Villanova-Michigan Championship Game Set Record Low for Overnight Ratings
By Kyle Koster
Monday night’s NCAA Championship Game scored a 10.3 overnight rating, an all-time low for a title game, per John Ourand of Sports Business Journal. Viewership dropped off drastically with the outcome and spread decided early.
Source: NCAA Championship game registered a 10.3 overnight, a lowest-ever figure for an NCAA Final. The rating peaked at an 11.5 in first half and dropped to 7.0 at the end of the blowout game.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) April 3, 2018
This was the second title game to air on TBS. The previous, a thriller between Villanova and North Carolina in 2016, checked in at 12.0 overnight. For reference, the 2015 Wisconsin-Duke final posted a record-high 17.0.
TBS’ Final Four coverage saw a 15 percent increase over 2016, lending some validity to the theory that upstart Loyola was a blessing to the bottom line.
Even with the uphill battles last night’s game presented in terms of channel and competitiveness, the 10.3 figure is lower than one might have expected. Villanova is known entity located right in the meaty part of the East Coast corridor. Michigan is a national brand with a fan base penetrating all corners of the country.