't suit everyone's tastes (you may want to consider ESPN+), but there are some reasons you'd want to consider BR Live over other options.
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.
College esports is set to explode, starting with the Fiesta Bowl
As executive director of the Fiesta Bowl, one of the largest postseason college football games of the year, Mike Nealy was more familiar with shoulder pads than mousepads. Six months ago, he didn't know people were making money playing video games professionally, he'd never heard of Twitch, and the last time he picked up a controller, it was attached to an Atari 2600. That all changed after a conversation with John Pierce, an esports consultant and former marketing head for the Phoenix Coyotes and US Olympic Committee. Pierce outlined the professional-gaming boom to Nealy and explained how it could tie into the collegiate football scene. He put Nealy in touch with Blizzard, the studio behind Overwatch.
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.
Big Ten Network adds 'League of Legends' to its tournament lineup
The Big Ten Network announced on Thursday that it's adding a less conventional sport to its conference title coverage. Now, in addition to everything from baseball and basketball to football and field hockey, subscribers will be able to see their favorite schools compete against one another in League of Legends. Yeah, the video game.
Twitter adds more college sports to its video streaming lineup
Twitter is adding new video streaming deals almost daily, and today it announced an agreement that pads its college sports lineup. Following last week's Pac-12 deal, the social network is teaming up with Campus Insiders to stream over 300 "live college events" from Mountain West Conference, Patriot League and West Coast Conference. Yes, that includes live games and competitions spanning football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, volleyball, field hockey, water polo and swimming. If you're not familiar, Campus Insiders is like an all digital version of ESPN for college sports, offering news and live coverage for 3,000 live events thanks to partnerships with five conferences.
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.
