Not that I’m complaining. Last March I raved about the CBS/CSTV online March Madness deal. Only $10-15 to watch a load of the 1st and 2nd round action streamed in video for out of market game.

Well this year, they are giving it away (thanks to Keith for the e-mail).

This year it all just got a little bit easier, especially for diehard fans who inexplicably decide to spend the day at work with NCAA March Madness on Demand, a streaming webcast. CBS had been offering the games online as part of a subscription, but this year the NCAA Tournament will be available for free at NCAAsports.com.

“I think that was the evolution of this product,” said Mike Aresco, senior vice president for programming at CBS Sports. “We felt that ultimately the future of online streaming would be on an ad-supported basis.”

The webcasts will be free through the regional semifinals, and there will be web blackouts for games aired in local television markets. Press conferences and highlights are also part of the package.

Aresco doesn’t think this will take away from television ratings, or erode subscribers to the Direct TV package because viewers tend to watch something online if they are already in front of a computer – but they watch television if they are home. This applies not only to office workers, but college students as well.

Hence the boon for those who lament that the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament are not national holidays.
…
“What we are looking to do is figure out how many platforms are feasible to place content on,” Aresco said.

It is less a money-earner than a technology and marketing test, an opportunity to see if free content can attract enough viewers to pull in advertising revenue.

I’m not complaining. I guess it’s a worthwhile experiment. I’m a little surprised, though, because I thought the price-point they were offering was already a good deal.

Here’s the CSTV/CBS press release on it.