NCAA Championship ratings down 10 percent from 2013

Monday's 60-54 victory for No. 7 Connecticut over No. 8 Kentucky provided all of the momentum swings and dazzling plays expected from an NCAA Championship game, but the unlikely matchup was unable to draw the same ratings as last year's tilt between Louisville and Michigan.

On paper, a preseason favorite packed with elite talent squaring off against an historic program that overcame adversity to challenge for the title should have attracted plenty of attention.

Perhaps the fact that the Huskies never trailed - despite numerous impressive runs by the Wildcats to cut into Connecticut's lead - caused people to tune out as the game wore on. The unlikeliness of the matchup also might have put it at a disadvantage with casual college hoops fans lamenting their busted brackets.

Despite the slight setback from last year, the game still dominated the ratings Monday night, easily topping reality TV stalwarts like "The Voice" and "Dancing with the Stars". CBS averaged a 4.9 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic, 2.1 points ahead of second-place NBC.

The 2014 NCAA tournament set new records for online viewership, with 69.7 million live video streams generated - a 42 percent increase. People watched the NCAA March Madness Live streaming service for a combined 15 million hours over the course of the tournament.