CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS' FINAL FOUR COVERAGE IS HIGHEST- RATED AND MOST-WATCHED IN EIGHT YEARS
2013 NCAA(R) 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(R) Division I Men's Basketball Final Four(R) 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, which is the highest-rated Final Four in eight years (10.5/19; 2005), based on Nielsen Fast Nationals.
The 2013 Final Four averaged 15.702 million viewers, up 3% from last year's 15.256 million, which is the highest viewer average for the two Final Four games since 2005 (16.647 million; 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 million total viewers-to-date, up 10% from last year's 9.213 million, and is the highest viewer average for the NCAA Tournament through the Final Four in eight years (10.183 million; 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; 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.
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