A pair of routs in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament were no match for last year, but still topped the sports ratings charts for March 24.
Purdue’s 39-point rout of Utah State in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament averaged a 4.3 rating and 8.08 million viewers on CBS, followed by Duke’s 38-point rout of James Madison at a 4.0 and 7.80 million — the two largest sports audiences of the day, though down double-digits from last year’s equivalent windows. Additional details on the weekend NCAA viewership is available in the preceding link.
The women’s tournament topped out at a 1.2 and 2.01 million for LSU’s comeback win over Middle Tennessee on ABC, at the time the largest audience on record for a second round tournament game — and since surpassed by both UConn-Syracuse and Iowa-West Virginia on Monday night. South Carolina-North Carolina led in at a 0.8 and 1.19 million, while Stanford’s late night thriller against Iowa State had a 0.7 and 1.18 million on ESPN.
Outside of basketball, NASCAR was Sunday’s top draw with a 1.8 and 3.31 million for racing from Circuit of the Americas (Austin, Texas) — flat in ratings and up 6% in viewership from last year (1.8, 3.13M). Since the postponement of the Daytona 500, all five subsequent races have increased over last year.
In other racing action, the IndyCar $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club had a 0.47 and 788,000 on NBC and tape-delayed NHRA from Pomona (Ca.) drew a 0.15 and 274,000 on FS1.
The Concacaf Nations League final between the United States and Mexico drew a 1.0 and 2.30 million on Univision, up sharply from last June’s final between the U.S. and Canada (1.82M). No figures were reported for English-language coverage on Paramount+. In other soccer action, ESPN2 drew a 0.05 and 113,000 for a Portland-NJ/NY NWSL match.
Further down the dial, final round coverage of the PGA Tour at Tampa Bay averaged a 1.1 and 1.89 million on NBC — down 32% in ratings and 27% in viewership from last year (1.6, 2.59M) and the least-watched final round of the event in more than a decade.
NBA TV averaged a 0.20 and 335,000 for the Lakers’ high-scoring win over the Pacers, preceded by Thunder-Bucks at a 0.12 and 200,000 — both down from the same night last year, when there were no competing men’s tournament games (Timberwolves-Warriors: 0.40, 687K; Grizzlies-Hawks: 0.12, 234K).
In hockey, TNT drew a 0.13 and 248,000 for a Penguins-Avalanche NHL regular season game. ESPNU chipped in a mere 0.02 and 36,000 for the Wisconsin-Ohio State NCAA women’s hockey national championship, down from the same matchup last year (53K).
Sunday, March 24 sports ratings
