04 NCAA Division I Men s Basketball Championship Delivers Most-Viewed First Friday in Years -

CBS Sports and Turner Sports' exclusive second-round coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship - across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV on Friday, March 21 - is the most-viewed first Friday of the NCAA Tournament in 23 years. Friday's games averaged 8.4 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals, up 4% compared with 2013 (8.1 million total viewers). The coverage earned a 5.7 U.S. HH rating.

Overall, through the first four days, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship is averaging 8.2 million total viewers, up 6% over last year (7.7 million total viewers), and is the most-viewed start to the tournament since 1991 (when the tournament expanded to four telecast windows for the entire day). Through four days, the tournament is averaging a 5.5 U.S. HH rating.

Friday's coverage showed viewership growth among the telecast windows.

The first daytime telecast window averaged 5.8 million total viewers, the second highest viewership for the game window since 1991.

The second daytime telecast window averaged 7.7 million total viewers, the highest viewership for the game window in 23 years (since 1991). The telecast window is up 10% compared to an average of 7.0 million total viewers last year.

The first primetime telecast window averaged 10.2 million total viewers to garner the second most-viewed game window in 21 years (since 1993). The window is up 9% over an average of 9.4 million total viewers last year.

The second primetime telecast window averaged 10.2 million total viewers to register the highest viewership for the game window in 23 years. The window is up 4% over an average of 9.8 million total viewers in 2013.

Collectively, second-round coverage on Thursday and Friday, March 20-21, averaged 8.5 million total viewers, the most-viewed second round in 23 years and a 5% increase over 2013 (8.1 million total viewers). The two days averaged a 5.7 U.S. HH rating, up 4% over last year (5.5 U.S. HH rating).

Source: Nielsen Media Research, Fast Nationals, Live +SD data stream through Round 2 of the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. 3/18/14 to 03/21/13 vs. 03/19/13 to 03/22/13. 2013, 2012 and 2011 averages based on weighted average of 4 telecast gross across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. Historical audiences, CBS 1991 through 2005 based on Live data.

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Media Contacts:

Sal Petruzzi, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., at (212) 275-6897 or sal.petruzzi@turner.com?

Nate Smeltz, Turner Sports, at (404) 827-4786 or nate.smeltz@turner.com?

Jen Sabatelle, CBS Sports, at (212) 975-4120 or jsabatelle@cbs.com?

Dan Sabreen, CBS Sports, at (212) 975-5936 or dsabreen@cbs.com

LINK:	http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6682...
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