• by Wayne Friedman , March 13, 2007

CBS' telecast of the NCAA Men's College Basketball National Championship Tournament, otherwise known as "March Madness," has roots firmly planted in the nation's youth--teens and college students.

About one in three 18- to-24-year-olds will watch some of the games, throughout the month, and the majority will be male.

Youth Trends, a New Jersey-based research company specializing in the youth market, produced the online survey on February 27 and 28 using a panel of 575 teens and college students between the ages of 18 and 24.

The company said--just like with the Super Bowl--March Madness is a communal event, with teens and young adults watching in groups. Almost 60% said they plan to watch the games with at least two friends or family members.

Regarding pools and contests, 28% said they plan to fill out an online bracket sheet. And about one-quarter of those teens or young adults said they plan to enter a tournament pool contest online.

About 14% said they plan to watch some of the games online, which is twice the figure from last year's pre-March Madness survey, in which only 6% planned to watch some of the games online.

For its Internet viewing of games, CBS has said it is on track to pull in about $9 million--more than double the revenue for the event a year ago.