Ratings for the 2009 Men’s NCAA Tournament were up from last year, but were still among the lowest in history.
CBS averaged a 5.7/12 rating and 8.9 million viewers for its coverage of the NCAA Tournament, up 2% in ratings from a 5.6/12 last year, but the third-lowest average ever for the NCAA Tournament.
This marks only the third time that the NCAA Tournament has failed to average at least a 6.0 rating. Since ’96, when the tournament averaged a 7.5, ratings for the event have declined by nearly a quarter.
Related: game-by-game ratings for the NCAA Tournament and NIT, and games during the 2008-09 regular season.
Average ratings for the NCAA Tournament.
