Monday’s drama free NCAA Tournament National Championship Game was down from last year’s thriller, but still earned good numbers for CBS.
Connecticut’s 53-41 win over Butler earned a 13.3 overnight rating on CBS Monday night, down 17% from last year (DUKE/BUT: 16.0), but up 12% from 2009 (UNC/MSU: 11.9).
Though down from last year, the 13.3 overnight for Monday’s game ranks as the fourth-highest for the National Championship Game dating back to 2003 (nine telecasts), essentially in the middle of the pack.
Considering the poor quality of the game — Butler shot just 19% from the field Monday night, including 3-31 from two-point range — one imagines CBS should be fairly pleased with the numbers.
For some perspective, Monday’s title game drew a lower overnight than the BCS National Championship Game in January, which aired on cable network ESPN (AUB/ORE: 16.1).
However, the game drew a higher overnight than every game of the 2010 World Series, and six of the seven games of the 2010 NBA Finals. Game 7 of the NBA Finals drew an 18.2 overnight.
Overall, the 2011 NCAA Tournament averaged a combined 7.2 overnight rating across CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV, up 9% from last year’s coverage on CBS alone (6.6).
(Turner Sports)
