CBS-Boosted NCAA National Championship Ratings Jump 21 Percent From Last Year

2016 classic ran on Turner networks

Gonzaga v North Carolina
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CBS is cutting down the nets this morning.

Monday’s NCAA Tournament National Championship game leapt 21 percent in preliminary TV ratings from the prior year, though the 2017 version got a big bump simply from being on “America’s Most-Watched Network.”

Last year’s classic — a Villanova victory over the University of North Carolina — ran across Turner networks. The finality to March Madness switches between its two homes every other year.

Last night’s Tar Heels victory over Gonzaga on CBS scored a 14.5 rating/24 share in Nielsen’s metered markets. That’s third-best since 2005. The UNC “W” peaked between 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET with a 17.4/33.

Here are the Top 5 metered markets from Monday evening:

  1. Raleigh-Durham – 33.8/52
  2. Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem – 31.7/47
  3. Charlotte – 30.1/46
  4. Seattle-Tacoma – 24.5/43
  5. Louisville – 23.5/38

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