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College Basketball on TNT Sports

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College Basketball on TNT Sports is the de facto title of college basketball coverage produced by TNT Sports for TNT, TBS, TruTV and NBA TV.

History

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Early TBS games (1982–1983)

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On December 11, 1982, TBS[1][2] (with the aid of more than 100 independent network affiliates and stations[3]) broadcast a contest between Virginia and Georgetown[4][5][6] (led by Ralph Sampson and Patrick Ewing[7] respectively). The game in question (in which TBS paid approximately US$600,000[8] for the broadcasting rights) was called by Skip Caray[9] and Abe Lemons. On November 26, 1983, TBS broadcast a contest between Kentucky and Louisville. TBS, in a joint venture with Sports Productions Inc. of Dallas, paid $600,000 for the rights to the game.[10] Skip Caray and Joe Dean were on the call of the game.[11]

Coverage returns (2011–2020)

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Main article: NCAA March Madness (TV program)

On April 22, 2010, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reached a 14-year agreement,[12] worth US$10.8 billion, with CBS and the Turner Broadcasting System to receive joint broadcast rights to the Division I men's college basketball tournament.[13] This came after speculation that ESPN would try to obtain the rights to future tournament games.[14] The NCAA took advantage of an opt-out clause in its 1999 deal with CBS (which ran through 2013, even though the NCAA had the option of ending the agreement after the 2010 championship) to announce its intention to sign a new contract with CBS and Turner Sports, The new contract came amid serious consideration by the NCAA of expanding the tournament to 68 teams.

The agreement, which runs through 2032 (extended from 2024 in 2016),[15] stipulates that all games are available nationally. All First Four games air on truTV. During the first and second rounds, a featured game in each time "window" is broadcast terrestrially on CBS (15 games), while all other games are shown on TBS (12 games), TNT (12 games) or truTV (nine exclusive games, from 2024 on select TNT and/or TBS games may get a simulcast on TruTV when that network is not airing any games). Sweet 16 (regional semifinal) and Elite 8 (regional finals) games are split among CBS and TBS. In 2014 and 2015, Turner channels had exclusive rights to the Final Four (with standard coverage airing on TBS), and CBS broadcast the championship game. Since 2016, rights to the Final Four and championship game alternate between Turner and CBS; the 2016 tournament marked the first time that the national championship game was not broadcast on over-the-air television.[16]

In 2011, TruTV acquired the rights to the preseason Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, beginning with 2012. The tournament was the first regular season games aired by TNT Sports since 1983. The tournament was discontinued after the 2014 edition.[17]

Coverage expands (2021–present)

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Regular season basketball produced by TNT Sports returned during the 2020–21 season. NBA TV, which is operated by TNT Sports, televised 2 college basketball games as part of a doubleheader on February 22, 2021. The telecasts featured both men's and women's college basketball games between Jackson State University and Grambling State University and were the first college basketball games ever on the network.[18]

Prior to the 2021–22 season, TNT Sports expanded its HBCU coverage when it reached an agreement to air the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, a two-game event featuring four HBCU teams, on TNT. Also, as part of its NBA All-Star Game coverage, NBA TV began producing the NBA-HBCU Classic game, which is also simulcast on TNT and ESPN2.[19] In 2022, NBA TV also aired four other regular season games from the SWAC. On February 5, 2022, NBA aired a doubleheader of men's and women's college basketball games between Florida A&M University and Texas Southern University. On February 12, 2022, NBA aired a doubleheader of Men's and Women's college basketball games between Texas Southern University and Grambling State University.[20]

In 2023, TNT and TruTV began airing the Hall of Fame Series from Las Vegas. The four game event features two early afternoon games on TruTV and two primetime games on TNT. Two of the four games featured Women's college basketball, which had never aired on TNT or TruTV prior to 2023.[21] The event was reduced to two games, one women's and one men's, for the 2024 edition.[22] In 2024, TNT and TruTV will also air one game from the Hall of Fame Series in Baltimore.[23]

On June 27, 2024, TNT Sports announced that they had reached a six-year agreement with the Big East Conference, joining incumbent Fox and newcomer NBC, to air men's and women's college basketball games on their platforms, marking the first time TNT Sports will hold rights to air college basketball games for a specific conference. TNT will air more than 65 games (more that 50 men's basketball games and at least 15 women's basketball games) over the course of the six-year deal. While most games will air on TNT, select games will air on TBS and TruTV, with all games available on Max.[24]

On August 22, 2024, TNT Sports announced it had acquired the rights to the Acrisure Classic. As part of the agreement, 19 men's and women's basketball games over four days will air on TruTV and stream on Max.[25] On September 10, 2024, TNT Sports announced it had acquired the rights to the Players Era Festival, with 12 games airing on TNT, TBS, TruTV or Max.[26]

Starting with the 2025–26 season, TNT Sports will have the rights to air games from the Big 12 Conference as part of a sublicense from ESPN. In return, ESPN will have the rights to air TNT's NBA studio Inside the NBA.[27]

Coverage overview

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Current rights

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Former rights

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Commentators

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For March Madness commentators on TBS, TNT and TruTV, see List of NCAA March Madness commentary crews for CBS/TNT Sports.

Play-by-play

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Color

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Reporters

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ 1982 83 #1 Virginia at #4 Georgetown 1 of 1 on YouTube
  2. ^ 1982-83 UVA vs. Georgetown 12/11 on YouTube
  3. ^ Stoda, Greg (December 10, 1982). "Battle of giants forms collation". Star-News. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  4. ^ Rothenberg, Fred (July 22, 1982). "Superstation Wtbs Fights Network Methods, Programs". Toledo Blade. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  5. ^ Richard, Chris (July 22, 1982). "Awesome Basketball Game Spotlights Sampson-Ewing Confrontation". The Cavalier Daily. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  6. ^ 1982-83 UVA vs. Georgetown 12/11 on YouTube
  7. ^ Meade, Peter (December 8, 1982). "The Biggest Showdown?". The Times-News. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  8. ^ Siddens, Larry (September 16, 1982). "Court Ruling Is Made On Televised NCAA Athletics". Daily Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  9. ^ "Hawks Relive Caray Of Announcing Duties". The Palm Beach Post. 4 February 1983. Retrieved 21 June 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Kentucky and Louisville will begin a four-year basketball series..." United Press International. May 25, 1983. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  11. ^ [1983-1984] NCAA Basketball: Kentucky Wildcats vs Louisville Cardinals on YouTube
  12. ^ Fang, Ken (March 17, 2017). "Looking back at how the NCAA-CBS/Turner partnership began". AwfulAnnouncing.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  13. ^ "CBS Sports, Turner Broadcasting, NCAA Reach 14-Year Agreement". NCAA.com (Press release). National Collegiate Athletic Association. April 21, 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  14. ^ Surber, Don (March 29, 2010). "ESPN to snag the Final Four?". Charleston Daily Mail. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  15. ^ Bonesteel, Matt (April 12, 2016). "CBS and Turner Sports lock down NCAA tournament through 2032". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  16. ^ Crupi, Anthony (May 7, 2013). "Fast Break: TBS to Air Final Four in 2014: College hoops title game shifts to cable in 3 years". Adweek. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Coaches vs. Cancer Classic to move". Associated Press. September 14, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  18. ^ "HBCUs to be first colleges featured on NBA TV". 18 February 2021. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  19. ^ Walton, John (October 14, 2022). "Southern and Grambling to play in the NBA HBCU Classic 2023". BR Proud. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  20. ^ "NBA TV to showcase HBCU games in Celebration of Black History Month". NBA.com.
  21. ^ "LSU women's basketball season opener vs. Colorado in Las Vegas to air on TNT". Crescent City Sports. October 10, 2023. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  22. ^ Hayes, Dade (June 27, 2024). "With NBA Relationship Still In Limbo, TNT Sports Lands 6-Year Rights Deal For Big East College Basketball". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  23. ^ Woods, Ashlee (October 15, 2024). "What channel is Villanova vs. Virginia on tonight? Time, TV schedule to watch NCAA men's college basketball game". Sporting News. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c d e "TNT Sports to Tip Off College Basketball Season with 2024 Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas on Monday, Nov. 4". TNT Sports. October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  25. ^ "TNT Sports to Present Comprehensive Live Coverage of NCAA College Basketball Acrisure Series in Palm Springs – Tuesday, Nov. 26-Friday, Nov. 29 – on truTV & Max". TNT Sports Press Room. August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  26. ^ "TNT Sports Reaches Multi-Year Agreement to be Exclusive U.S. Distribution Partner, Televising & Streaming Players Era Festival Tournaments Across TNT, TBS, truTV & Max". TNT Sports Press Room. September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  27. ^ Steinberg, Brian (November 16, 2024). "Warner Bros. Discovery, NBA Settle Legal Fight Over TV Rights". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  28. ^ a b c d "truTv to air Coaches vs. Cancer Classic". NCAA. November 19, 2023. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "TNT Sports to Exclusively Televise 30+ Men's & Women's College Basketball Games During Thanksgiving Week (Nov. 26-30) Across TNT, TBS, truTV & Max". TNT Sports. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d "2024 NBA HBCU Classic to be presented by AT&T". NBA. February 13, 2023. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  31. ^ a b c "TNT and ESPN2 to simulcast first-ever NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T". NBA. February 7, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  32. ^ a b c "2024 NBA HBCU Classic to be presented by AT&T". NBA. February 2, 2024. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  33. ^ a b c d e "Game and Studio Commentators Announced for 2023 Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas on TNT, truTV & Max — Monday, Nov. 6". TNT Sports. November 2, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  34. ^ a b c "TNT Sports to Televise Third Annual Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 1 p.m. ET". TNT Sports. January 25, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
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