One of the biggest draws in college basketball is headed back to the national championship game, and CBS figures to reap the rewards.
North Carolina’s defeat of Villanova on Saturday night drew a 9.3/17 overnight rating on CBS, up 2% from last year, but down 2% from a 9.5/17 for Florida/UCLA two years ago.
The win puts North Carolina in the national championship game for the first time since 2005, when their win over Illinois drew a 15.0/23 final rating — still the highest rating for a college basketball game since ’01.
While North Carolina’s presence figures to have a big impact on ratings for the national championship game, their thumping of Villanova barely moved the needle. The 9.3 overnight for last night’s game is the fourth-lowest for the late National Semifinal since ’01, and is well below the 9.9 average for games in that window during the same span.
Overall, CBS averaged a 9.0 overnight for its Final Four doubleheader on Saturday, up 6% from an 8.5 for last year’s games, but tied as the third-lowest average since ’01.
Overnight ratings for the late National Semifinal since ’01.
| Year | Date | Time | Game | Net | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sat., 4/4/09 | 9:00 PM | North Carolina/Villanova | CBS | 9.3/17 |
| 2008 | Sat., 4/5/08 | 8:45 PM | Kansas/North Carolina | CBS | 9.1/16 |
| 2007 | Sat., 3/31/07 | 8:45 PM | Florida/UCLA | CBS | 9.5/17 |
| 2006 | Sat., 4/1/06 | 8:45 PM | UCLA/LSU | CBS | 8.5/15 |
| 2005 | Sat., 4/2/05 | 8:45 PM | North Carolina/Michigan State | CBS | 11.4/19 |
| 2004 | Sat., 4/3/04 | 8:45 PM | Duke/Connecticut | CBS | 10.3/18 |
| 2003 | Sat., 4/5/03 | 8:45 PM | Texas/Syracuse | CBS | 8.6/14 |
| 2002 | Sat., 3/30/02 | 8:45 PM | Maryland/Kansas | CBS | 11.5/20 |
| 2001 | Sat., 3/31/01 | 8:00 PM | Duke/Maryland | CBS | 11.3/20 |
