CBS has launched “Center Court,” a virtual environment for its coverage of the 2025 March Madness tournaments. This innovative approach offers a new spin on the traditional brackets. The virtual set is deployable to any CBS-owned station equipped with the necessary technology and studio space, with WFOR being the first to air the new format. CBS Stations has been actively upgrading stations across its markets to accommodate this configuration.
Beyond college basketball, these studios offer versatility for local weather forecasting and other storytelling opportunities. Many of these opportunities leverage a circular environment with slatted accents. However, “Center Court” maintains the rectangular feel of a basketball court, featuring a sleek black floor with white markings, virtual hoops, and a wraparound mezzanine showcasing host city skylines. A virtual CBS logo and a giant floating basketball incorporate circular elements seen in many CBS-owned stations’ on-air designs.
A key feature is the “Dialed In Bracket,” a circular, stepped element presented as a dial. This uses wedges to showcase the tournament brackets, allowing for a dynamic visual representation of team progression through the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. In the explainer video, teams' movement towards the center is purely illustrative. Winning teams' segments are raised and highlighted with team colors, while losing teams' sections become monotone and slightly lower. As team logos progress towards the middle, the entire ring elevates.
The first and second rounds, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four each receive their own ring. The system also includes additional virtual elements, such as a vertical LED element under the hoops and floating 3D boxes for displaying graphics. The virtual set is powered by Zero Density’s Reality solution, with rendering from the Unreal Engine. CBS collaborated with Myreze on the design; the firm also created the virtual weather set.