Show Me the Moneyball: March Madness Generates $1 Billion in Ad Sales

Arguably the most spellbinding three weeks in sports, the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship now stands as the most lucrative postseason advertising juggernaut.

According to a new report from Kantar Media, March Madness last year scared up more ad dollars for CBS and Turner Sports than the respective playoffs and championship series for the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and National Hockey League. From March 13 to April 2, 2012, CBS and the Turner nets (TNT, TBS, truTV) generated just over $1 billion in tournament ad sales revenue. Kantar's figures do not take into account the $60 million in digital inventory sold by CBS and Turner.