Ratings held steady, but viewership increased, for NCAA Tournament coverage on CBS Friday.
Regional NCAA Tournament action featuring either Tennessee/Ohio St. or Baylor/St. Mary’s drew a 5.5/11 final rating and 8.9 million viewers on CBS Friday night, flat in ratings and up 2% in viewership from last year (5.5/10, 8.8 mil).
Friday’s telecast also tied the comparable window in ’08.
Meanwhile, coverage featuring either Michigan St./Northern Iowa or Duke/Purdue drew a 6.9/13 and 11.1 million viewers, flat in ratings and up 1% in viewership from last year’s comparable telecast (6.9, 11.0 mil).
The 6.9 rating is tied as the highest for any Sweet Sixteen telecast since 2006.
On a quiet Friday night, the NCAA Tournament telecasts were the highest rated, most-viewed programs on broadcast television.
