Thursday's Rhode Island-Oklahoma marked a record for live streams on the MLL platformGETTY IMAGES
March Madness Live streaming is helping Turner and CBS close the gap on last season's opening week of NCAA Tourney games, which on TV alone was the best figure in 24 years. CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV and MML through Saturday's games (including the First Four) are combining to average a total audience delivery of 8.7 million viewers, up 2% from 8.6 million viewers last year. Excluding MML for the same period, the four linear networks are averaging 8.28 million viewers, down 3% from 8.55 million last year. MML has set several records through Saturday. Thursday's Rhode Island-Oklahoma (opening game) marked a record for live streams on the platform, while that 2:30pm ET window on Thursday, which included other games, had the most concurrent streams in MML history. To date, there have been 11 million hours of consumption on MML, up 4% through the same period in '17. The NCAA's March Madness social media accounts also are up. There have been 110 million impressions on the Twitter and Facebook accounts for March Madness, up 16% from last year. There also has been a 45% spike in video views on official March Madness accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
HATS OFF: In Tampa, Tom Jones writes CBS' coverage of the tournament has been "sensational." Other than a couple of "cringe-worthy moments involving sideline reporters and studio analysts acting a little too much like fans, CBS has been on top of its game." It helps to have "great games, and CBS has been given a slew of those." But it "hasn’t loused up any of those games or special moments." The "best sequence" came at the end of Michigan's buzzer-beater win against Houston Saturday." From Brad Nessler’s "superb call to hustling camera work to absolute perfect direction that see-sawed from Michigan’s elation to Houston’s dejection, this was a master class in how to handle a big moment." CBS’ coverage is a "part of what makes March Madness so fun" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 3/19). In Baltimore, David Zurawik noted UMBC got the "full national telecast treatment" last night in its matchup with Kansas State. The game was on truTV, "but the broadcast crew was the best CBS Sports has to offer" -- Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson -- who all "brought their 'A' games." The group was "in sync with every rise and fall of the contest." Hill was "especially on his game explaining the differences between the success enjoyed by UMBC Friday versus what was happening on the court" yesterday. Last night was as "good a call of a college basketball game as anyone could want" (BALTIMORE SUN, 3/19).
QUICK TO CHANGE: In Spokane, Vince Grippi noted CBS and the NCAA "heard complaints on social media and elsewhere after Thursday’s opening-round games from Boise’s Taco Bell Arena, based on the height of the main, midcourt camera." Seats were "cleaned out ... and the camera lowered a level," which made it "easier to see" on television. The 60 fans with tickets for the impacted seats were "moved closer to the action [and] also received $20 concession credit" (Spokane SPOKESMAN-REVIEW, 3/18). Those fans were "moved to seats in the lower level just behind the media seating" (IDAHO PRESS-TRIBUNE, 3/18).
NOTES: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick wrote CBS/Turner announcer Kevin Harlan still "screams over slam dunks as if he and we had never before seen one" (N.Y. POST, 3/18)....The TAMPA BAY TIMES' Jones wrote that he hates that ESPN's Dick Vitale "doesn't call tournament games." Jones: "Doesn't feel right that the person who loves college basketball more than anyone on the planet doesn't call the biggest games of the year" (TAMPABAY.com, 3/17).
