Television ratings for the NCAA tournament have been strong throughout the event and it culminated in the Kentucky and Wisconsin game getting the highest rating for a Final Four game in 22 years.
According to an official release, the collective coverage of Wisconsin’s win over Kentucky peaked with a 16.4/30 overnight rating/share from 11:00-11:15 p.m. ET and the game telecast was up 48 percent over last year, based on the Nielsen metered market ratings.
Although Duke started the night with a blowout win over Michigan State, the Final Four doubleheader averaged an 11.4/22 overnight rating/share to help the Final Four to the highest average overnight rating for the event since 1995. The ratings also improved 39 percent from last season’s Final Four.
Given the excitement surrounding the Kentucky and Wisconsin rematch and the casual fan familiarity with programs like Duke and Michigan State, the high television ratings have continued. With the Wildcats pursuing a perfect season before last night’s loss to Wisconsin, and a number of potential NBA prospects in the Final Four, the interest from casual sports fans for this season’s event comes as no surprise.