Tyler Hansborough and Blake Griffin took a hit from Tiger Woods.
Despite featuring a battle of two megahyped big men, CBS saw a double-digit decline in ratings for North Carolina’s victory over Oklahoma on Sunday. The final Elite Eight matchup of the weekend drew a 7.7 overnight on CBS last Sunday afternoon, down 17% from a 9.3 for Davidson/Kansas in ’08.
Oklahoma/North Carolina was the only Elite Eight game to see a decrease in ratings from last year. Some of the decline can no doubt be attributed to viewers flocking to Tiger Woods’ victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which drew a 4.9 overnight on NBC.
The 7.7 overnight is the lowest for the late Sunday afternoon Elite Eight game since 2003, when Texas/Michigan State drew a 7.3, and marks the third-lowest rating of the past ten years for that window.
Overall, CBS averaged a 6.8 overnight rating for four Elite Eight telecasts, down 1% from a 6.9 last year, and tied as the third-lowest average for the round since 1999.
Overnight ratings for late Sunday Elite Eight telecast since ’99.
| Year | Date | Time | Game | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sun., 3/29/09 | 5:00 PM | North Carolina/Oklahoma | CBS | |
| 2008 | Sun., 3/30/08 | 5:00 PM | Kansas/Davidson | CBS | |
| 2007 | Sun., 3/25/07 | 4:45 PM | Georgetown/North Carolina | CBS | |
| 2006 | Sun., 3/26/06 | 5:00 PM | Villanova/Florida | CBS | |
| 2005 | Sun., 3/27/05 | 4:45 PM | Kentucky/Michigan State | CBS | |
| 2004 | Sun., 3/28/04 | 5:15 PM | Xavier/Duke | CBS | |
| 2003 | Sun., 3/30/03 | 5:00 PM | Texas/Michigan State | CBS | |
| 2002 | Sun., 3/24/02 | 5:00 PM | Connecticut/Maryland | CBS | |
| 2001 | Sun., 3/25/01 | 5:00 PM | Arizona/Illinois | CBS | |
| 2000 | Sat., 3/26/00 | 5:00 PM | Florida/Ohio State | CBS | |
| 1999 | Sun., 3/21/99 | 5:00 PM | Kentucky/Michigan State | CBS |
