As a sign that some DBS providers are gearing up for HD in a big way, DirecTV said it will carry CBS Sports' HD coverage of 30 games in the first three rounds of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, via DirecTV's Mega March Madness package. The 64-team tournament begins tomorrow, St. Patrick's Day.
The HD package price is $59. The company, in announcing the HD offerings, went out of its way to reaffirm its commitment "to deliver more HD programming to our customers...reflected in the fact that we and CBS are offering more than three times as many games in HD this year over last [year]."
To access this HD programming, consumers would be required to purchase a DirecTV set-top receiver and a 18x20-inch multi-satellite dish with triple-LNB (low noise block) converters.
Fox owns 34 percent of the satellite firm, which is about to have 14 million subscribers, according to DirecTV.
That would grow its American household penetration rate to more than 12 percent.
