Monday’s NCAA Tournament National Championship Game earned good numbers on CBS, but could not match last year.
The Connecticut/Kentucky NCAA Tournament title game earned a 12.9 overnight rating on CBS Monday night, down 10% from Louisville/Michigan last year (14.3), but up 7% from Kentucky/Kansas in 2011 (12.1).
The 12.9 overnight ranks eleventh out of the past seventeen national title games (1998-present). The last time Connecticut won the national title — the ugly 2011 championship game against Butler — the overnight was a slightly higher 13.3.
Despite being one of the highest-profile teams in college basketball, Kentucky’s two trips to the championship game under John Calipari earned the lowest overnights of the past five years. Duke/Butler in 2010 (16.0), Connecticut/Butler in 2011, and Louisville/Michigan last year each did better.
Going back further, Calipari’s three trips to the championship game — including Memphis’ appearance in 2008 — each rank among the six lowest rated in the metered markets dating back to 1998. The only non-Calipari games to earn lower numbers were North Carolina/Michigan State in 2009 (11.9), Florida/UCLA in 2006 (11.7) and Connecticut/Georgia Tech in 2004 (11.2).
Keep in mind that it is not unprecedented for the NCAA title game to see an increase from the overnight to the final rating. Though it is unlikely that Monday’s game will finish ahead of last year, the 10% decline in overnights could narrow to single-digits when the final numbers are released.
Locally, Louisville was the top market for Monday’s game, with a 47.5 rating — down 12% from Louisville’s win last year (54.0), and down 7% from Kentucky’s win in 2012 (51.1). The game earned a 33.0 in Hartford, up 15% from Connecticut’s win in 2011 (28.8).
Overnight Ratings For Men’s NCAA Tourney Title Game
(Mon. overnight from Sports Business Daily)
