• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, March 4, 2009

Newspapers and magazines looking for compelling video to offer online in the next month can get help from three stars needing no last name: Michael, Magic and Larry. Denver-based Thought Equity Motion, which has rights to the video vault for the NCAA tournament, is licensing a series of event vignettes for publications to stream on their sites.

USAToday.com has signed one of the first deals, allowing it to distribute the shorts and sell pre-roll ads.

The approximately two-minute pieces, under the "2009 Road to the Final Four" banner, include a look at 19-year-old Michael Jordan's role on the 1982 North Carolina championship team. There is also a five-part series focusing on the face-off between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird for the 1979 championship--a game that introduced much of America to the two Hall of Fame players, and is credited with helping turn March Madness into an annual phenomenon.

Thought Equity Motion--a stock footage manager and licensor--is making the video package available to all comers for the Web and other platforms, including VOD. Tournament broadcaster CBS will take advantage of it for both venues. (The vignettes will also soon be available for free as part of an iPhone application.)

But print publications are a ripe target, since they often lack robust production capabilities, while trying to keep up with demand for broadband video. Publishers could use the "Road to the Final Four" pieces as an anchor for an NCAA tournament Web page, where they could offer a contest relating to filling out a tournament bracket.

The 18 videos (two are still to be produced) cover multiple topics and use different styles. Some are quasi-news features offering a preview of the 2009 tournament and narrated by Gus Johnson, who broadcasts the tournament for CBS. Other pieces function as look-back highlight reels focusing on a player with an impact in past tournaments a la Jordan in 1982.

Still others are music-highlight videos--not unlike the well-known "One Shining Moment" montage CBS airs each year after the NCAA champion is crowned--with a catchy tune and a string of dramatic highlights over the years. In addition, there are five narrated videos about the Magic (Michigan State) vs. Larry (Indiana State) battle 30 years ago, with one called "How America Caught the Madness."

March Madness "has a fan base that spans generations ... there's something for everyone," Thought Equity Motion CEO Kevin Schaff said.

For the music-highlight segments, Thought Equity Motion struck a deal with Universal Music Group to use Motown hits, such as Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and "Higher Ground" for the videos, partly because Motown is celebrating its 50th year and the 2009 Final Four is in Detroit.

Many of the videos, including the ones with Michael, Magic and Larry, take a page from VH1's "Pop-Up Video." On-screen bubbles offer did-you-know-type nuggets, such as: Neither of Jordan's parents was over 5' 9."

Thought Equity, which acts for the NCAA in a similar manner to what NFL Films does for the National Football League, manages all the NCAA's footage and serves as its licensing agent. The stock-footage supplier has similar deals with conferences. such as the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference, as well as MGM, NBC News, HBO and National Geographic.

Newspapers or other licensees do not have to purchase the rights to the full set of 18 videos; they can pick and choose. Some may opt for ones with local or other special appeal, while others will prefer music videos or news features.