Multiplatform Audio of March Madness Scores for Westwood One

CUMULUS MEDIA’s Westwood One, the largest audio network in the U.S. and the official network radio partner of the NCAA, reported that an IPSOS national audience study conducted April 9th through 11th revealed Westwood One’s exclusive live coverage of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship generated 19.2 million listeners to the play-by-play action from all 66 men’s basketball games, including eight first-round and second-round games, plus regional semifinals and finals.

“We are thrilled that audio audiences for our NCAA March Madness® audio coverage returned so strongly” said Suzanne Grimes President of Westwood One and Executive-Vice President Corporate Marketing of CUMULUS MEDIA. “College basketball fans were excited to experience NCAA® Men’s basketball and listened across our streaming, smart speaker and broadcast platforms.“

NCAA March Madness® audio audiences are upscale, educated, employed and live in large households with children

The IPSOS study also found:

• Listening audiences were equally distributed across demographics with 31% of listeners aged 18-34, 41% 35-64 and 27% over the age of 65.
• Westwood One’s audio coverage attracted a highly educated audience that was 6% more likely than average to be college graduates and 46% more likely to have an advanced degree.
• 56% of the audience was employed and nearly half (47%) had household incomes of $75,000 or more.
• The NCAA audio audiences lived in households that were 11% more likely to have three or more people living there and were 37% more likely to have children.

Cross Platform Listening:  Westwood One’s complete NCAA men’s tournament coverage was heard on more than 400 radio stations nationwide and via SiriusXM. All 66 Division I men’s games were streamed online for free at NCAA.com/MarchMadness and on westwoodonesports.com. Additionally, the broadcasts were available for free via TuneIn.com. Fans also accessed live audio via Alexa-enabled devices by asking to “Open Westwood One Sports.”