The numbers were always going to improve over last year’s lows, but the NCAA Final Four delivered a strong performance by any standard on CBS.
North Carolina-Oregon earned an 11.5 overnight rating in Saturday’s NCAA Final Four on CBS, up 42% from UNC-Syracuse last year (8.1) but down 14% from Wisconsin-Kentucky in 2015, which marked the end of the Wildcats’ undefeated season (13.3). Those games aired on TBS, TNT and TruTV.
The Tar Heels’ narrow win, which peaked at a 13.1 from 11:15-11:30 PM ET, tied the second-highest overnight for the late Final Four window since 1998 — matching Maryland-Kansas in 2002 and behind only Wisconsin-Kentucky in ’15.
Earlier in the night, Gonzaga-South Carolina drew a 9.3 overnight — up 31% from Villanova 95, Oklahoma 51 last year (7.1) and down only 3% from a considerably higher-profile Duke-Michigan State game in 2015 (9.6).
The Bulldogs’ win, which peaked at a 12.7 from 8:15-8:30 PM ET, delivered the fourth-highest Final Four overnight in the past five years (10 telecasts), regardless of timeslot.
Overall, the 10.4 average for Saturday’s games trails only 2015 (11.4) as the highest since 2005. The last time CBS aired the Final Four, 2013, Louisville-Wichita State had an 8.9 in the early window and Michigan-Syracuse a 10.2 in the late window.
(Sat. numbers from CBS/Turner Sports)
