NBA Sporting Action In March

If you're like most people, the season has snuck up on you. March Madness is right around the corner. Everywhere, basketball fans are scrambling to find a way to watch their favorite teams battle their way through this popular elimination style basketball competition. So, do you have your plans set yet? Do you know who carries March Madness? Or how much you'll have to pay to get it or even if it is available in your area?

One of the hottest new options is actually an online option. CBS inked a deal with Yahoo! in 2003 to allow March Madness on Demand for a charge of around $10. The idea was a hit with consumers and the subsequent years actually saw the fee wiped away. In 2007, On Demand games were available through Yahoo free of charge and this year looks to be the same. What if you don't have a computer, though? Or you don't have broadband or are still relegated to using a 14 inch CRT monitor (do they still make those?)

While you can get NBA League Pass through both Dish Network and DirecTV, DirecTV offers the Mega March Madness package; you won't find this option with Dish. NCAA basketball is technically the purview of CBS, though they have licensed DirecTV to carry the majority of games. There are quite a few other options available to catch the excitement of March Madness, though.

If you are one of the computer challenged, you'll find that you have to go that extra mile to get your NCAA fix. Switching to Direct TV is an option. This would actually give you the best benefits, allowing you to see the largest number of games. There are several HD options available, as well for those with HDTVs and HD programming packages. Another option is to catch CBS coverage through a local channel. CBS will continue to broadcast a large number of March Madness games from all different levels of the competition.

The most compelling reason to watch as many games as possible is for the talent level of the young players. We get to prepare ourselves for the NBA draft prospects for the upcoming season. As armchair scouts we are able to get a better understanding of what players will be the star rookies and what Juniors may abandon their college careers to try and go pro. March is by far the best month for basketball on all levels.

The single best option for your March Madness needs, though, is DirecTV. Subscribing to their Mega March Madness package is much less costly than some other options and you can get it in HD. If you don't have an HDTV yet, now is the perfect time. Get your system well in advance of the beginning of the competition, though, so you don't miss any of the fierce battles for dominance. Also, before you even purchase your television, contact DirecTV and let them know that you want to add HD programming, or you'll be watching the same old TV on a larger scale. Just because you have an HDTV, does not mean that you're watching HDTV! Find out from your provider what kind of install time you are looking at so that you can have everything in place before the beginning of March Madness. Getting your NCAA basketball fix is a great reason to upgrade that old TV anyway.