The NFL Playoffs gave CBS a big lift for its college basketball coverage over the weekend.
Airing immediately after NFL playoff coverage, Sunday’s Wisconsin/Purdue college basketball game had a 1.9 final rating and 3.0 million viewers on CBS — trailing only Kentucky/North Carolina in December (2.2, 3.6M) as the highest rated and most-watched college basketball game on any network this season. The previous second-place holder was Kentucky/Louisville on ESPN in December (1.7, 2.7M).
Compared to Ohio State/Indiana on the comparable date last year, which aired in an earlier timeslot and had no NFL lead-in, ratings increased 217% from a 0.6 and viewership 236% from a 0.6 and 883,000.
The last time CBS aired college basketball after an NFL playoff game, 2015, UNLV/Kansas had a 1.6 and 2.5 million.
In other action last weekend, CBS scored a 0.6 (-25%) and 870,000 (-27%) for Texas A&M/South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 1/10)
