DENVER —Thought Equity Motion, the world leader in providing access to high quality film, video and music content, has partnered with the NCAA® to offer the 2009 Road to the Final Four® package. This exclusive series of programs allows online newspapers, sports Web sites and other digital networks to build on the excitement of NCAA March Madness® by bringing the best of the NCAA to their viewers.
In partnership with Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), a division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, the 2009 Road to the Final Four package includes exclusive NCAA music videos featuring hit music from classic Motown artists to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Motown Records. Detroit is the site of this year’s NCAA Men’s Final Four, but the city is best known as the home of Motown.
The 2009 Road to the NCAA Final Four package includes 15 original programs created by award-winning producers that spotlight this season’s teams as well as legendary championship moments, including NCAA videos with the Motown Sound, 2009 NCAA Tournament Previews, Unforgettable NCAA Tournament Moments, and the 30th Anniversary of the 1979 NCAA Championship game that pitted Indiana State University and Larry Bird against Michigan State University and Magic Johnson.
“The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship has a heritage of bringing out the best in talented student-athletes; their achievements and perseverance inspire all of us,” said Greg Shaheen, Senior Vice President of Basketball and Business Strategies for the NCAA. “By reaching back into the NCAA vault we’re able to share the most memorable and the never-before-told stories from the tournament.”
“The influence of Motown on music and pop culture can never be understated,” said Mike Davis, Executive Vice-President and General Manager, UMe. “And now that same music, which has served as the foundation for countless artists and cultural movements over the last several decades, will complement the NCAA’s extraordinary tournament stories.”
The complete package goes live approximately two weeks prior to the start of the tournament, building on the anticipation of the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Each unique fully-produced two-minute program is an opportunity for online publishers to feature pre-roll ads. Broadband can now deliver high-quality video and online publishers and advertisers are scrambling to meet the consumer demand for online video that entertains. A recent survey says 67% of senior marketing executives see video as the primary focus of their 2009 online marketing campaigns.* Programs also can be used to complement a Web site’s editorial content to bring a story to life.
Thought Equity Motion is the exclusive footage licensing agent of the NCAA, managing the entire NCAA Championship collection of game footage dating back to 1921.
“This package meets the overwhelming demand from online publishers who want professional video programming that brings the tradition of the NCAA Tournament to their viewers,” said Kevin Schaff, CEO, Thought Equity Motion. “Unforgettable tournament stories connect college sports fans of all ages, and our original programs offer a fresh perspective on some of the greatest moments in sports. The 2009 Road to the NCAA Final Four package is just one of many NCAA products we’re developing for broadband networks this year.” To learn more about the package programming lineup, go to www.thoughtequity.com/NCAAvideos.
*Source: http://www.permissiontv.com/about/news/66/industry.
About Thought Equity Motion
Thought Equity Motion is the world leader in providing access to high quality film, video and music content. The company’s forward-thinking approach to digital video has produced an array of products and services to meet the exploding demand of emerging media.
Widely recognized for its expertise in licensing rights, Thought Equity Motion is the licensing agent for renowned media companies including Paramount Pictures, MGM, NBC News, HBO, National Geographic, Sony Pictures, the NCAA and hundreds of others.
With offices located around the world, Thought Equity Motion offers the broadest, deepest content collection available. This vast collection, combined with leading-edge technology, makes Thought Equity Motion the preferred destination for multimedia professionals. Visit www.thoughtequity.com to learn more.
About the NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.NCAA.org and www.NCAA.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions-AT&T, Coca-Cola and Pontiac-and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners- Enterprise, Hershey’s, The Hartford, Lowe's, Sheraton and State Farm.
NCAA, Final Four, and March Madness are trademarks owned or licensed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
About Universal Music Enterprises
Universal Music Enterprises is a division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry's leading global music publishing operation.
Universal Music Group's record labels include Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Motown Republic Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Records South, and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world's most popular artists and their recordings. UMG's catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division; and Helter Skelter, its live music agency.
Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.
