Just received this from the CBS/Turner consortium (I like writing “consortium”).
Ratings for Friday were the highest for the second official day of the NCAA Tournament dating back to 1991. The ratings finished at a total of 5.4 for the CBS/TBS/TNT/truTV perfecta. That’s up 8% from last year’s 5.0.
Average viewership was 8 million people, up 7% from the 7.5 million who tuned in last year. The upsets of Missouri and heavy hitter Duke certainly helped the ratings, but might hurt in the long run as two marquee ratings draws are out of the Tournament.
We have the CBS/Turner press release for you all wrapped up in a neat bow for you below.
2012 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on TBS, CBS, TNT and truTv Delivers Most-Watched First Thursday & Friday Since 1991
Friday’s 5.4 U.S. HH Rating +8%; Eight Million Viewers +7%
Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ exclusive second-round coverage of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV on Friday combined to deliver a 5.4 U.S. HH rating (+8% compared with a 5.0 rating in 2011 and +29% vs. 2010’s 4.2 rating) and eight million total viewers (+7% vs. 7.5 million viewers last year and +27% vs. 2010’s 6.3 million viewers), according to Nielsen Fast Nationals.
Last night’s coverage across the four networks delivered the most-watched first Friday of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship (records date back to 1991, when the tournament expanded to four telecast windows)?
Overall, the first Thursday and Friday is the most-watched since 1991. Thursday and Friday coverage averaged a 5.3 U.S. HH rating (+6% compared with a 5.0 rating in 2011) and 7.9 million viewers (+5% vs. 7.5 million viewers last year).
The first telecast window of the day earned a 3.8 U.S. HH rating (tied with last year’s record-setting performance in the window and +41% vs. a 2.7 rating in 2010).
The second telecast window of the day delivered a 5.2 U.S. HH rating (+11% vs. last year and +63% vs. a 3.2 rating in 2010).
The third telecast window of the day netted a 6.5 U.S. HH rating (+12% vs. last year and +20% vs. a 5.4 rating in 2010).
The final window earned a 6.0 U.S. HH rating (+2% vs. last year and +18% vs. a 5.1 rating in 2010).
Source: Nielsen Media Research, based on Fast National Data, Live +SD data stream. 3/13-3/16/12 vs 3-15-3/17811. 2011 and 2012 averages based on weighted average of 4 telecast gross across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. Historical audiences, CBS 1991 through 2005 based on Live data. 2006 through 2012 based on Live + SD. 2003 based on CBS / ESPN average of First Round.
That will do it.
