Final Four overnight ratings increased from last year, but were no match for the last time the games aired on CBS. Also: the Augusta National Women’s Amateur scored the top women’s golf overnight in three years, and NASCAR’s Xfinity Series posted another decline.
Final Four overnights up, but down from last time on CBS
Saturday’s NCAA Tournament national semifinals — Virginia-Auburn and Texas Tech-Michigan State — averaged an 8.8 overnight rating on CBS, up 13% from last year on TBS, TNT and TruTV (7.8), but down 15% from 2017 on CBS (10.4). Figures for the individual games were not disclosed.
By comparison, last Sunday’s Michigan State-Duke regional final had a 10.5 overnight.
ANWA scores top women’s golf overnight in three years
The final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur delivered a 1.0 overnight rating on NBC Saturday afternoon, the highest for any women’s golf telecast in nearly three years — since the 2016 U.S. Women’s open (0.98 to 0.96). It is also the highest for an amateur golf telecast, regardless of gender, since the 2003 U.S. Amateur men’s final (1.4).
NASCAR Xfinity ratings keep dropping
Last weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas earned a 0.6 rating and 928,000 viewers on FS1, down 37% in ratings and viewership from last year (1.0, 1.47M) and down 46% and 44% respectively from 2017 (1.1, 1.67M), both of which aired on the FOX broadcast network.
The first six NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season have declined. That is a stark contrast to the Cup Series, which has posted increases in five of seven races.
[Numbers from CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 4.2]
