When planning to release their documentary about the federal investigation into college basketball, HBO marketers took an undoubtedly strategic approach.
They allowed media to start screening “The Scheme,” featuring agent-runner Christian Dawkins’ role at the center of the investigation, on the exact same day that the NCAA Tournament’s First Four games were scheduled to tip off — and a day or two before featured coaches Sean Miller of Arizona and Will Wade of LSU would be subject to unrestricted media questions at mandatory pregame news conferences.
Then HBO planned the public release for Tuesday, just at the start of what would have been the NCAA’s Final Four week.