CBS Coverage of 2017 Final Four is Second-Most Watched in 19 Years
By: Caryn Robbins Apr. 03, 2017
CBS Sports and Turner Sports' coverage of the 2017 NCAA Tournament is the second most watched in 23 years. To date, the NCAA Tournament is averaging 10.4 million viewers, up +14% from last year and the second-highest viewer average through the Final Four since 1994. Additionally, NCAA March Madness Live has generated an all-time best 93.5 million live video streams through the Final Four.
Last night's Final Four games delivered audience increases, averaging 16.8 million viewers, making it the second most-watched Final Four in 19 years (since 1998; trailing only 2015). Viewership of the doubleheader - Gonzaga vs. South Carolina and North Carolina vs. Oregon - which aired on CBS was up +44% over last year. Last year's games were decided by a combined 61 points. North Carolina-Oregon was watched by an average of 18.8 million viewers, up +46% from 2016, and the second highest viewer average for the late Final Four game in 19 years. The game peaked with 20.5 million viewers from 11:00-11:15 PM, ET. In the early game, Gonzaga-South Carolina delivered an average of 14.7 million viewers, up +40% from a year ago, making it the second most-watched Final Four game in that window since 2005. The game peaked with 20.6 million viewers from 8:15-8:27 PM. TV Source: Nielsen Media Research, Fast Nationals based on Live + SD data stream for the 2017 NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV, through Final Four round compared historical NCAA Tournament through 1991. Digital: Conviva.Videos