NCAA Tournament Ratings Up 17 Percent Through First Week

Through the first week of games, the 2011 NCAA Tournament is tied with 1993 and 1991 as the best overall tournament-to-date average ratings in metered markets since the tournament expanded coverage to all live games.

The overall tournament average-to-date is a 6.2 rating/14 share, up 17 percent from a 5.3 rating/12 share from CBS Sports’ 2010 coverage of March Madness.

Yesterday’s coverage combined for an overnight household rating/share of 7.3/14, up 14 percent from a 6.4/13 from last year. Those numbers ties with a 7.3/17 in 1998 as the highest rating for the first Sunday of the NCAA Tournament in metered markets since a 7.5/19 in 1994.

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