That’s the spin from CBS/Turner. What they won’t tell you is that ratings and viewership are down, but that’s because TBS, TNT and truTV don’t have the penetration that CBS does.
First things first. Let’s go over Saturday’s numbers. With the Final Four airing across three Turner platforms, the two games of the Final Four averaged 14 million viewers last night and a rating of 8.05.
Last year, the Final Four on CBS averaged a 9.4 rating with an 18 share and 15.7 million viewers.
For the first game between UConn and Florida, Turner’s networks saw a combined 6.9 rating on TBS, TNT and truTV and a gross audience of 11.7 million viewers. That’s down from last year’s first game between Louisville-Wichita State which drew 8.7 and 14.5 million.
The nightcap between Kentucky and Wisconsin saw a 9.2 rating and an audience of 16.3 million. That’s also down from last year’s Michigan-Louisville numbers of 10.2 and 17.1 million viewers.
Overall, the numbers are very good for cable and Turner will take that to build on for next year.
Here’s the CBS/Turner announcement.
2014 NCAA Final Four National Semifinals Deliver Most-Viewed College Basketball Telecasts in Cable Television History
Kentucky vs. Wisconsin Garners 16.3 Million Total Viewers to Become Most-Viewed College Basketball Game Ever on a Cable TV Network
Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ exclusive presentation of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Semifinals (Saturday, April 5) across TBS, TNT and truTV delivered the two most-watched college basketball telecasts in cable television history. The networks’ collective coverage of Kentucky against Wisconsin grossed 16.3 million total viewers and an 11.0 HH coverage rating to become the most-viewed college basketball game of all time on a cable television network, based on Nielsen Fast Nationals. The telecast peaked with an average of 18.6 million total viewers and a 12.7 HH coverage rating from 11-11:30 p.m. ET.
In addition to the record-breaking television audience, the National Semifinals delivered unprecedented growth across March Madness Live. The two games – including Connecticut against Florida as the first game of the doubleheader – netted 3.8 million live streams for an increase of 76% over last year. The doubleheader also combined to register more than one million hours of live video consumed, up 37% over 2013. According to Social Guide, the National Semifinals tallied more than 1.8 million tweets – that were seen by nearly 200 million followers – for a 36% increase over last year.
Coverage of Connecticut/Florida across the three networks grossed 11.7 million total viewers and an 8.2 HH coverage rating to become the second most-watched college basketball game ever on a cable television network. The Connecticut/Florida telecast peaked with an average of 16.2 million total viewers and a 10.9 HH coverage rating from 8-8:30 p.m.
Kentucky versus Wisconsin averaged a 9.2 U.S. HH rating, with Connecticut/Florida averaging a 6.9 U.S. HH rating. Top local markets for Kentucky/Wisconsin were Louisville, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton; largest DMA ratings for Connecticut/Florida were registered in Hartford, Louisville, Jacksonville, Knoxville and Columbus.
Connecticut will face Kentucky in the 2014 NCAA National Championship on Monday, April 7, with coverage beginning at 8:30 p.m. on CBS and the game tipping off earlier this year at 9:10 p.m.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Fast Nationals, Live +SD data stream through Elite Eight Saturday of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. 3/18/14 to 04/05/14 vs. 03/19/13 to 04/06/13. 2014, 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. Source for digital metrics: Omniture, Conviva.
That is all.
