As March Madness Tips Off, Here's Why CBS Will Sit Out the National Championships

Cable networks increasingly snag major sporting events

When Duke and UNC-Wilmington tip off the 2016 NCAA Tournament, CBS will carry the game, a tradition dating to 1982.

But as March Madness bleeds into April, CBS will find itself on the bench, as the Final Four and National Championship games will air exclusively on cable.

"We knew six years ago when we did this deal," said CBS Sports president Sean McManus. "We circled this date."

CBS has been sharing the tournament with Turner's TBS, TNT and TruTV since 2011, but until this year it had exclusive rights to the Championship game.

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