Monday’s NCAA championship game between Michigan and Louisville was the highest-rated final in eight years in yet another sign of how live sporting events are continuing to draw massive ratings in an age of increased media fragmentation.
Louisville defeated Michigan in a thrilling 82-76 battle, and the well-played game surely helped to keep fans riveted from the action–and glued to their televisions. The game’s 14.2/23 rating on CBS was up 18% from last year’s final. Ratings for the tournament were up by 9% from last year’s tournament, according to Nielsen.
The game’s rating/share peaked at 11:30-11:45 PM, ET (17.3/32).
According to Nielsen, 70% of the televisions in Louisville were tuned in to the title game, while 47% of televisions in Detroit were. Here are the top five metered markets, according to Nielsen:
Louisville – 54.0/70
Detroit – 33.5/47
Columbus, Ohio – 26.4/40
Indianapolis – 25.1/39
Cincinnati – 24.7/38
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