2015 NCAA Basketball Championship Game Scores for CBS

The overnight ratings are in and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship between Duke and Wisconsin turned out well for CBS. For those who thought the game would not attract big numbers without Kentucky were wrong.

Duke-Wisconsin attracted a big 17.7/27 overnight rating/share which is 33% better than last year’s UConn-Kentucky contest which could only muster a 12.9/21 overnight number. And this is the best overnight rating since 1997’s Arizona-Kentucky championship classic which garnered a 18.0/28.

And impressive local numbers for Milwaukee and Raleigh-Durham which were the top two markets for the game.

The peak for the game was in the 11-11:30 p.m. ET half-hour and the number was a very impressive 20.1/34.

The entire tournament on CBS/Turner Sports averaged a 7.8/16 overnight rating/share and that’s the best overnight dating back to 1993 when the whole tournament was solely on CBS.

Here’s the press release:

2015 NCAA TOURNAMENT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FEATURING DUKE OVER WISCONSIN SCORES HIGHEST OVERNIGHT RATING IN 18 YEARS

Duke vs. Wisconsin on CBS Delivers 17.1/27, Up 33%
2015 NCAA Tournament Across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV Garners Highest Overall Average Rating in 22 Years
NCAA March Madness Live Generates Record-Setting 3.4 Million Live Video Streams for Championship Game

CBS Sports and Turner Sports’ exclusive coverage of last night’s NCAA Tournament Men’s National Championship between Duke and Wisconsin on CBS scored a 17.1/27 HH rating/share to deliver the highest overnight rating for the NCAA Men’s National Championship in the metered markets in 18 years (1997; 18.0/28, Arizona-Kentucky), based on Nielsen metered market ratings.  The broadcast’s 17.1/27 is up 33% over last year (12.9/21; Connecticut-Kentucky) and peaked with a 20.1/34 from 11:00-11:30 PM, ET. 

Overall, 2015 NCAA Tournament coverage across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV averaged a 7.8/16 overnight rating/share, up 13% and is the best overnight rating in 22 years (7.9/17 in 1993).

Top five rated metered markets for last night’s game:

  1. Milwaukee – 42.2/59
  2. Raleigh-Durham – 36.2/54
  3. Louisville – 33.5/48
  4. Columbus – 29.9/44
  5. Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem – 29.5/43

Additionally, NCAA March Madness Live garnered a record-setting 3.4 million live video streams for last night’s NCAA Championship game and nearly one million hours of live video consumed, also an all-time record.  Last night’s live video streams are up 66%, with the live hours of consumption up 69% over last year.  NCAA March Madness Live generated 80.7 million live video streams and 17.8 million hours of live video consumption during this year’s tournament, both all-time highs.  This year’s live video streams are up 17%, with live hours of consumption netting a 19% increase.

The NCAA Tournament grossed a record 350 million total social impressions across Facebook and Twitter for a 45% increase over 2014.

That is all.

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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