Volkswagen's Audi brand has launched a mobile campaign as the first brand sponsor of the new CBS Sports iPhone application.

CBS Sports Mobile is giving iPhone sports fanatics the chance to access CBS Sports content including live scores, breaking news, updates and headlines from all major professional and college sports, teams and leagues. Also, in partnership with the NCAA, CBS Sports has launched an NCAA March Madness On Demand application for the iPhone and iPod touch that will provide fans live streaming video and audio from the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, beginning Thursday, March 19 and continuing all the way through the Men's Final Four from Detroit, MI.

"The strategy is to extend the CBS Sports experience and give fans more options for accessing sports content and more ways to watch the tournament, and the iPhone is just another way to catch it," said Jeff Sellinger, Los Angeles-based executive vice president/general manager for CBS Mobile.

"The target demographic is the über-sports-fan who wants to catch every March Madness game and keep up-to-date with all the news and scores," he said. "The mobile audience is maybe even a little bit more fanatic than the online audience.

"The free, ad-supported CBS Sports application features all major sports and includes stats, box scores, video on demand and control of fantasy sports teams, and Audi will be the first sponsor."

The CBS Sports Mobile iPhone application is available as a free download in the iTunes App Store, while the March Madness application is available for $4.99.

The Volkswagen Group's Audi brand is running banner ads within the free application that link to a microsite promoting the German automaker's new Q5 model. There are also "Sponsored by Audi" messages in many of the headers within the CBS Sports application.

When consumers click on the banner ad, they are taken to a mobile Web page within the application promoting the Audi Q5.

The site offers users information about the car, including design, technology, engine specifications and other features.

The goal is to promote interest and awareness about the car.

The Audi Q5 is a compact crossover SUV that was built using the new Audi Modular Longitudinal Platform, which debuted in the 2007 Audi A5 coupé. It is the second Audi model in the Q line, after the full-size Q7.

Harmon/Becker Automotive Systems will produce Audi's newly updated Multi Media Interface technology debuting in the Q5.

The new system will offer navigation, wide-screen entertainment and communication, including an integral four-band, SIM-card-ready GSM mobile phone with Bluetooth connectivity.

Ad-supported CBS Sports Mobile app
Just in time for Fantasy Baseball season, CBSSports.com Fantasy players can use the CBS Sports Mobile iPhone application for full control of their Fantasy leagues, from the ability to set their lineup, accept or deny trades, view all roster trends and add or drop players.

CBSSports.com Fantasy players using the CBS Sports Mobile iPhone app will have access to real-time fantasy scoring updates, breaking news on "My Player" and exclusive fantasy advice from CBSSports.com fantasy experts.

The CBS Sports Mobile iPhone application will also allow access to the CBSSports.com Fantasy News site.

CBSSports.com Fantasy News provides fantasy players with information and analysis from the entire team of CBSSports.com fantasy sports writers, as well as from CBSSports.com's national columnists and senior writers.

The CBS Sports Mobile iPhone application will also let viewers watch an array of original CBSSports.com video productions, from game previews and recaps to fantasy sports analysis programs.

Hosted by Jason Horowitz and Lauren Shehadi, the original CBSSports.com video productions will give iPhone users sports video throughout the year.

The CBS Sports Mobile iPhone application was built by July Systems.

CBS Sports also offers SMS alerts for which consumers can sign up by texting keyword SPORTS to short code 99888 or by entering their mobile phone number online.

Hoopla over hoops
The launch of the CBS Sports iPhone application comes on the heels of the recent announcement of the NCAA March Madness On Demand application for the iPhone and iPod touch, which will provide fans live streaming video and audio from the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

Developed by CBS Sports Mobile with partner MobiTV, the application uses MobiTV's streaming technology to deliver live video over a Wi-Fi connection.

The NCAA March Madness On Demand app will provide live video of all 63 games from the tournament through the semifinal and final games of the Men's Final Four, as well as access to tournament brackets updated in real-time with up-to-the minute scores and the ability to click directly from brackets into live video.

AT&T subscribers can also watch every tournament game via Mobile TV powered by MediaFlo.

There is one exception: NCAA March Madness On Demand will not show the opening round game on March 17.

During live game action, NCAA March Madness On Demand application users can access in-game box scores and player stats, even as an overlay on top of the video.

Following each game, they can also view a full tournament scoreboard, including game recaps, player and team stats and video highlights of every tournament game.

All games from the Final Four will also be available for $1.99 each on Apple's iTunes Store the day after they are completed.

At the conclusion of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, NCAA March Madness on Demand application users on the iPhone will have the opportunity to convert the app to the free CBS Sports iPhone application.

The NCAA March Madness On Demand application is the latest in a series of applications that CBS has made available for iPhone and iPod touch users.

The recently launched TV.com app, along with the CBS EyeMobile citizen journalist app and the Last.FM app, allow iPhone and iPod touch users to access to CBS-branded content.

"We have a lot of iPhone products already, and there will be advertising within those to get the word out about the March Madness app," Mr. Sellinger said. "You'll see a whole host of new apps coming out as well, and we do have sports apps for BlackBerry and a CSI Miami game for the iPhone and other platforms."

All CBS iPhone applications are available from the Apple App Store.

NCAA March Madness On Demand's standard video player features historical highlights from past NCAA tournaments. It is available at http://www.ncaa.com/mmod and via NCAA March Madness On Demand links on CBSSports.com.

CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corp., has more than 180 million people visiting its properties each month. Its portfolio of brands includes CNET, CBS.com, CBSSports.com, GameSpot, TV.com, BNET and Last.fm and spans categories like technology, entertainment, sports, news and business.

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities.

The NCAA corporate sponsors include AT&T, Coca-Cola, Pontiac, Enterprise, Hershey's, The Hartford, Lowe's, Sheraton and State Farm.

"The App Store makes it easy to find products that are popular, and the March Madness iPhone app is already the No. 1 paid sports app and No. 6 overall since its release late Wednesday night," Mr. Sellinger said

"Our monetization strategy depends on the property and the value proposition to the consumer," he said. "Most of our apps are ad-supported, but when you look at the carriers, the structure of their applications environment facilitates more of a pay-per-download model, so it depends."