With some exciting games and big upsets, CBS/Turner garnered the best viewership in 23 years for the opening Thursday of the NCAA Tournament. An average of 8.6 million people watched the action on the CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV consortium. That’s a 6% increase from last year.
And the total rating for all four networks registered a 5.6 rating. The early afternoon window averaged 6.3 million viewers while the late afternoon timeslot saw 7.6 million viewers. In primetime, the early window averaged 11.4 million viewers. All three windows set viewership records dating back to 1991 when the Tournament expanded to four broadcast windows.
The last primetime window averaged 8.7 million.
Here’s the press release.
2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Delivers Most-Viewed First Thursday in 23 Years
Thursday’s Live Coverage Averages 8.6 Million Total Viewers, Up 6%
NCAA Tournament Viewership Up 9% Through First Three Days; Most-Viewed in 23 YearsTurner Sports and CBS Sports’ exclusive second-round coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship – across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV on Thursday, March 20 – is the most-viewed first Thursday of the NCAA Tournament in 23 years. Thursday’s games averaged 8.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals, up 6% compared with 2013 (8.1 million total viewers). The coverage earned a 5.6 U.S. HH rating.
Overall, through the first three days, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship is averaging 8.1 million total viewers, up 9% over last year (7.4 million total viewers), and is the most-viewed start to the tournament since 1991 (when the tournament expanded to four telecast windows for the entire day). Through three days, the tournament is averaging a 5.3 U.S. HH rating.
Thursday’s coverage, which made NCAA Tournament history with four overtime games in one day, showed viewership growth among the telecast windows.
- The first daytime telecast window averaged 6.3 million total viewers, the highest viewership for the game window in 23 years (since 1991). The telecast window is up 17% compared with an average of 5.4 million total viewers last year.
- The second daytime telecast window averaged 7.6 million total viewers to garner the most-viewed game window in 23 years. The window is up 6% over an average of 7.2 million total viewers last year.
- The first primetime telecast window averaged 11.4 million total viewers to register the highest viewership for the game window in 23 years. The window is up 3% over an average of 11.1 million total viewers in 2013.
- The second primetime window averaged 8.7 million total viewers.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Fast Nationals, Live +SD data stream. 3/18/14 to 03/20/13 vs. 03/19/13 to 03/21/13. 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’s all.
