Opening day sets March Madness TV, online viewership records

An incredible opening day of NCAA tournament action didn't go unnoticed.

Not only did Thursday set a record for the most one-point games in a single day (five) in the history of the tourney and represent just the third time a pair of 14-seeds won in the same tournament, it also set new viewership records. 

That's hardly surprising given how the day went, beginning with multiple upsets, riding into a series of nail-biters and concluding with Kentucky.

Thursday's games delivered the highest television rating for the first day of the tournament since the tournament began broadcasting four TV windows for the entire day back in 1991. Ratings were up 10 percent over 2014, with the overnight rating landing at 6.6 with a 14 share, meaning 6.6 percent of households were watching and 14 percent of households watching television were tuned in.

The 6:45-10:30 p.m. ET broadcast window was the day's peak, followed by the nightcaps. The early set of games had the lowest ratings, but still managed a 15 share.

The tournament also started strong online, with live video streams totaling 22 million, a 12 percent increase over 2014.