I hope you’re having a good Easter. The CBS/Turner combo tells us that Saturday’s Elite Eight Regional Finals were up slightly from last year. This despite some ugly basketball especially in the first game between Syracuse and Marquette.
Saturday’s two regional finals generated a 5.8 Fast National household rating with a 12 share, up 2% from last year’s 5.6/12. Average viewership for the games averaged 9.4 million which is 6% better than last year’s 8.9 million.
Overall, the NCAA Tournament is averaging a 6.1 rating and a 13 share, better than 5.6/12 last year. And the viewership for the tournament to date is averaging 9.4 million up from 8.6 million last year. Viewership is at its highest since 1993.
Here’s the CBS/Turner press release.
2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on TBS, CBS, TNT and truTv Scores as Most Watched Tournament-to-Date in 19 Years, Averaging 9.4 Million Total Viewers
NCAA Tournament Viewership and Ratings Up 9% vs. 2012
CBS Sports and Turner Sports’ exclusive coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV is averaging 9.4 million total viewers to date, up 9% from last year’s 8.6 million viewers, and is tied with 1994 as the highest average for the NCAA Tournament through the Saturday Regional Finals in 19 years (10.7 million, 1993).
The 2013 NCAA Tournament to date, is averaging a national HH rating/share of 6.1/13, up 9% from last year’s 5.6/12, and is tied with 2005 as the highest-to-date rating in 15 years (6.3/15; 1998).
Saturday’s Regional Final coverage on CBS averaged 9.4 million viewers, based on Nielsen Fast Nationals, up 6% from last year’s 8.9 million viewers.
Regional Final coverage on Saturday earned a HH rating/share of a 5.8/12, up 4% from last year’s 5.6/12.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, based on Fast National Data, Live +SD data stream. 3/19/13 to 3/30/13 vs. 03/13/12 to 04/1/12. 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’s all
