No Familiar Faces On Comcast's MMOD ‘Boss Button'
Top Op Sponsors Application On CBS Sports's Internet Package For March Madness
Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 3/16/2009 12:59:00 AM
Comcast is sponsoring the "boss button" on CBS Sports's March Madness on Demand Internet package.
No, an image of Comcast COO Steve Burke's face will not serve as the icon, when users hit the button to bring up a spreadsheet to obscure the fact that they're watching March Madness on Demand on their computers in the office during the upcoming NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
Last year, users clicked on the boss button 2.5 million times during the streaming package of 63 tournament games, taking them to a faux spread sheet to hide the fact their focus, at least in part, was on the hoops action as much as their 9-5 office routines. This year, Comcast vice president of video content Diana Wechsler Kerekes said viewers will be taken to a spreadsheet, replete with tournament schedule information and data.
"This is the first time the boss button was sponsorable," said Kerekes of the application that was secured by the operator's buying agency MediaVest. "We think it's a valuable application and wanted to attach our brand to it."
Jason Kint, CBSSports.com senior vice president and general manager, said MMOD, which saw video and audio streams leap 81% to 5 million from the prior year, attracted 4.8 million unique visitors to the 2008 tourney, a 164% jump from 1.8 million in 2007. About 90% of that occurred in the workplace, said Kint, underlining the boss button's appeal.
Kint -- citing CBS Interactive's acquisition of CNet and GameSpot, plus the fact that fans will be able to link to NCAA.com and CBSSports.com to access the live streaming and highlights action from 300 sites, up from 200 in 2008 -- projects the number of unique visitors could reach 7.2 million this year, a total that would no doubt put the boss button in play more often.
Comcast is also hoping to gain more views from "NCAA VOD: The Best of March Madness" with the 2009 tournament. Produced by CBS Sports, CBS College Sports Network, the NCAA and Thought Equity Motion, the VOD package comprises advertising-free customized highlights for all tournament games, plus 40 archival vignettes, in both standard and high-definition formats. Extending last year's window, the content, for which CBS College Sports inked deals with 20 cable, satellite and telco video providers, will run through April 30.
Last year, CBS College Sports executive vice president of distribution Bob Rose said the 25 memorable moments culled about 75% of the on-demand viewing.
"That's about right," said Comcast vice president of video content Diana Wechsler Kerekes. "We were just watching Christian Laettner's shot [from the 1992 Duke-Kentucky thriller] and you get excited. I think the memories, which we've had up since March 2, really get people pumped for the tournament."
It's a ratio that likely to improve given the expanded memories slate, which this year includes the 30th anniversary of the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird final and Mario Chalmers' game-tying three-pointer for Kansas in last year's title-tilt triumph over Memphis.
Kerekes, who would not quantify the number of hits last year's VOD tournament vignettes and highlights generated for Comcast, did say that the college hoops package was "really right up there with Olympics" in the platform's sports pantheon during 2008.
As for the 2009 games, a highlights package will be culled from the tourney's first four days. Subsequently, from the Sweet 16 regional semifinals through the national championship game on April 6, there will be individual cutdowns, averaging three minutes. That on-demand content becomes available, via TVN, to distributors the next morning.
CBS College Sports provides all partners with customized cross-channel spots, Web banners, ad slicks and barker channel touts from basketball analyst Seth Davis.
"We heard our affiliates loud and clear that their priorities are HD, VOD and compelling content to distinguish themselves from the competition" said CBS College Sports senior vice president affiliate marketing and distribution Ellen Schned.
For its part, Comcast is deploying an array of vehicles to get the word about NCAA VOD: The Best of March Madness. "We're using cross-channel, the I-guide, banners on Comcast.net," said Kerekes. "Comcast is really leveraging its resources to let people know about this great product and cool event."
Rose said CBS College has engaged the NCAA and operators in conversation about similar year-round VOD opportunities, involving other sports. Kerekes kept her cards close, saying only that Comcast is "always looking at interesting opportunities with on-demand content."
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