CBS Coverage of NCAA Basketball Championship is Highest Rated in 23 Years

CBS Sports and Turner Sports' exclusive live coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV is averaging a 6.3/14 overnight rating/share, the highest rating for the opening week of the NCAA Tournament in 23 years, when the tournament expanded to its current format, according to Nielsen metered market ratings.

The networks' combined coverage, from the NCAA First Four to the completion of the third round, is up 5% vs. last year's comparable 6.0/13 rating.

Turner Sports and CBS Sports' exclusive third round coverage on Sunday, March 24 - across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV - averaged an overnight household rating/share of 7.6/15, the highest rating for the first Sunday of the NCAA Tournament in 20 years (8.5/20 in 1993). This year's rating/share is up 19% compared with a 6.4/13 in 2012.

Sunday's coverage showed audience increases in all four telecast windows including more than 20% in three of the four:

· The first daytime telecast window (12:00-2:45 p.m. ET) averaged a 5.4/13, the highest rating for the window since 2002 (5.8/13) and an increase of 26% over last year's 4.3/11.

· The second daytime telecast window (3:00-5:15 p.m.) averaged a 7.2/15, tied with 2007 as the highest rating for the window since 2006 (7.5/16) and up 20% over last year's 6.0/13.

· The first primetime telecast window (5:15-9:15 p.m.) averaged an 11.8/22, the highest rating for the window since 1991's 12.1/24 and a 26% increase over a 9.4/18 in 2012.

· The second primetime window (8:00 p.m.-12:15 a.m.) averaged a 6.5/11, up 2% vs. a 6.4/10 in 2012.

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Source: Nielsen Media Research, based on Metered Market data, Live +SD data stream. 3/19/13 to 03/24/13 vs. 03/13/12 to 03/18/12. 2013 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. 2006 through 2010 based on Live + SD. 2003 based on CBS / ESPN average of First Round.

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