Dial Global: 20.6 million heard Final Four.

Proving the power of sports on radio, nearly as many people heard a broadcast of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four on broadcast radio as heard the Super Bowl. Dial Global says radio’s Final Four audience was an estimated 20.6 million, nearly as large as the 23.1 million who tuned-in to hear the New York Giants defeat of the New England Patriots.

512 affiliates carried Final Four programming between March 31 and April 2.  “We are pleased that our previous research findings still hold true, people desire play-by-play sports on radio in a big way,” Dial Global co-CEO David Landau says.  The network came up with the audience estimates by commissioning Edison Research to conduct a national telephone survey on Tuesday, the day after the University of Kentucky Wildcats’ victory over the University of Kansas Jayhawks.