CBS Notches Highest NCAA Men’s Final Rating Since 2005

CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship game on Monday scored in total viewers and ratings as Nielsen reports that 48.1 million viewers watched all-or-part of CBS Sports’ coverage of Duke defeating Butler, an increase of 17% vs. 41.2 million in 2009 (North Carolina-Michigan State). The game also earned an average overnight household rating/share of 16.0/25, up 34% compared to last year’s 11.9/19 (North Carolina-Michigan State) in the metered markets.

The 16.0/25 rating/share tied with a 16.0/23 in 2005 (North Carolina-Illinois) as the highest rating in the metered markets for the NCAA National Championship game since a 16.9/25 in 1999 (Connecticut-Duke). The game rating peaked at a 20.3/35 from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET.

CBS Sports’ average overnight household rating/share for the overall Tournament was a 6.6/14, up 5% compared to last year’s 6.3/13 in the metered markets. The 6.6/14 overall average rating tied with 2007 as the highest overall average rating for the NCAA Tournament since a 7.3/14 in 2005.

Nielsen also reports that 134.3 millions viewers watched all-or-part of CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, up 4% from 128.9 million viewers last year. This year’s 134.3 millions viewers is the highest number of viewers to watch all-or-part of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship on CBS since 141.7 million viewers in 2005.