NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Kentucky's victory over rival Louisville and Kansas' comeback win over Ohio State on CBS Saturday night generated the highest ratings for a Final Four since 2005.
The national semifinals pitting four powerhouse programs earned a 9.0 overnight rating and a 17 share, an increase of 1 percent over last season's Final Four, which featured upstarts Butler and VCU along with Kentucky and eventual national champion Connecticut.
The Final Four involving Illinois, Louisville, North Carolina and Michigan State in 2005 generated a 10.5 rating and 19 share.
Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets, covering nearly 70 percent of the country. Each point represents about 735,000 homes. The rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, while the share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.
