Dish Network’s over-the-top service Sling TV released viewership metrics from the ongoing NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (also known as March Madness), adding that viewership during one of the opening round’s biggest upsets – the University of Arkansas- Little Rock’s double overtime win over Purdue – rose 350% from the opening tip off to the final minutes of the contest.
According to Sling TV, viewers also favored underdogs during the opening round – peak viewership was 36% higher when lower seeded teams beat higher seeded teams. Sling TV’s mobility – the streaming service is available on mobile devices – also was attractive to customers, with Thursday’s viewership 256% higher than non-tournament days in March.
Sling TV watchers also like close games – viewership jumped nearly 20% with 2.2 seconds left in the tourney’s first buzzer beater by Providence over USC. And fans aren’t just watching at home – Sling TV said the average time viewers on a PC, Mac or mobile device was 585% higher on Thursday than on other days in March, indicating that a lot of customers were watching at work.
