Would You Pay $5 to Watch March Madness on your iPhone over WiFi?
CBS aims to find out the answer to that very question when it puts a new, March Madness-centric iPhone WiFi streaming app up on the App Store. Will free competition from TV, PC, Mac -- and pretty much every other platform out there -- along with no cell access to video (audio only on 3G and EDGE) make the price tag too high? Or will rabid college hoops fans who can't put their iPhone's down swallow the costs and the radio tether?
Apple Insider says:
The video streams themselves won't be relegated to "alternate view" camera angles that have become customary for other sporting events. Instead, CBS said it will deliver full broadcasts and play-by-play in sync with their network television broadcasts, which of course will include commercial breaks.
Yeah, commercials. Oh, and it expires on April 6th. So, what answer do you think CBS will get? Will you be watching on your iPhone?
There are 17 comments. Add yours.
I would pay if it was NFL, and didn't have commercials.
I'm probably going to buy this so I can see my beloved Gamecocks finally return to the Big Dance. From a business perspective, this is a good move on CBS' part: think of it as an inexpensive PPV event. I hope it's a success for them, as it will encourage other such offerings. Let's be real: networks and production companies can't afford to offer their content for free. A subscription based service (like Sirius or Netflix) with multiple clients for viewing content anytime, anywhere makes a great deal of sense to me.
If I could watch it on my 3G I would do it for sure. I dont think I have ever been somewhere where I get WiFi but no 3G and I dont have my macbook with me (i.e. my work or home). If I could watch the ends of games while out and about and moving around(bus, car, baseball game, wherever) I would probably pay 10 bucks for this thing.
CBS must be crazy.
I'm absolutely going to do this for two reasons:
Basketball???
I'd rather watch two men IceFish...
/humor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLTJJ-lKOeI&feature=related
I am going to pay and for any other app like this one as long as the quality is ok
After that $ 28k bill that one guy got, I'm scared about any live tv. Can someone confirm that this is in the unlimited data plan range for ATT and that there will be no extra charges
I would get this if it worked over 3g but the attraction of it is to watch on the go and that is severely limited. I can watch it on campus(Ohio State) or at home but in either place would rather just watch it on a regular tv.
I agree I'd watch over 3g. Most places I've been with WiFi also have TV.
RobertF ... I'm buying it for the exact same reason. Go Cocks!
wifi only? No thanks.
Probably will. But I hate that I have to pay $5 when AT&T customers who purchase the LG Vue et it for free!
I think this is a great idea, and I don't think $5 is too much at all. You can't blame CBS for trying to make some money off of this, and $5 is a good price point for what you get. I won't be getting it because I couldn't care less about basketball, but I'd be all over a version for MLB. (The forthcoming MLB app is a good start, but it won't stream live game video, only audio with in-game video highlights.)
Download VoIPover3G from Cydia, add this CBS app to the settings of VoIPover3G, and then you can watch videos over 3G.
VoIPover3G tricks apps to think that they are connected to a wifi network when there actually connected to the 3G network.
Rajiv
I might be convinced to may $5 to keep sports off of my iPhone if it came to that. Otherwise, CBS has no customer in me.
I would just go to http://pickaplay.com because they have all the games there free anyway!! Haha but really they have them all on there live every day. They just make you fill out a survey when you get there...worth it