Syracuse-Duke game 4.2 million viewers North Carolina-Duke game had 2.2 million viewers

[Alsacs]

I mixed up ESPN's all-time highest rated game with the first SU-Duke game and was wrong above. The 1995 UNC-Duke game had the most viewers 7.8 million viewers. The first SU-Duke game has 4.6 million viewers and the 2nd had 4.2 million which are the top 2 highest viewing games this year in college basketball on cable. The SU-Duke rematch outdrew Lebron vs. Durant which means the ACC/ESPN will want 2 of these games a year while they attract that many viewers. Wilbon on Twitter compared last Saturday's game to the atmosphere of the Boston Celtics-LA Lakers rivalry from the 1980s.

 

[Orangeyes]

"SyracuseUniversity's controversial 66-60 men's basketball loss to Duke Saturday on ESPN had a 6.1 rating, which means it had a slightly higher viewership here than Team USA's hockey loss to Finland on NBCSN."
http://blogs.buffalonews.com/talkintv/2014/02/olympics-syracuse-hoops-downton-winners-here.html

 

[MadNY3]

@Ourand_SBJ, viewers for #Duke-UNC: 2.3M. Duke-Syracuse: 4.2M. Welcome to the new ACC indeed.


Oh boy while I don't think Syracuse-Duke should play twice a year if the games between Duke-SU are going to attract that many viewers ESPN aka the ACC'S overlord may demand 2 games annually. I realize UNC-Duke is still the best basketball rivalry in college basketball, but those ratings for the 2 Syracuse-Duke games are sick.

Syracuse-Duke outdrew Oklahoma City-Miami on TNT.

Should caveat that Ok City/Miami was in a different time slot against more competition on a weaker network...

 

[PhatOrange]

what was Coach K's quote again?

 

[Alsacs]

Should caveat that Ok City/Miami was in a different time slot against more competition on a weaker network...

Thursday Night on TNT is Monday Night Football slot for the NBA. Their are usually only 2 games scheduled on the entire evening and Lebron-Durant are the biggest stars in the NBA. TNT is cable's highest rated network that isn't a news station a la Fox News or an exclusive sports network a la ESPN. The fact Syracuse-Duke outdrew Lebron-Durant II is huge I would think honestly that game should get more people to watch as college sports typically only interest the fanbases involved while the NBA on Thursday is supposed to be the MNF of the league.

 

[Syracusian]

Thursday Night on TNT is Monday Night Football slot for the NBA. Their are usually only 2 games scheduled on the entire evening and Lebron-Durant are the biggest stars in the NBA. TNT is cable's highest rated network that isn't a news station a la Fox News or an exclusive sports network a la ESPN. The fact Syracuse-Duke outdrew Lebron-Durant II is huge I would think honestly that game should get more people to watch as college sports typically only interest the fanbases involved while the NBA on Thursday is supposed to be the MNF of the league.

This basically sums up the NBA. Those numbers include all of the fans that went to the game and kept their TVs on to boost their ratings. Rutgers started a real trend.

 

[Upstate]

"SyracuseUniversity's controversial 66-60 men's basketball loss to Duke Saturday on ESPN had a 6.1 rating, which means it had a slightly higher viewership here than Team USA's hockey loss to Finland on NBCSN."
http://blogs.buffalonews.com/talkintv/2014/02/olympics-syracuse-hoops-downton-winners-here.html

Finland's College Team

 

[Orangeyes]

11 Frames on the Syracuse-Duke Play

 

[Orangeyes]

"In the aftermath of Duke’s 66-60 win over Syracuse, Mike Krzyzewski was asked if he would like to see Duke and Syracuse play twice a year. He didn’t answer that question directly (a tangent about the difficulties that come with 9 p.m. games ensued), but he did say this:

"After the season, we should have plans on how to do this the right way,” he said. “We have a gold mine for college basketball. This conference has struck gold. We should be the top one if we continue to figure it out the right way.”

"If the ACC is interested in creating the strongest national perception possible, then it will make Duke and Syracuse play a home-and-home series every year. The Duke-UNC has carried this league on TV and in the standings for years—Duke-Syracuse is primed to do the same."



Duke-Syracuse and Duke-UNC TV ratings, the ACC 'gold mine,' and future scheduling

 

[MadNY3]

Thursday Night on TNT is Monday Night Football slot for the NBA. Their are usually only 2 games scheduled on the entire evening and Lebron-Durant are the biggest stars in the NBA. TNT is cable's highest rated network that isn't a news station a la Fox News or an exclusive sports network a la ESPN. The fact Syracuse-Duke outdrew Lebron-Durant II is huge I would think honestly that game should get more people to watch as college sports typically only interest the fanbases involved while the NBA on Thursday is supposed to be the MNF of the league.

Ad rates for Thursday are more competitive and more options for eyeballs. More options, though heavier-watched night.

ESPN carriage rates blow TNT away. Please. ESPN cross promo also huge. There was VERY LITTLE competitive programming on during the Sat time slot for M/A18-40 than Thunder-Heat.

Thunder/Heat is a marquee matchup, though OK City does not have the national cache anywhere near Duke or SYRACUSE. It's Durant.

Good points, but no way in hell it can be looked at as apples to apples.