As you know, it is March and by extension it is basketball time. Sure the NBA Finals are in June, but March is the time of the year where collegiate basketball shines brighter than everything else. It is where players can cement themselves as legends and for some it is the last time they will don a college uniform before they declare for the NBA Draft or graduate. From the time the season starts, the ultimate goal is to win a national championship, and in each team’s quest for glory, they bring with them a fan base that wants to know everything.
No matter who wins the Tournament will draw viewers and ad revenue in the millions. For this reason Turner Sports has been heavily pushing Bleacher Report’s Team Stream App (Turner acquired Bleacher Report in 2012) which has gotten vastly popular among sports fans for its “ability to connect with fans at the teams and topics level,” according to Lenny Daniels, president of Turner Sports.
Through the Team Stream App, Turner Sports and Bleacher Report will bring new components to the NCAA Final-Four and Championship game such as, comprehensive team and player storylines, custom graphics, music and show packaging, additional cameras capturing team content and school-specific replays and halftime shows focused on each team with feature stories on each individual school.
These new additions are great for both hardcore and casual fans as it provides viewers a look at more than just statistics and lineups. With the ease of a few swipes, fans are shown the player’s journey to get to the Final-Four. Viewers are able to explore the off-court lives of the players and look beyond their ability to put a ball through a hoop.
Last year Turner Sports was able to garner the two highest college basketball ratings in cable history via broadcasting the Madness over CBS, TNT, TruTV and TBS. This year with the new implementation of Team Stream Presented by Bleacher Report, Turner Sports hopes to eclipse that milestone and bring original information to fans with the Team Stream App.