2013 NCAA Tournament Grabs Most Viewers Since 1993

The ratings and viewership for the NCAA Tournament continue to set records. CBS/Turner Sports note that the average 8.9 million combined viewers for the first week of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV are the most dating back twenty years. Last year, the first week average was 8.2 million viewers.

The Tournament is to date, averaging 5.8 rating and 12 share which is up 7% from 2012. Sunday’s final average household rating was 7.1/14 for the eight games on Sunday across the CBS/Turner consortium. That’s up an amazing 27% from last year.

Here’s the CBS/Turner press release.

NCAA TournamentTHE 2013 NCAA® DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ON TBS, CBS, TNT AND truTV SCORES MOST-WATCHED FIRST WEEK IN 20 YEARS

First Week of Tournament Averages 8.9 Million Total Viewers and
Delivers 7 % Ratings Growth
Sunday’s Third-Round Coverage is Highest Rated in 13 Years, Up 27%

CBS Sports and Turner Sports’ exclusive live coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV combined to deliver the most viewed first week of the NCAA Tournament in 20 years (1993), according to Nielsen Fast National ratings.

The combined coverage averaged 8.9 million total viewers, up 9% over last year’s 8.2 million.

The 2013 NCAA Tournament is averaging a HH rating/share of 5.8/12, up 7% from a 5.4/12 last year, and is the highest average rating for the Tournament’s first week in 15 years (1998; 5.9/15).

Sunday’s coverage averaged 11.1 million viewers, up 29% from last year’s 8.6 million, making it the most watched first Sunday in 15 years.

Third-round coverage on Sunday, March 24 combined to deliver an average fast national HH rating/share of 7.1/14, up 27% from last year’s 5.6/11. The 7.1/14 is the highest rating for the first Sunday of the Tournament in 13 years (7.2/17; 2000).

Third round coverage on Sunday, March 24 scored with ratings increases across all four telecast windows:

  • The first daytime telecast window (12:00-2:41 PM, ET) averaged a 5.0/12, up 39% over last year’s 3.6/9, the highest rating for the window in 11 years (5.2/13; 2002).
  • The second daytime telecast window (2:57-5:18 PM, ET) averaged a 6.8/14, up 26% over last year’s 5.4/12, the highest rating for the window since 2006 (7.0/16).
  • The first primetime telecast window (5:18-9:20 PM, ET) averaged a 10.9/20, up 31% over last year’s 8.3/16, the highest rating for the window in 20 years (12.6/27; 1993).

The second primetime window (8:01 PM-12:12 AM, ET) averaged a 5.9/10, up 4% vs. a 5.7/9 in 2012.

Social Buzz
Additionally, according to Bluefin, the opening week of the NCAA Tournament generated over 6.3 million comments across social media with comment volume up 154% over the same period last year.

Source: Nielsen Media Research, based on Fast National Data, Live +SD data stream. 3/19/13 to 03/24/13 vs. 03/13/12 to 03/18/12. 2013, 2012 and 2011 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. Social Media data based on Bluefin for the same dates of the Tournament.

That’s it.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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