Who should participate & sponsor ideas:

National Promotions are open to all Audience clients. We want everyone to participate: sporting goods, furniture and electronics stores, banks, restaurants, and more!

What is the concept?

Starting on Selection Sunday (03/14/2027), your audience can pick the teams they think will win each game. The bracket locks a few minutes before the first First Round game on 03/18/2027. Participants earn points for each correct pick, and anyone who achieves a perfect bracket wins the $1,000,000 prize! You can also offer local prizes for the best picks per round and/or overall.

Where to host and promote the campaign:

Host this campaign on your website, in a pop-up, on a sponsor's page, and more. Promote it online, on social media, on-air, through ads, and more. (Everything is mobile-friendly!)

When does it happen?

Player pre-registration runs 02/17/2027 through 03/14/2027. Players can then register and make their bracket picks from 03/14/2027 until approximately 15 minutes before tipoff of the first First Round game on 03/18/2027. Registration deadline to add this campaign to your account: 03/12/2027. Basketball Mayhem will be added to your account in February 2027.

Why run this campaign?

Generate recurring traffic to your website, seize significant sponsorship opportunities, and attract a new demographic.

How does it work?

Audience will provide the graphics, rules, prize, and prize fulfillment. You can customize the graphics and entry form to make them your own. You can also add to the rules and tie in local prizes. At the end of the contest, one national winner will be selected. Audience will provide basic winner information to everyone hosting this campaign so you can verify the giveaway for your local audience. If you tie in local prizes, you'll select and announce those winners on your own.

• From 02/17/2027 through Selection Sunday (03/14/2027), entrants can visit the contest page on your site to pre-register. Once the tournament teams are announced on 03/14/2027 (8pm Eastern), entrants can register and/or make their picks. Brackets can be changed until 15 minutes before the first tournament game begins on 03/18/2027.
• The First Four play-in games are considered byes and are NOT part of this bracket.
• 3-in-one bracket: You'll have the option to add standalone brackets for the rounds of 16 and 4, keeping engagement up as the tournament progresses. Audience does NOT provide prizes for the standalone brackets, so get your sponsors involved and make this feature work for you!

2027 Basketball Mayhem dates of interest:

• February 2027 (exact date TBD): Basketball Mayhem is added to your account
• Wednesday, February 17th: Player pre-registration begins on your website at 12am Eastern
• Friday, March 12th: Registration period to add this campaign to your account ends
• Selection Sunday, March 14th: Teams announced and bracket selection begins at 8pm Eastern
• First Four: March 16–17 (byes, NOT part of this bracket)
• First Round: March 18–19. Brackets close approximately 15 minutes before tipoff of the first First Round game
• Second Round: March 20–21
• Sweet 16: March 25–26. Standalone Round of 16 brackets (if opted in) close approximately 15 minutes before the first Sweet 16 tipoff
• Elite Eight: March 27–28
• Final Four: April 3rd. Standalone Round of 4 brackets (if opted in) close approximately 15 minutes before the first Final Four tipoff
• National Championship: April 5th

Sponsor benefits:

• Recurring traffic throughout the campaign
• Exposure (logo placement, on-air mentions, social posts, and more)
• A customized entry form to help with unique goals such as social growth, email opt-ins, leads, and web or foot traffic
• Next steps and calls to action through the thank-you message and confirmation emails

Audience provides:

• Contest execution
• $1,000,000 prize (winner not guaranteed)
• Official rules
• All applicable winner paperwork and tax information
• Generic images
• Copy example: Visit wxyz.com and make your best Basketball Mayhem picks! Pick a perfect bracket and you could win 1 million bucks! Basketball Mayhem is powered by ABC Company.