CBS, NCAA deal will boost sports Web site.

CBS_s blockbuster deal with the National Collegiate Athletic Association could also be a windfall for SportsLine USA, an online sports news web site partially owned by CBS, through lucrative e-commerce deals. CBS Sports, a division of CBS, Thursday signed a $6 billion, 11-year deal with the NCAA giving the network exclusive rights to broadcast the hugely popular NCAA college basketball championship tournament. The deal, worth about $545 million annually, gives the network all television rights, including over-the-air broadcasting, cable television, satellite, digital and home video, the company said. CBS also acquired the rights for all content relating to these events on the Internet, including rights related to electronic commerce, and the rights to develop various NCAA- related web sites. The deal also gives SportsLine, of which CBS holds a 20 percent stake, a tremendous boost, analysts said. SportsLine is currently duking it out with Disney_s ESPN.com to be the leading provider of sports content on the Internet. SportsLine also provides sports content for America Online. The obvious benefit for SportsLine is that the new deal extends its exclusive coverage of the NCAA tournament which was set to expire in 2002. But the potential for broadband content and e-commerce may prove beneficial. The new deal is effective beginning in 2003.