HDNet to Broadcast 2009 College Basketball Invitational

HDNet to Broadcast 2009 College Basketball Invitational

Sixteen NCAA teams to compete LIVE on HDNet

DALLAS, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- HDNet and The Gazelle Group are pleased to announce an agreement to broadcast the 2009 College Basketball Invitational.

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The College Basketball Invitational will consist of 16 teams not selected for the NCAA Tournament. The teams will be invited based upon performance during their conference and non-conference schedule, as well as how they are playing at the end of the regular season. Bracketing will be done geographically into four regions of the country (East, West, South, Midwest) to minimize missed class time. Brackets will be balanced competitively within each region.

The College Basketball Invitational bracket will be announced on the evening of Sunday, March 15.

"We're excited to bring the College Basketball Invitational to HDNet," said Mark Cuban, president and co-founder of HDNet. "This tournament is an excellent showcase for some of the best and brightest in college basketball and we're proud to bring it to our viewers."

"We are thrilled to continue our relationship with HDNet," said Gazelle Group President Rick Giles. "They were a great partner for our Legends Classic tournament last November and their national coverage of the CBI will be an exceptional showcase of postseason College Basketball in high-definition. HDNet has distinguished itself as one of the most successful and innovative networks. We look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come."

The event will be played under a single-elimination format, up until the Championship Series, with all games being played at campus sites. The Championship Series will be a best-of-three series (home-away-home), in which the higher seed will host the first and third (if necessary) games.

   The College Basketball Invitational will feature the following:     March 17 and 18   - A total of eight Opening Round games at campus sites   - Two games will be played on March 17, six games will be played on     March 18   - HDNet will broadcast two games LIVE each night at 8:00 p.m. and     10:00 p.m. ET    March 23   - Four Quarterfinal Round games at campus sites   - HDNet will broadcast two games LIVE at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. ET    March 25   - Two semi-final games at campus sites   - HDNet will broadcast both games LIVE at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. ET   

All College Basketball Invitational Championship Series (March 30, April 1 and April 3) championship games LIVE on HDNet at 8:00 p.m. ET

About HDNet

HDNet (www.hd.net) provides viewers with the best in original comedy, drama, news, sports and music programming.

HDNet is your exclusive, high definition home for popular, critically acclaimed original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather and "NASA on HDNet" (presenting live shuttle launches through 2010). HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring Major League Soccer, the NASCAR Camping World Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup re-broadcasts, and premiere Mixed Martial Arts from "HDNet Fights;" behind-the-scenes sports news with "Inside MMA;" groundbreaking music programming with the HDNet Concert Series featuring leading artists and bands including Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer and more; and entertaining and irreverent lifestyle programming including "Deadline!," "Art Mann Presents," and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning programs such as the Emmy Award winning "Arrested Development," "The Black Donnellys," "Dead Like Me," "Smallville" and the hit series "Torchwood."

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit www.hd.net.

About The Gazelle Group

The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting, based in Princeton, NJ. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic and the Legends Classic. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.

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Source: HDNet

CONTACT: Colette Carey of HDNet, +1-303-542-5576, ccarey@hd.net

Web Site: http://www.hd.net/

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Profile: International Entertainment