TBS to begin airing Final Four games

NEW YORK, May 7 (UPI) -- The semifinals of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, a staple on CBS since 1982, will be shown on TBS in 2014 and '15, the networks said Tuesday.

CBS Sports and Turner Sports reached an agreement in 2010 for broadcast rights for the tournament with games to be shown on four outlets -- CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. Every game of the tournament in recent years was aired on one of those channels.

CBS had retained the high-profile Final Four games -- the semifinals on Saturday and the Monday night championships game -- but the arrangement will change beginning next year.

TBS will show the semifinal games in 2014 and '15 while CBS will show the finals those two seasons. After that either CBS or TBS will alternate showing the entire Final Four. TBS will also show two regional finals beginning in 2014. CBS previously had exclusive rights to that round of the tournament.

"From the beginning, our partnership with Turner Sports has exceeded every one of our expectations," CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said in a statement.

"Today's news represents another win-win arrangement that continues to help us extend the reach of this marquee property by combining the resources of our two organizations. As we have done since 1982, CBS is pleased to showcase the national championship game in 2014 and 2015."