NCAA Tournament Overnight Ratings for 1st Thursday Best in 22 Years

The CBS/Turner Sports partnership for the NCAA Tournament is working. Having all of the games available nationally and no regionalization has led to higher ratings for the first Thursday of the Big Dance. CBS/Turner says the Tournament garnered a 5.8 overnight rating and a 14 share for the 16 games played last night. That’s up 4% from last year’s 5.6/13. And yesterday’s numbers were the highest for the first Thursday of the NCAA Tournament dating back to 1991. That’s quite impressive.

Here’s what CBS/Turner has to tell us about the Thursday overnight rating for the NCAA Tournament on CBS/TBS/TNT/truTV. Check it all out below in black and white.

NCAA Tournament2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV Scores Highest Rating for First Thursday of Tournament in 22 Years

Thursday’s NCAA Tournament Coverage Earns 5.8 Overnight Rating, Up 4% vs. 2012

CBS Sports and Turner Sports’ exclusive second round coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV on Thursday, March 21, averaged an overnight household rating/share of 5.8/14, the highest rating for the first Thursday of the NCAA Tournament in 22 years.  The 5.8/14 is up 4% compared with a 5.6/13 in 2012.

Thursday’s coverage showed significant audience increases in three of the four telecast windows, including several record setters.

  • The first daytime telecast window (12-4:15 p.m. ET) averaged a 4.1/14 to deliver the second highest rating for the time slot since 1991, when the tournament expanded to four telecast windows for the entire day (trailing only 2011’s 4.4/15).  The telecast window is up 5% compared with a 3.9/13 last year.
  • The second daytime telecast window (2:30-7:15 p.m.) averaged a 5.5/15 to garner the highest rating ever for the time slot.  The window is up 6% over last year’s 5.2/14.
  • The first primetime telecast window (7-10:15 p.m.) averaged a 7.4/14 to register the highest rating ever for the time slot.  The window is up 9% over a 6.8/13 in 2012.
  • The second primetime window (9:30 p.m.-12:45 a.m.) averaged a 6.4/11, which included a pair of lopsided victories (VCU’s 46-point win vs. Akron and Syracuse’s 47-point triumph vs. Montana), vs. a 6.8/12 in 2012.

Tournament to date, including the NCAA First Four, the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship is averaging a 5.2/12, up 2% compared with a 5.1/12 at this same time last year. For the third consecutive year, Turner Sports and CBS Sports are providing exclusive live coverage of all 67 games from the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across the four national television networks.

Source:  Nielsen Media Research, based on Metered Market data, Live +SD data stream.  3/19/13 to  03/21/13 vs. 03/13/12 to 03/15/12.  2013 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 2010 based on Live + SD.  2003 based on CBS / ESPN average of First Round. 

That’s it.

2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV Scores Highest Rating for First Thursday of Tournament in 22 Years


Thursday’s NCAA Tournament Coverage Earns 5.8 Overnight Rating
, Up 4% vs. 2012

 

CBS Sports and Turner Sports’ exclusive second round coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV on Thursday, March 21, averaged an overnight household rating/share of 5.8/14, the highest rating for the first Thursday of the NCAA Tournament in 22 years.  The 5.8/14 is up 4% compared with a 5.6/13 in 2012.

Thursday’s coverage showed significant audience increases in three of the four telecast windows, including several record setters.                               

                              

§  The first daytime telecast window (12-4:15 p.m. ET) averaged a 4.1/14 to deliver the second highest rating for the time slot since 1991, when the tournament expanded to four telecast windows for the entire day (trailing only 2011’s 4.4/15).  The telecast window is up 5% compared with a 3.9/13 last year.

§  The second daytime telecast window (2:30-7:15 p.m.) averaged a 5.5/15 to garner the highest rating ever for the time slot.  The window is up 6% over last year’s 5.2/14.

§  The first primetime telecast window (7-10:15 p.m.) averaged a 7.4/14 to register the highest rating ever for the time slot.  The window is up 9% over a 6.8/13 in 2012.

§  The second primetime window (9:30 p.m.-12:45 a.m.) averaged a 6.4/11, which included a pair of lopsided victories (VCU’s 46-point win vs. Akron and Syracuse’s 47-point triumph vs. Montana), vs. a 6.8/12 in 2012.


Tournament to date, including the NCAA First Four, the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship is averaging a 5.2/12, up 2% compared with a 5.1/12 at this same time last year. 

For the third consecutive year, Turner Sports and CBS Sports are providing exclusive live coverage of all 67 games from the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across the four national television networks. 

-30-

Source:  Nielsen Media Research, based on Metered Market data, Live +SD data stream.  3/19/13 to  03/21/13 vs. 03/13/12 to 03/15/12.  2013 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 2010 based on Live + SD.  2003 based on CBS / ESPN average of First Round. 

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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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