Upsets A Factor, But Big Ten, ACC Spur March Madness Ratings
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ACC, Big Ten Teams Help Drive
CBS' March Madness Ratings |
Recent ratings for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament indicate that "while buzzer beaters and overtime games are one factor, they're hardly the only -- or even the most significant -- determinant of viewership for CBS," according to Steven Zeitchik of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Research shows that a "combination of region, history and the all-important upset play critical roles" in TV ratings. When teams from the Big Ten and ACC have "strong tournaments, the numbers go through the roof." In '05, four of the final eight teams -- including both championship game participants North Carolina and Illinois -- were from the two conferences, and CBS "had its highest ratings of the past 10 years." Upsets "might be an even more important factor" in generating ratings. Last year, the net earned a 6.1 average rating for all games, the second-lowest in CBS' 25 years of broadcasting the tournament, and the event was "marked by just four upsets, the fewest in a long time." However, too many upsets "can sink ratings." In '06, when CBS earned a 6.3 average rating, the tournament "saw the other extreme" with 14 upsets. One TV exec said, "You want enough upsets that it doesn't get predictable, but not so many that it becomes a jumble" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/12).
RATINGS ONLY TELL PART OF STORY: CBS' Billy Packer indicated that the net's March Madness On Demand (MMOD) online component "will prove the tournament's appeal has been underestimated" through traditional TV ratings. Packer: "The way that Nielsen ratings are measuring interest is comical. And here we have the ultimate proof. Do you mean to tell me that people who watch (online) go home and they don't watch the game? I know people have made fun of me for years (for questioning the accuracy of TV ratings), but now we'll find out." CBSSports.com GM Jason Vint said that CBS this year "should at least increase its total online users by 50%" through MMOD. The net will stream all of its 63 tournament games online and "won't have online blackouts of games airing on users' local CBS TV stations," which was not the case last season (USA TODAY, 3/12).
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