CBS/Turner Sports has a reason to crow as this year’s NCAA Tournament has become a ratings bonanza. And thanks to two compelling games last night, the ratings for the Men’s Final Four® received an average rating of 9.4 with an 18 share, up four percent from last year’s 9.0/17.
Average viewership for the game 15.7 million viewers, up slightly from last year’s 15.26 million.
For Louisville-Wichita State, the numbers were 8.7/18 and 14.468 million viewers.
And for Michigan-Syracuse, the game saw a 10.2/18 and 17.1 million viewers. Both numbers quite impressive for a Saturday night.
The overall numbers are the highest for the Final Four on CBS since 2005.
Here’s what CBS/Turner is saying about the ratings.
CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS’ FINAL FOUR COVERAGE IS HIGHEST-RATED AND MOST-WATCHED IN EIGHT YEARS
2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship is Most-Watched and Highest-Rated Tournament-to-Date Since 2005
Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four® on CBS on Saturday, April 6, earned an average fast national household rating/share of 9.4/18, up 4% from last year’s 9.0/17, and is the highest-rated Final Four in eight years (10.5/19 in 2005), based on Nielsen Fast Nationals.
The 2013 Final Four averaged 15,702,000 total viewers, up 3% from last year’s 15,256,000 total viewers, which is the highest viewership average for the two Final Four games since 2005 (16,647,000 for Illinois/Louisville and North Carolina/Michigan State).
The first game, Louisville beating Wichita State, earned an average household rating/share of 8.7/18 and 14,468,000 total viewers, both up 4% from last year’s 8.4/17 and 13,908,000 total viewers.
The second game featuring Michigan’s victory over Syracuse delivered a 10.2/18, up 6% from last year’s 9.6/17. The corresponding 17,104,000 total viewers are up 3% compared with last year’s 16,603,000 total viewers.
CBS Sports and Turner Sports’ coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship is averaging 10,174,000 total viewers-to-date, up 10% from last year’s 9,213,000 total viewers, and is the highest viewership average for the NCAA Tournament through the Final Four in eight years (10,183,000 in 2005).
The 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship has delivered the best overall tournament-to-date ratings since 2005. The overall tournament average-to-date rating/share is a 6.4/13, up 8% from last year’s 5.9/12. The 6.4/13 is the highest average rating for the NCAA Tournament through the Final Four in eight years (6.6/14 in 2005).
Source: Nielsen Media Research, based on Fast National data, Live +SD data stream. 3/19/13 to 04/06/13 vs. 03/13/12 to 03/31/12. 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 is all.
