The popular CBS NCAA March Madness iPhone app, which includes live streaming of the NCAA Tournament, will support streaming over Wi-Fi and 3G this year, with 3G being a welcome addition from past years.
However, the app will double up in price, to $9.99 from $4.99 last year.
The company will offer a free “lite” version of the app, but it will not include any live streaming, just highlights and box scores.
The NCAA March Madness on Demand (MMOD) app begins coverage starting on March 14th with the selection show, and will end after the tournament has run its course.
The added price to the app is thanks to a deal between CBS and exclusive iPhone carrier AT&T, which for years has not wanted to put additional strain on its data network, but seemingly will for some extra revenue.
Adds Rob Gelick, Sr. Vice President and GM, CBS Mobile: “The CBS Sports Mobile 2010 March Madness products appeal to both casual and diehard fans, keeping them connected to the action via live video and highlights, news, scores, and brackets. Last year CBS Sports Mobile witnessed a huge appetite for mobile video when we were the first to stream live sports events over the iPhone, and this year, by including Wi-Fi and 3G, we expect that appetite, and audience, to grow even more.”
Result for: New
Update to our previous article (reposted below):
Cablevision and ABC have come to a deal, 45 minutes after the start of the Oscars. More word on the agreement when it is finalized.
Original article:
Disney has blacked out the broadcast channel ABC for Cablevision’s 3 million subscribers, the day of the highly-anticipated Academy Awards.
Cablevision says it’s willing to restart negotiations with Disney, along with a third-party arbitrator, to end the spat over transmission fees.
The cable company has a decent monopoly over the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and parts of NJ and Connecticut.
“Given the extraordinary public interest in this matter, Senator (John) Kerry and other public officials have suggested that arbitration is appropriate in this highly unusual situation,” added Charles Schueler, Cablevision’s executive vice president of communications. “Cablevision will agree to binding arbitration and calls upon Disney CEO Bob Iger to immediately return ABC to New YOrk area viewers and join us in binding arbitration to resolve this matter fairly.”
ABC says they have put forward a counter-offer this afternoon.
Result for: New
A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of TiVo today in the long-standing patent case brought against them by Dish and EchoStar, with the news sending TiVo’s stock shares up over 55 percent on gigantic volume.
The district court had ruled last year that Dish and EchoStar had violated TiVo patents and ordered a permanent injunction on DVRs being sold by the company’s that used the infringing technology.
The companies were also told to pay TiVo $300 million in damages, and the latest ruling will finally pave the way for TiVo to receive that money.
