Men's Basketball Thriller a Ratings Dunk For CBS

Duke/Butler showdown ties for highest final rating in 11 years

By David Tanklefsky -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/6/2010 10:36:40 AM

The Duke/Butler thriller on CBS tied for the best national championship game rating in 11 years.  The game earned a 16.0/25 rating/share, up 34% from last year's North Carolina/Michigan State final.

The rating tied with the UNC/Illinois final in 2005, which registered a 16.0/23.  The tally is the highest-rated in metered markets since the 1999 Connecticut/Duke final drew a 16.9/25. 

The men's championship, which heavily-favored Duke held on to win 61-59, drew its highest ratings from 11:30-11:45 with a 20.3/35. 

Overall, the NCAA Tournament was up 5% on CBS in overnight household rating, with a 6.6/14 average.  Last year the tourney tallied a 6.3/13 in metered markets.  The overall average ties with 2007 for the highest rating across the tournament since 2005 (7.3/14).