TV Answer Man, there is nothing better than March Madness and we’re in March so I’m asking you the big question. Will March Madness be in 4K? I think it would look awesome on my new LG OLED 4K TV! What’s the scoop, Swanni? — Josh, Indianapolis.
Josh, before I answer your question, let me note that Fox will stream this year’s Big Ten and Big East college basketball tournaments in 4K, starting with first round action on March 9. See this article for more details.
But what about March Madness? The 68-team college basketball championship tournament begins on March 15 on CBS and Turner networks (TNT, truTV and TBS) as well as the NCAA March Madness Live app.
Well, it’s still a little early so CBS and Turner have not issued an official announcement regarding their broadcast plans. But a well-placed source close to the production tells me that there will be no March Madness games this year in 4K. (This is the same source who told me last year that the 2021 March Madness wouldn’t be in 4K so you can go to the bank on this one.)
Update: It’s official. March Madness 2022 will not be in 4K.
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The decision is not terribly surprising. CBS and Turner, which have had the TV rights to the college basketball championship tournament for years, have only offered March Madness in 4K once, in 2019. CBS also chose not to produce the 2021 Super Bowl in 4K while Turner has not done any 4K except for the 2019 March Madness.
The networks are also still hampered by Covid-19 restrictions which make it more difficult to place people and equipment where they normally would.
But this is another blow for 4K enthusiasts who are still upset that the networks last month didn’t do the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 or the NBA All-Star Game in the format.
Josh, sorry about the news, but happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
