Cbs Daytime Shows: Basketball Pre-Empts When?

when will cbs daytime shows be pre empted for basketball

CBS has preempted its daytime shows for basketball games on several occasions, including the NCAA Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, and the NBA Finals. For instance, in 2015, CBS preempted all its soap operas on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, due to the NCAA Tournament. Similarly, in 2025, CBS's primetime schedule was affected by the National Championship game on Monday, April 7, leading to preemptions of shows like The Neighborhood and NCIS. On Christmas Day 2023, CBS preempted The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful to broadcast NFL football, while on New Year's Day, the network aired its full daytime lineup.

Characteristics Values
CBS Daytime Shows Pre-empted As The World Turns, The Bold and the Beautiful, Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless, The Price is Right, The Talk, Let's Make a Deal, NCIS: Sydney, Fire Country, S.W.A.T., The Neighborhood, Poppa's House, NCIS, NCIS: Origins, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Ghosts, Matlock, Elsbeth
Basketball Tournament NCAA March Madness
Tournament Dates March 19, 2015 – March 23, 2015; December 25, 2023; January 1, 2023; March 20, 2025 – April 7, 2025
Affected Shows Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune

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CBS preempts daytime soaps for NCAA basketball in March 2015

For years, CBS has preempted its daytime soaps in March to air the annual NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, much to the chagrin of soap fans. This tradition continued in 2015, when CBS preempted its daytime soaps on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, to broadcast the first round of the tournament.

The soaps that were preempted included "As the World Turns," "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Guiding Light," and "The Young and the Restless." These soaps would typically air during the daytime, but the basketball tournament took priority for CBS's daytime schedule on those two days.

The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is a highly anticipated sporting event, consisting of 68 teams competing in seven rounds, culminating in the Final Four before the championship game. While this tournament provides excitement for sports fans, it can be a source of frustration for soap opera enthusiasts who value their regular daytime programming.

The preemption of daytime soaps during the NCAA tournament has become an annual occurrence, and CBS is well-known for its extensive coverage of the games. This often results in a divided audience, with sports fans eagerly anticipating the basketball matches while soap fans express disappointment over the interruption of their favorite shows.

Fortunately for soap fans, the preemptions were temporary, and the soaps resumed their regular programming on Monday, March 23, 2015. During the downtime, some soap viewers turned to online message boards to discuss their favorite shows and connect with other fans who shared their frustration over the preemptions.

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CBS preempts 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful' for NFL coverage in December 2023

CBS has preempted its daytime soap operas, "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful", on Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, 2023, to broadcast NFL football coverage. The network aired a game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs, providing sports fans with an exciting holiday treat.

This preemption meant that viewers had to wait until the following week to catch up with their favourite soap opera storylines. "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" resumed their original episodes from Tuesday, December 26, through Thursday, December 28, 2023. However, on Friday, December 29, 2023, CBS aired reruns of these soaps.

The preemptions of "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" due to sports coverage are not uncommon. Previously, in May and February 2023, CBS preempted these soaps for UEFA Champions League coverage. The soaps were affected over six non-consecutive days in the Mountain and Pacific time zones, while the East Coast did not experience interruptions.

During the February 2023 preemptions, CBS aired the "UEFA Champions League Today" pre-game show at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT, followed by the UEFA Champions League soccer games at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT. The network's coverage of these games received modest ratings, with the 2023 final attracting an average audience of 2.183 million viewers.

While preemptions may be inconvenient for soap opera fans, CBS ensures that viewers can stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of their favourite shows. During the UEFA Champions League coverage, for example, viewers could access "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" via the CBS App, CBS.com, and Paramount+.

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CBS preempts primetime shows for the National Championship game in April 2025

CBS will preempt several primetime shows for the National Championship game in April 2025. The 2025 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, will air on CBS from March 20 to April 7. The National Championship game will take place on Monday, April 7, at 8:50 p.m. ET, with a likely pregame show. As a result, CBS's primetime schedule will be affected, and shows such as "The Neighborhood," "Poppa's House," "NCIS," and "NCIS: Origins" will be preempted.

During the tournament, CBS will broadcast basketball games throughout the day, starting at 12 p.m., impacting both daytime and primetime television. Daytime soaps such as "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Beyond the Gates," and "The Young and the Restless" will be preempted, along with primetime shows like "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," "Ghosts," "Matlock," and "Elsbeth."

While the tournament is in progress, CBS will air two primetime basketball games, causing primetime shows like "NCIS: Sydney," "Fire Country," and "S.W.A.T." to be preempted. However, it's important to note that CBS's daytime schedule is typically not affected by the tournament, and new episodes of these primetime shows are expected to return by Friday, April 4.

The National Championship game and its potential pregame show will cause additional preemptions of primetime shows on Monday, April 7. Viewers are advised to check their local listings for more information on how the tournament and the National Championship game will impact the regular CBS programming schedule.

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CBS's Sunday primetime schedule unaffected by NCAA basketball in March 2025

CBS's Sunday primetime schedule is unaffected by the NCAA basketball tournament in March 2025. The basketball games end at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 23, allowing CBS's primetime shows to air as usual. Shows like Tracker, Watson, and The Equalizer will not be impacted by the tournament and will air as scheduled.

While CBS's Sunday primetime schedule remains unchanged, the network's daytime and other primetime slots are affected by the tournament. The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, begins on March 20 and airs on CBS throughout the day, starting at 12 p.m. This results in the pre-emption of daytime soaps, including The Bold and the Beautiful, Beyond the Gates, and The Young and the Restless. Additionally, CBS's Thursday and Friday night primetime schedules are also impacted, with shows like Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Ghosts, Matlock, and Elsbeth not airing during the tournament.

The first and second rounds of the tournament take place from March 20 to 23, followed by the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 from March 27 to 30. The Final 4 and National Championship games occur on April 5 and April 7, respectively. The National Championship game on April 7 may impact the primetime schedule as it starts at 8:50 p.m. ET, and there may be a pre-game show as well. Shows like The Neighborhood, Poppa's House, NCIS, and NCIS: Origins are likely to be pre-empted on that day.

The tournament is broadcast across multiple networks, including TBS, TNT, and truTV, in addition to CBS. Live game coverage is also available through streaming platforms such as Paramount+ and Max. While CBS's Sunday primetime schedule remains consistent, viewers can expect changes to their regular programming on other days during the tournament.

With the conclusion of the basketball games by 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 23, CBS resumes its regular Sunday primetime lineup. Viewers can tune in to their favourite shows like Tracker, Watson, and The Equalizer without interruption from the tournament. While the Sunday primetime schedule remains intact, other programming throughout the week may still be subject to adjustments due to the ongoing tournament.

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CBS preempts daytime soaps for NBA basketball on Christmas Day 2023

On Christmas Day 2023, CBS and ABC will preempt their daytime lineups to broadcast sports events. CBS will air the NBA Christmas Day games, while ABC will air NFL football. This means that soap operas like "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" will not air during their regular daytime time slots.

The decision to preempt the daytime soaps has likely been made to prioritize live sports coverage, a tradition for many networks during the holiday season. While some soap fans may be disappointed, others may be excited to tune into the basketball games.

CBS's decision to preempt their daytime soaps for the NBA is not an isolated incident. In 2015, the network also preempted all CBS soap operas, including "As The World Turns", "The Bold and the Beautiful", "Guiding Light", and "The Young and the Restless", due to the NCAA Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness.

Soap fans are not always happy when their favorite shows are preempted for sporting events. To accommodate these viewers, some networks, such as Soaps.com, provide message boards and alternative programming during the downtime. In the case of the 2023 Christmas Day preemption, CBS will likely promote the basketball games as must-watch TV, with potential viewers tuning in to see star players and exciting matchups.

While the preemptions may be inconvenient for soap opera fans, they highlight the ongoing competition between traditional TV networks and sports broadcasting. Networks like CBS must balance their scripted programming with live sports to attract a diverse range of viewers and maintain their ratings.

Frequently asked questions

CBS has previously pre-empted daytime shows for basketball on Christmas Day, airing NFL football featuring the Las Vegas Raiders vs Kansas City Chiefs.

CBS daytime soaps were also pre-empted for the NCAA Basketball Tournament in March 2015.

All CBS soap operas were affected, including 'As The World Turns', 'The Bold and the Beautiful', 'Guiding Light' and 'The Young'.

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