If no longer on a record pace, viewership for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is still slightly outpacing last year.
Through Sunday, coverage of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament averaged a combined 4.8 rating and 9.06 million viewers per window across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV — marking an uptick in viewership from the same point last year (9.04M, as reported at the time by Sports Business Journal). On an individual basis, the games are averaging a 1.6 and 2.98 million.
Saturday’s North Carolina-Michigan State second round game ranks as the most-watched of the tournament thus far with a 5.0 and 10.02 million on CBS, up 2% in ratings and 5% in viewership from Arkansas-Kansas in the same window last year (4.9, 9.50M).
The full three-game window was also the most-watched of the tournament with a combined 8.1 (+9%) and 16.59 (+16%) million across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. In particular, NC State-Oakland averaged a 2.1 and 4.35 million across TBS (1.5, 3.29M) and truTV (0.51, 1.06M), up 42% and 53% respectively from Houston-Auburn on TBS alone a year ago (1.45, 2.85M). Iowa State-Washington State drew a 1.0 (flat) and 2.22 million (+17%) on TNT.
Later in the night, the four networks combined for a 6.1 and 12.30 million — down 7% and 1% respectively from last year’s three-network average (6.5, 12.42M). Tennessee-Texas had a 3.3 and 6.66 million on CBS, about even with Texas-Penn State last year (3.5, 6.63M); Creighton-Oregon drew a 2.0 (+9%) and 4.05 million (+17%) across TBS (1.5, 3.07M) and truTV (0.50, 985K); Illinois’ rout of Duquesne lagged behind at a 0.8 (-38%) and 1.59 million (-32%) on TNT.
Rounding out the Saturday slate, Gonzaga-Kansas averaged a 4.4 (-9%) and 8.28 million (-7%) and Arizona-Dayton a 3.3 (+22%) and 6.18 million (+28%) in standalone CBS windows. Last year’s equivalent games were Tennessee-Duke (4.8, 8.92M) and San Diego State-Furman (2.75, 4.82M).
Shifting to Sunday, CBS averaged a 4.3 and 8.08 million for Purdue’s 39-point rout of Utah State and a 4.0 and 7.80 million for Duke’s 38-point rout of James Madison — both down double-digits from last year’s equivalent games (Kansas State-Kentucky: 5.1, 9.40M; Michigan State-Marquette: 5.9, 10.91M).
Duke-James Madison was the least-watched game in the pre-“60 Minutes” window — typically the most-watched of any NCAA Tournament weekend — under the current television format that began in 2011.
The full early evening window averaged a 7.6 and 14.87 million, down 8% and 4% respectively from last year (8.3, 15.42M). With CBS down sharply, TNT and TBS picked up much of the slack. TNT drew a 1.9 (+63%) and 3.84 million (+76%) for Clemson-Baylor and TBS a 1.7 (+35%) and 3.24 million (+38%) for Alabama-Grand Canyon.
Sunday’s nightcap combined to average a 3.6 and 6.74 million across TBS, TNT and truTV — down 27% and 22% respectively from a year ago. TNT averaged a 2.2 (+40%) and 4.09 million (+47%) for Houston’s overtime win over Texas A&M, but that was not enough to overcome steep declines for San Diego State’s rout of Yale on TNT (0.8, -54%; 1.45M, -51%) or UConn’s rout of Northwestern on truTV (0.6, -62%; 1.21M, -59%).
Rounding out the weekend slate, CBS drew a 3.2 and 5.61 million for a standalone Marquette-Colorado game — up slightly from Xavier-Pittsburgh last year (3.1, 5.50M).
NCAA men’s basketball tournament ratings, first weekend
