NCAA March Madness iOS App Goes Live for 2013, Pay-TV Authentication for Most Games

The iOS app for this year's March Madness tournament is now available, giving access to live game audio and video streams for all 67 games in the tournament. [Direct Link]

Unlike last year, when iOS viewers could make a $3.99 in-app purchase to watch all 67 games, for 2013 they are required to authenticate with their pay-tv provider logins before they can watch games that air on TBS, TNT and truTV. Games aired on CBS will not need authentication. However, users will get a four-hour 'preview' window to watch games without authenticating. Live streaming will be available over 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi.

Ncaagame

Mac users will be able to watch all the CBS-broadcast games for free on NCAA.com. Games aired on TBS, TNT and TruTV will be again only be available to authenticated users.

Watch every game with NCAA® March Madness® LIVE on your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and iPad Mini! Download to follow the tournament bracket, check schedule and scores, fill out your bracket, set game alerts, listen to live game radio, and track social activity around all the games. Log in with your TV provider to enjoy unlimited access to live streaming video of all 67 games of the 2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV. A 4 hour live video pass will be available prior to logging in.

Catch all your favorite rivalries, upsets, and buzzer beaters, starting with the Selection Show on March 17th through the Championship game on April 8th. Don’t miss any of the action with live game alerts and notifications for your favorite teams, possible upsets, overtimes, and close games!

NCAA March Madness Live is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

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bigd4316

86 months ago

Loved the app last year and... I HATE CABLE COMPANIES!!!! When will they ever understand that spending money to license stuff in this way is not helping them? I will NEVER SUBSCRIBE to cable just to view content like this for a short time. Content provider's... YOU ARE LOSING CUSTOMERS... cable companies... YOU ARE NOT GAINING CUSTOMERS(people don't subscribe just for one time events... that's just stupid)...

In fact, it is things like this that really strengthen my resolve. Every time I start to think "maybe we should get cable for a while... it'd be cool," I see something like this and remember why I will never support them again.

Offering me something is not going to change anything... I'm sure there will be people will want to just have everything... but you're losing my business by not offering me anything, and/or by crippling what you do offer me. </rant>

Rating: 4 Votes

TeamMojo

86 months ago

Dumb. They need options both for those who have cable and those who don't. This way they lost a huge amount of revenue from the in app purchase, because I don't do cable, and so won't pay for games I can't watch.

I can't wait for the day we finally can just buy all of the content a-la-carte so we can be done with the horse crap stranglehold old the 1980s cable model. When will the cable companies realize they are just pipes? Google Fiber should be a very nice and much needed kick in the ass for Comcast.

Rating: 3 Votes

bdavis89

86 months ago

Why no in-app purchase this year? What stupid a.ss contract did they sign with the cable providers?

Rating: 3 Votes

takiv

86 months ago

i've used this app the past 2 years since I don't have pay tv, sucks that they feel the need to change it now. Loved the app. Guess i'll just go camp out at the local sports bar and give them my money

Rating: 2 Votes

pittpanthersfan

86 months ago

It's a shame, because I would gladly PAY for a full-featured version of this app that doesn't depend on paying for TV.

Rating: 2 Votes

budselectjr

86 months ago

I have to say there are some articles on MacRumors where I can't help but think 'I just couldn't care less'. This is definitely one of them.

I expect to be pigeon-holed for this post.

but you cared enough to come to the comments and post. Nice.

Rating: 2 Votes

Davmeister

86 months ago

I have to say there are some articles on MacRumors where I can't help but think 'I just couldn't care less'. This is definitely one of them.

I expect to be pigeon-holed for this post.

Rating: 2 Votes

jtaylor8683

86 months ago

Espn live

Is the same way.....

I would pay a fee to download the WATCH ESPN app or even this NCAA app....but since I don't have a provider, guess they won't get my money....*foolish* ?

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I actually like no in-app purchase. I already pay for cable, so why should I pay yet again to watch games I'm already paying for?

Because they usually don't offer every company....example WATCH ESPN doesn't let you log in with Directv and Dish Network....

Rating: 2 Votes