CBS & Turner Sports' Final Four Coverage is Most-Watched Since 2005
By: Caryn Robbins Apr. 08, 2013
Turner Sports and CBS Sports' coverage of the 2013 NCAA(R) Division I Men's Basketball Final Four(R) on CBS on Saturday, April 6 earned an average fast national household rating/share of 9.4/18, up 4% from last year's 9.0/17, which is the highest-rated Final Four in eight years (10.5/19; 2005), based on Nielsen Fast Nationals.
The 2013 Final Four averaged 15.702 million viewers, up 3% from last year's 15.256 million, which is the highest viewer average for the two Final Four games since 2005 (16.647 million; Illinois-Louisville and North Carolina-Michigan State).The first game, Louisville beating Wichita State, earned an average household rating/share of 8.7/18 and 14,468,000 total viewers, both up 4% from last year's 8.4/17 and 13,908,000 total viewers.The second game featuring Michigan's victory over Syracuse delivered a 10.2/18, up 6% from last year's 9.6/17. The corresponding 17,104,000 total viewers are up 3% compared with last year's 16,603,000 total viewers.CBS Sports and Turner Sports' coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship is averaging 10.174 million total viewers-to-date, up 10% from last year's 9.213 million, and is the highest viewer average for the NCAA Tournament through the Final Four in eight years (10.183 million; 2005).The 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship has delivered the best overall tournament-to-date ratings since 2005. The overall tournament average-to-date rating/share is a 6.4/13, up 8% from last year's 5.9/12. The 6.4/13 is the highest average rating for the NCAA Tournament through the Final Four in eight years (6.6/14; 2005).Videos