FOR THE WEEK OF 3/20/06 - 3/26/06
BASKETBALL, COLLEGE STYLE: CBS’s Thursday night two-game, four-team college basketball tournament coverage on March 23 averaged 8.1 million households, down 9 percent from last year’s comparable night. The network averaged 6.94 million households for similar doubleheader coverage Friday night, down 1 percent from last March. The Saturday night regional final coverage (Memphis-UCLA) was that night’s No. 1 show for the third year in a row.
| Top 10 Network Sports Telecasts |
| Rank | Net. | Program | Date | Rating | Share | Households Watching
(000s) |
| 1 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: REG. FINALS WRAP-UP | 3/26 | 8.5 | 15 | 9,341 |
| 2 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: FLORIDA-VILLANOVA | 3/26 | 7.8 | 15 | 8,613 |
| 3 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: DUKE-LSU/BRAD-MEMP | 3/23 | 7.6 | 13 | 8,373 |
| 4 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: TX-WVA/GONZAGA-UCLA | 3/23 | 7.0 | 13 | 7,763 |
| 5 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: MEMPHIS-UCLA | 3/25 | 6.9 | 13 | 7,592 |
| 6 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: FLA-G'TWN/UCONN-WASH | 3/24 | 6.5 | 13 | 7,136 |
| 7 | FOX | NASCAR: NEXTEL CUP SERIES FOOD CITY 500 | 3/26 | 6.2 | 14 | 6,839 |
| 8 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: BC-V'NOVA/G.MASON-WSU | 3/24 | 6.1 | 11 | 6,767 |
| 9 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: LSU-TEXAS | 3/25 | 6.1 | 14 | 6,695 |
| 10 | CBS | NCAA MEN'S BKTBL TOURN: GEORGE MASON-UCONN | 3/26 | 6.0 | 13 | 6,663 |
BASKETBALL, PRO STYLE: ESPN’s Wednesday night doubleheader on March 22 averaged 1.4 million households, up 31 percent over last year’s comparable two-game set. The early Heat-Pistons matchup drew 1.55 million households, up 36 percent over last year’s early game; the late Spurs-Nuggets game was up 26 percent. The net’s Sunday night Nets-Pistons game averaged 1.1 million households, even with last year.
| Top 10 Cable Sports Telecasts |
| | | | (RATING) | | |
| Rank | Net | Program | Date | National | Cov. Area | Share | Households Watching
(000s) |
| 1 | ESPN | WBC CHAMPIONSHIP: CUBA-JAPAN | 3/20 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 3 | 1,636 |
| 2 | ESPN | NBA: MIAMI-DETROIT | 3/22 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3 | 1,547 |
| 3 | FX | NASCAR: NEXTEL CUP SERIES GOLDEN CORRAL 500 | 3/20 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 4 | 1,293 |
| 4 | ESPN | PGA: PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP (SECOND ROUND) | 3/24 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 4 | 1,309 |
| 5 | ESPN | NBA: SAN ANTONIO-DENVER | 3/22 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3 | 1,261 |
| 6 | ESPN | NCAA WOMEN'S BKTBL TOURN: RUTGERS-TENNESSEE | 3/26 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 3 | 1,168 |
| 7 | ESPN | NIT TOURNAMENT: NOTRE DAME-MICHIGAN | 3/20 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2 | 1,151 |
| 8 | ESPN | PGA: PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP (FIRST ROUND) | 3/23 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 4 | 1,115 |
| 9 | ESPN | NBA: NEW JERSEY-DETROIT | 3/26 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 2 | 1,101 |
| 10 | ESPN | FIGURE SKATING: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (PAIRS, LADIES) | 3/25 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2 | 1,007 |
Rating — Estimated percent of all TV households of persons tuned to a specific program source. One ratings point equals 1,102,000 homes.
Share — Estimated percent of all households using television at that time which are tuned to a specific program source.
Source: Nielsen Media Research
