On a night where Dancing with the Stars usually reigns supreme, CBS got a very solid average viewership of 20.1 million people. While the rating of 11.7 with an 18 share is down from last year’s monster 14.2/23, getting 20.1 million people is quite an accomplishment. CBS will take that audience every time.
In addition, the NCAA Tournament spread across four networks, CBS/TBS/TNT/truTV became the most watched tournament since 2005. The average rating was 6.4 with a 14 share, up 7% from last year’s 6.0/13 when the entire tournament was on CBS. And the average viewership this year was 10.2 million, up from last year’s 9.5 million.
So the tournament was a success for CBS/Turner and we look forward to having multiple platforms to watch the games again next year.
THE 2011 NCAA® DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ON TBS, CBS, TNT AND truTV IS MOST-WATCHED SINCE 2005 WITH MORE THAN 10.0 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS
NCAA® TOURNAMENT DELIVERS HIGHEST OVERALL TOURNAMENT RATINGS SINCE 2005
CBS Sports’ and Turner Sports’ exclusive live coverage of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV is the most-watched tournament since 2005, averaging 10.2 million total viewers, +7% from 9.5 million total viewers for CBS Sports’ 2010 coverage and is the highest viewer average for the NCAA Tournament since 10.6 million in 2005.
The overall tournament average, including the FIRST FOUR®, is a 6.4/14 rating/share, +7% from a 6.0/13 for 2010, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals. The 6.4/14 is the highest average rating for the NCAA Tournament since a 6.9/15 in 2005.
“By every measure, the first year of Turner and CBS’s coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship was a success,” said David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. “It was a terrific start for our partnership, and it formed a great foundation for the next 13 years. The ratings increases this year also proved that the new television format is more fan friendly than ever. With four national television networks, viewers were able to enjoy more games, coverage and analysis.”
“The excitement that built during the entire tournament resulted in terrific ratings,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “The new television format has been appreciated and accepted by the viewers. Although we are only in the first year of our 14-year partnership with Turner Sports, the success we’ve achieved with the best overall tournament ratings since 2005 bodes very well for the future.”
The overall tournament average delivered growth in key adult and male demos (000’s) over 2010, including:
- A18-34 +21% (2,329 vs. 1,925)
- A18-49 +12% (4,693 vs. 4,207)
- A25-54 +7% (4,844 vs. 4,510)
- M18-34 +25% (1,601 vs. 1,280)
- M18-49 +14% (3,251 vs. 2,843)
- M25-54 +10% (3,344 vs. 3,031)
Last night’s National Championship game on CBS on Monday, April 4, which saw Connecticut defeat Butler, earned an average fast-national household rating/share of 11.7/18 and averaged 20.1 million viewers. Although down from last year, last night’s game was higher rated than two-out-of-the-last five Championship games (2009, 2006). It was the second year in a row that Butler lost the national championship after last year’s Cinderella team had a heart-stopping loss to powerhouse Duke.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, based on Fast National Data, Live +SD data stream. 2011 NCAA Tournament Dates, include First Four telecast gross. Dates of NCAA Tournament: 2011 3/15/11 – 4/4/11 vs. 2010 3/18/10 – 4/3/10. 2011 averages based on weighted average of 4 telecast gross across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. Dates of the NCAA Tournament historical audiences, CBS 1994 through 2005 based on Live data. 2006 through 2010 based on Live + SD. 2003 based on CBS / ESPN average of First Round.
That will do it.
