Comments on: NCAA Men’s Basketball TV Ratings, 1975-2008

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:46:15 +0000

Nadav, if we have ratings for the semi-final games I will post them today or tomorrow. The numbers above are for the Championship game, which is 1/3 of the “Final Four” games.

By: Nadav

Nadav — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:49:40 +0000

Hello,

I am a researcher and would like to get the ratings for the Final-Four through the years. Any idea of how I can do that?

Thanks in advance,
Nadav

By: john

john — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:24:16 +0000

kentucky got less fun to watch

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Sun, 21 Dec 2008 02:42:22 +0000

[...] every year for a tournament that features about 38 hours of prime time programming and draws about 8.4 million viewers for early-round games and 20.5 million for the final. Last year, CBS drew 132 million television viewers and 4.8 million online viewers from whom [...]

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[...] have been in a TCS Final Four, for the record — but doesn’t mention that no more than 19.6 million were watching at any given time. That’s OK, because we have comparable figures for the [...]

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By: David Krysakowski

David Krysakowski — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:45:43 +0000

I just wish we had a tournament like this in December for football.

By: David Krysakowski

David Krysakowski — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:45:43 +0000

I just wish we had a tournament like this in December for football.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:03:38 +0000

jim, you had Georgetown in your bracket too, huh?

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:03:38 +0000

jim, you had Georgetown in your bracket too, huh?

By: jim

jim — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:59:15 +0000

Bottom line: basketball sucks and nobody cares.

By: jim

jim — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:59:15 +0000

Bottom line: basketball sucks and nobody cares.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:39:32 +0000

Wedlock, unfortunately we have no historical data other than what’s charted above. The blue line is aggregate ratings data for all games in a particular year through the regional finals. No breakout among rounds.

This year we will get some individual game data at least for the games that CBS has in primetime.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:39:32 +0000

Wedlock, unfortunately we have no historical data other than what's charted above. The blue line is aggregate ratings data for all games in a particular year through the regional finals. No breakout among rounds.

This year we will get some individual game data at least for the games that CBS has in primetime.

By: Wedlock

Wedlock — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:36:27 +0000

Okay:
I think people turn the channel for blow outs like George Mason getting clobbered in 2006 by Florida in the final four, but aren’t the Neilsen numbers higher on opening weekend?(Thursday-Sunday)?Couldn’t this be attributable to having smnaller schools included with the possibility of an upset of a higher seed?

By: Wedlock

Wedlock — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:36:27 +0000

Okay:
I think people turn the channel for blow outs like George Mason getting clobbered in 2006 by Florida in the final four, but aren't the Neilsen numbers higher on opening weekend?(Thursday-Sunday)?Couldn't this be attributable to having smnaller schools included with the possibility of an upset of a higher seed?

By: kayarn

kayarn — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:32:58 +0000

i root for temple (in for the first time since 01!!) and we rarely have players leave early.

the solution: dont root for duke, unc, etc. root for a smaller school with limited exposure and you wont have problems with kids leaving early.

By: kayarn

kayarn — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:32:58 +0000

i root for temple (in for the first time since 01!!) and we rarely have players leave early.

the solution: dont root for duke, unc, etc. root for a smaller school with limited exposure and you wont have problems with kids leaving early.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:39:35 +0000

Speculation is what keeps us going!

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:39:35 +0000

Speculation is what keeps us going!

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:24:59 +0000

pure speculation, but perhaps Nielsen started measuring average viewers differently. CBS claims 40 million watched last year's final, but the Nielsen info we get is for average viewers throughout the entire telecast. CBS also claims that some 130 million take in at least some NCAA coverage over the course of the tourney. That's a big deal.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:24:59 +0000

pure speculation, but perhaps Nielsen started measuring average viewers differently. CBS claims 40 million watched last year's final, but the Nielsen info we get is for average viewers throughout the entire telecast.

CBS also claims that some 130 million take in at least some NCAA coverage over the course of the tourney. That's a big deal.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:50:15 +0000

No, I think Daryl Dawkins was in 1975 (drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia 76ers). Though there was a 20 year hiatus after that. Actually a few players who enrolled but never played a college game snuck in (Shawn Kemp comes to mind), but I think KG was the first after Dawkins to go officially from high school to the NBA.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:50:15 +0000

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:41:53 +0000

Indeed, Garnett was the first player drafted by the NBA

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:41:53 +0000

Indeed, Garnett was the first player drafted by the NBA

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:37:24 +0000

Moses Malone predates KG by two decades! Of course Malone did sign a letter of intent with University of Md before bailing for the ABA (Utah drafted him) and if you don’t want to count the ABA, I suppose nobody would hold that against you.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:37:24 +0000

Moses Malone predates KG by two decades! Of course Malone did sign a letter of intent with University of Md before bailing for the ABA (Utah drafted him) and if you don't want to count the ABA, I suppose nobody would hold that against you.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:30:58 +0000

Ron, kayarn, 1995 was the year Kevin Garnett was drafted directly from high school, the first player to have that distinction.

While I’m not sure we can say that’s a statistically significant bit of data, I’m willing to go with it as being the start of the championship game ratings slide.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:30:58 +0000

Ron, kayarn, 1995 was the year Kevin Garnett was drafted directly from high school, the first player to have that distinction.

While I'm not sure we can say that's a statistically significant bit of data, I'm willing to go with it as being the start of the championship game ratings slide.

By: Ron

Ron — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:23:35 +0000

1995 was about the time players began staying in school only one year or bypassing college completely to go to the NBA. I used to be a die-hard college hoops fan, but now couldn’t name more than 10 players. Why? With early defections, it’s like I have to re-learn the majority of the players for some of the elite programs.

By: Ron

Ron — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:23:35 +0000

1995 was about the time players began staying in school only one year or bypassing college completely to go to the NBA. I used to be a die-hard college hoops fan, but now couldn't name more than 10 players. Why? With early defections, it's like I have to re-learn the majority of the players for some of the elite programs.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:08:16 +0000

You make some good points Kayarn. The ratings decrease in the finals may well be dwarfed by cumulative ratings increases, at least during the first week. Unfortunately, we don’t have historical data for that

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:08:16 +0000

You make some good points Kayarn. The ratings decrease in the finals may well be dwarfed by cumulative ratings increases, at least during the first week. Unfortunately, we don't have historical data for that

By: kayarn

kayarn — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:02:40 +0000

a lot also has to do with these games not being very good, but the kansas/syracuse game was a classic and that had low viewership.

so its most likely the fact that people can get their college basketball fix during the course of the regular season, the endless barrage of selection sunday coverage, the hype over the first weekend, etc. by the time championship monday roles around, the hype is long gone and the interest just isn’t there.

By: kayarn

kayarn — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:02:40 +0000

a lot also has to do with these games not being very good, but the kansas/syracuse game was a classic and that had low viewership.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:29:38 +0000

kayarn, The NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, so that doesn’t seem to account for the drop beginning in the mid-90s. It could be the effects of the flight of underclassmen to the NBA. I’m not sure how to put a starting date on that though.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:29:38 +0000

kayarn, The NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, so that doesn't seem to account for the drop beginning in the mid-90s. It could be the effects of the flight of underclassmen to the NBA. I'm not sure how to put a starting date on that though.

By: kayarn

kayarn — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:18:25 +0000

the tourney used to be just conference winners, i forget exactly when they expanded to let at-large teams in, but that set-up usually limited the final four to only teams like unc, ucla, kansas, kentucky, etc.

the talent pool is so spread out these days that the power teams making the final four isnt as common. and no matter how much america love a cinderella like george mason, the numbers would much improved had a team like duke or georgetown made it.

By: kayarn

kayarn — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:18:25 +0000

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:37:31 +0000

Ann Marie, I know exactly how you feel. The Cavaliers had not beaten Clemson in football ever, starting in the year I was born. They finally won when I was 32.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:37:31 +0000

Ann Marie, I know exactly how you feel. The Cavaliers had not beaten Clemson in football ever, starting in the year I was born. They finally won when I was 32.

By: Ann Marie

Ann Marie — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:17:14 +0000

P.S. Did Nielsen change anything about their measurements or data collection in that time frame? That would make more sense to me.

By: Ann Marie

Ann Marie — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:17:14 +0000

P.S. Did Nielsen change anything about their measurements or data collection in that time frame? That would make more sense to me.

By: Ann Marie

Ann Marie — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:16:24 +0000

Bill, I agree Dean Smith was truly evil, and I am glad he’s gone. Maybe when your team has NEVER beaten Carolina at Carolina, and then they whip you in the ACC championship game, you’ll understand how I feel Can’t wait for the NCAA tournament!!

By: Ann Marie

Ann Marie — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:16:24 +0000

Bill, I agree Dean Smith was truly evil, and I am glad he's gone. Maybe when your team has NEVER beaten Carolina at Carolina, and then they whip you in the ACC championship game, you'll understand how I feel Can't wait for the NCAA tournament!!

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:51:47 +0000

Anne Marie, I think the significant advancement of low seeded teams is hyped by the media a lot more than it actually happens. Being a numbers guy, if I can get some good data on that I will post it.

My hatred of the Tar Hells has cooled significantly since Dean Smith left. He truly was evil. I cannot get myself to hate a Roy Williams coached team to nearly the same extent.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:51:47 +0000

Anne Marie, I think the significant advancement of low seeded teams is hyped by the media a lot more than it actually happens. Being a numbers guy, if I can get some good data on that I will post it.

My hatred of the Tar Hells has cooled significantly since Dean Smith left. He truly was evil. I cannot get myself to hate a Roy Williams coached team to nearly the same extent.

By: Ann Marie

Ann Marie — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:22:25 +0000

Could it have something to do with low seeded teams winning? If you’re out of the office pool early, why watch? And as a Clemson alumni, I have to say I hate those blue bastards from UNC.

By: Ann Marie

Ann Marie — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:22:25 +0000

Could it have something to do with low seeded teams winning? If you're out of the office pool early, why watch? And as a Clemson alumni, I have to say I hate those blue bastards from UNC.