NCAA Tournament sets viewership record for first two rounds

March Madness delivered a first-week ratings surge, with the men's NCAA Tournament averaging 10.1 million viewers across CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV, making it the most-watched tournament ever through the first two rounds, according to Nielsen Big Data.

The opening round set the tone. First-round games averaged an all-time best 9.5 million viewers, up 9% from last year, before the round of 32 climbed again to an 11.0 million average, a 7% rise from last year and the most-watched second round since 1993.