The Duke/Butler thriller on CBS tied for the best national
championship game rating in 11 years. The
game earned a 16.0/25 rating/share, up 34% from last year's North Carolina/Michigan
State final.
The rating tied with the UNC/Illinois final in 2005, which
registered a 16.0/23. The tally is the
highest-rated in metered markets since the 1999 Connecticut/Duke final drew a
16.9/25.
The men's championship, which heavily-favored Duke held on
to win 61-59, drew its highest ratings from 11:30-11:45 with a 20.3/35.
Overall, the NCAA Tournament was up 5% on CBS in overnight
household rating, with a 6.6/14 average.
Last year the tourney tallied a 6.3/13 in metered markets. The overall average ties with 2007 for the
highest rating across the tournament since 2005 (7.3/14).
