The NCAA tournament may be chalk to this point. Advertising money may not have been flowing quite so easily. CBS, though, can take some solace that the NCAA tournament is getting plenty of eyeballs over the air and online.According to CBS Sports, the TV ratings for the first two rounds are up six percent from last year while the online viewing is up a whopping 60 percent with some 5.6 million unique visitors. The amount of time people spent watching the games online is also up nearly 71 percent from last year.
The decision by CBS to go with Microsoft's Silverlight technology to improve the video along with continually upgrading their capacity to provide the streams, seems to have been a rousing success. The complaints have been a lot lower and a lot more enthusiasm about the quality.
"I believe we're all in agreement that March Madness on Demand continues to evolve as one of the most powerful and innovative platforms for basketball fans to follow the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship," said Greg Shaheen, NCAA, senior vice president for basketball and business strategies. "To see the numbers steadily increase reinforces the broad interest in the championship and the convenience MMOD offers fans in accessing every game of the NCAA Tournament."The opening game between Memphis and Cal State-Northridge -- a noonish start for Thursday -- was the most watched game in the opening two rounds. People were riveted by the possibility of the upset and one of the first games of the Tournament.
The improved television ratings, though, has to be very good news for CBS. Ratings had been slipping the past couple of years. Considering the escalating rates CBS has to pay over the next few years, this will help with advertising sales for next year and beyond.
