We have the overnight ratings. Because they were down from last year, I don’t expect a press release from CBS/Turner, but if I do get one, I’ll update this post. From John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily, the NCAA Championship Game featuring Butler and UConn in a poorly played game finished at a 13.3 rating, which is down 17% from last year’s 16.0 which had Butler and Duke vying for the national title. John points out the rating is higher than 2009.
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The 2011 NCAA Champ game averaged a 13.3. That’s down -17% from last year’s 16.0 for Duke/Butler but is +12% over 2009’s 11.9 for UNC/MSU.
John Ourand
Ourand_SBJ
John also has the top rated markets which as can be expected are Indianapolis and Hartford, CT.
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Top market for the game last night was Indianapolis (49.2 rating), followed by Hartford (28.8) and Louisville (28.5).John Ourand
Ourand_SBJ
CBS finished 2nd in the ratings to ABC whose Dancing with the Stars won the night rather handily. I think if the game was better played and closer, we might have had a higher rating, but Dancing with the Stars might have still won the night. It’s a ratings juggernaut.
More to follow as it becomes available.
UPDATE: 12:30 p.m.: I’ve now received the press release from CBS/Turner. CBS has acknowledged the rating was down from last year, but it was quick to point out that the numbers are higher than in 2006, 2008 and 2009. You take good news where you can get it.
THE 2011 NCAA® DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ON CBS, TBS, TNT AND truTV DELIVERS HIGHEST RATING 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 combined, delivered the best overall tournament average rating in the metered markets since 2005.
The overall tournament average, including the FIRST FOUR®, in the metered markets is a 7.2/15, +9% from a 6.6/14 for CBS Sports’ 2010 coverage according to Nielsen.
Last night’s national championship game on Monday, April 4, which saw Connecticut defeat Butler, earned an average overnight household rating/share of 13.3/21. Although down from last year, last night’s game was higher than three-out-of-the-last five Championship games (2009, 2008, 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.
That is it.
