Arlington, Va. - With the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament set to officially tip off on Thursday, a new study has found that sports fans are using the Internet at greater rates than ever before to watch games and follow their favorite teams.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Sports Video Group, nearly four in 10 (38%) sports fans said that they will download and watch a game at no cost over the next two years, an increase of 10% from 2007.

In response, networks are offering fans the ability to watch games online -- including the NCAA Tournament.

"As both broadband and cell phone penetration steadily increase... consumers continue to migrate their entertainment viewing to new platforms," said Jason Oxman, the CEA's senior vice president of industry affairs.

The study also found that sports fans are going online for information, statistics and highlights when they are geographically separated from their favorite teams.

Related Links:
http://www.ce.org/Press/CurrentNews/press_release_detail.asp?id=11478