via press release:
CBS SPORTS’ AND TURNER SPORTS’ EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2011 NCAA® DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP DELIVERS HIGHEST OVERALL TOURNAMENT RATINGS IN 20 YEARS
Friday’s Regional Semi-Finals Ratings +17% Over 2010
CBS Sports’ and Turner Sports’ exclusive live coverage of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTv combined, ties with 1993 as the best overall tournament-to-date average ratings in the metered markets since the tournament expanded coverage to all live games in 1991. The overall tournament average-to-date, including the FIRST FOUR®, in the metered markets is a 6.6/14, up +18% from a 5.6/12 for CBS Sports’ 2010 coverage according to Nielsen.
Coverage of the regional semi-finals on TBS and CBS on Friday, March 25 combined to deliver an overnight household rating/share of 7.6/14, up +17% from a 6.5/12 for CBS Sports’ 2010 coverage, according to Nielsen. The 7.6/14 was the highest rating for the Friday regional semi-finals in the metered markets since a 7.8/14 in 2005.
The first telecast window of the night combined to earn a 5.9/11, even with last year.
The second window of the night delivered a 9.2/16, up +30% from a 7.1/13 last year. The 9.2/16 is the highest rating for the second Friday regional semi-finals in the metered markets since the tournament expanded coverage to all live games in 1991.
