The much-panned NCAA Tournament Selection Show had only a slight decline in viewership. In other news, the Big Ten Tournament final dropped double-digits on CBS, and the Big East title game soared in a move from Fox Sports 1 to FOX.
Selection Show Hits Record-Low
- Last Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show had a 3.3 final rating and 5.2 million viewers on CBS, down 6% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (3.5, 5.5M) and down 20% and 22%, respectively, from 2014 (4.1, 6.8M). The 3.3 rating is a record low, falling below the previous mark set last year. The show expanded from one hour to two this year and aired a half-hour earlier. For the weekend, it ranked second for the among sporting events behind NASCAR on FOX (6.7M). (Nielsen, Programming Insider)
Big Ten Title Game Down Double-Digits
- The Michigan State/Purdue Big Ten Tournament final scored a 2.2 final rating and 3.2 million viewers on CBS last Sunday, down 15% in ratings and 18% in viewership from Wisconsin/Michigan State last year (2.6, 4.0M) and down 19% and 28%, respectively, from Michigan State/Michigan in 2014 (2.7, 4.5M). The 2.2 rating is the lowest for the game since at least 2008. Head-to-head, the Spartans’ final win of the season topped ABC’s competing Cavaliers/Clippers NBA game 38% in ratings (2.2 to 1.6) and 28% in viewership (3.2M to 2.5M). (Nielsen, PI)
Move From FS1 to FOX Boosts Big East Championship
- FOX scored a 0.9 final rating and 1.4 million viewers for last Saturday’s Seton Hall/Villanova Big East Tournament final, up 350% in ratings and 231% in viewership from Villanova/Xavier last year (0.2, 414K) and up 80% and 95%, respectively, from Providence/Creighton in 2014 (0.5, 702K). Both last year and in ’14, the game aired in primetime on Fox Sports 1. The Pirates’ win ranks as the second-most watched college basketball telecast yet on the Fox Sports family of networks. (via Sports Business Daily)
