Catching up on a couple of things on this Monday night.
The first week of the NCAA Tournament went swimmingly well for the CBS/Turner consortium. Record ratings and record viewership has steered the first six days of games for the CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV combo.
For the first six days, CBS/Turner averaged a 5.9/13 which is up 4% from last year. And the games averaged 9.227 million viewers through Sunday and that is up 2% from 2013’s numbers.
CBS/Turner notes that the viewership is the best for the NCAA Tournament since 1993. The ratings are the best dating back to 1997.
Here’s the joint CBS/Turner announcement.
2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Averaging 9.2 Million Viewers; Highest Viewership in 21 Years
CBS Sports and Turner Sports’ exclusive coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship – across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – is delivering its highest viewership in 21 years (since 1993). Through its opening week, the NCAA Tournament is averaging 9,227,000 viewers, up 4% through the same period last year (8,885,000 viewers), based on Nielsen Fast Nationals.
Through its first six days, the tournament is averaging a 5.9/13 U.S. HH rating/share, up 2% over a 5.8/12 U.S. HH rating/share to date in 2013. The 5.9/13 U.S. HH rating/share is tied with 1998 as the highest rating for the opening week of the tournament in 17 years (since 1997).
This year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship has netted audience growth through each stage – the First Four, second and third rounds.
NCAA Tournament action will continue with the Regional Semifinals on Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28 (7:00 PM-12:00 AM, ET) with all games available in their entirety on TBS and CBS. Coverage will begin both nights with the NCAA Tip-Off pregame show at 6 p.m. on TBS.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Fast Nationals, Live +SD data stream through Round 3 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. 3/18/14 to 03/23/14 vs. 03/19/13 to 03/24/13. 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.
That will do it.
