For the third straight day, CBS and Turner Sports combined for a record NCAA Tournament overnight.
Second round coverage of the NCAA Tournament averaged a combined 7.4 overnight rating on CBS, TBS and TNT Saturday, up 14% from last year (6.5), and the highest overnight for the first Saturday of the event since the current scheduling format began in 1991. The record comes on the heels of the highest rated Thursday (6.6) and Friday (6.3) in the metered markets.
The early primetime window was the top telecast of the day, with a combined 10.3 overnight across the three networks — up 20% from last year (8.6) and the highest ever for the window (dates back to 1991). The telecast included Arizona/Ohio State on CBS and N.C. State’s upset of Villanova on TNT.
The late primetime window generated a combined 8.9 overnight, up 9% from last year (8.2), and matching 1993 as the top overnight for the window under the current scheduling format.
In the afternoon, CBS drew a 6.7 for Kentucky/Cincinnati — up 29% from a 5.2 for Saint Louis/Louisville last year. Notably, CBS/Turner Sports did not disclose the overnight for UAB/UCLA, making it highly likely that the game had a decline from last year’s comparable Pittsburgh/Florida telecast.
Through Saturday, the NCAA Tournament is averaging a combined 6.5 overnight rating across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV — the highest average ever through the first Saturday of the tournament, according to the networks.
(Sat. numbers from CBS/Turner Sports)
