Although comparisons are difficult, CBS Sports and Turner Sports say the big NCAA Men’s Basketball event has seen its best results in six years. Overall, total average viewers in the tournament are up 11% to a Nielsen preliminary 9.4 million from 8.5 million a year ago.
ESPN was jubilant about its Rose and Fiesta Bowl debuts, even though fewer people watched this year, because the network does not have to beat broadcast numbers to succeed.
