CBS, Turner lock up NCAA Tournament broadcast rights through 2032

The NCAA Tournament will remain one shining moment for CBS and Turner through 2032.

The NCAA added eight years and $8.8 billion to its multimedia rights with the media companies. The extension increases the amount paid out to teams through their conferences per season from $770 million to $1.1 billion. About 90 percent of the media money gets distributed.

“This is a revenue stream that 1,100 colleges and universities depend on,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said.

The original deal of $10.8 billion over 14 years began in 2011 and marked the first time every game was presented live in its entirety on national television — on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV — and across digital platforms. At the time bracket expansion was an issue, and there was talk of a 96-team field.

Instead, the field expanded by only four teams, to 68, and Emmert said there are no plans to change the bracket.

“We’re very pleased with the way the tournament as conducted right now,” Emmert said. “There’s been no discussion about expanding the field beyond 68.”

One change could happen before the tournament begins. The two-hour selection show was criticized not just for its length by the amount of time between announcing the region matchups.

“I think it’s safe to assume we’ll be a little more timely with the announcements of the brackets,” CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said.

That way, a team on the bubble wouldn’t have to wait until late in the program to know whether or not it’s included in the field.

CBS and Turner will continue to alternate the Final Four national semifinals and national championship game, with CBS carrying next year’s finals.

It will difficult to top this year’s championship game, with Villanova defeating North Carolina 77-74 on Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beating three-point shot.

The title game was the first on TBS, and marked the lowest rated championship game (10.6 rating) and fourth least-watched (17.8 million viewers) in history. A big reason: It was the first on a cable network, which have a smaller reach compared to their broadcast counterparts like CBS.

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 5:23 PM with the headline "CBS, Turner lock up NCAA Tournament broadcast rights through 2032."