I keep thinking the bottom is going to fall out on the ratings for the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Games haven’t been great, but despite that, the ratings for the NCAA Tournament on the CBS/Turner combination continue to rise. Sunday was no exception. Despite two blowouts, ratings for Sunday’s Elite Eight action were up significantly from last year and so was the average viewership.
The two games on CBS, Michigan-Florida and Louisville-Duke averaged a 7.4 Fast National household rating with a 17 share. That’s up an amazing 25% from 2012’s 5.9/12. Average viewership for the Regional Finals was 12.82 million and that is up by an astonishing 31% from last year.
To date, the Tournament is averaging a rating/share of 6.2/13 which is up 9% from last year’s 5.7/12. And the average viewership of the games on CBS/Turner is 9.7 million and that is up by 11%. So you can see, the NCAA Tournament is attracting viewers as it’s the most watched since 1994.
Here’s the CBS/Turner press release.
2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on TBS, CBS, TNT and truTv Scores as Most Watched Tournament-to-Date in 19 Years, Averaging 9,701,000 Total Viewers
Sunday’s Regional Finals on CBS Delivers 31% Increase in Viewers and 25% Increase in Rating vs. 2012
CBS Sports and Turner Sports’ exclusive coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV is averaging 9,701,000 total viewers-to-date, up 11% from last year’s 8,717,000 viewers, and is the highest average for the NCAA Tournament through the Sunday Regional Finals in 19 years (9,728,000; 1994).
The 2013 NCAA Tournament to date is averaging a national HH rating/share of 6.2/13, up 9% from last year’s 5.7/12, and is the highest rating to date since a 6.3/14 in 2005. Sunday’s Regional Final coverage on CBS averaged 12,819,000 total viewers, based on Nielsen Fast Nationals, up 31% from last year’s 9,795,000 viewers. Regional Final coverage on Sunday earned a HH rating/share of a 7.4/17, up 25% from last year’s 5.9/12.
The first broadcast window (2:19-4:28 PM, ET), in which Michigan topped Florida, earned a 5.7/15, up 14% from a 5.0/11 in 2012. The second broadcast window (4:55-7:34 PM, ET) which featured Louisville beating Duke, registered an 8.8/19, up 24% from a 7.1/14 in 2012.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, based on Fast National Data, Live +SD data stream. 3/19/13 to 3/31/13 vs. 03/13/12 to 04/2/12. 2013, 2012 and 2011 averages based on weighted average of four 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.
