The News
Thursday 25 of April 2024

Michigan State-Duke helps boost NCAA Tournament TV ratings


AP Photo, Cassius Winston, Matt McQuaid, Gabe Brown,Michigan State guard Cassius Winston, right, celebrates with teammates Matt McQuaid (20), Nick Ward (44) and Gabe Brown (13) after defeating Duke in an NCAA men's East Regional final college basketball game in Washington, Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
AP Photo, Cassius Winston, Matt McQuaid, Gabe Brown,Michigan State guard Cassius Winston, right, celebrates with teammates Matt McQuaid (20), Nick Ward (44) and Gabe Brown (13) after defeating Duke in an NCAA men's East Regional final college basketball game in Washington, Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Michigan State’s dramatic NCAA Tournament victory over Duke drew a 10.5 television rating, the highest for a late Sunday regional final in 14 years.

CBS Sports and Turner Sports say Nielsen ratings for the entire tournament are up 8% from last year at 6.7, heading into Saturday’s Final Four.

Ratings represent the percentage of U.S. television households tuned into a program.

The four Elite Eight games from Saturday and Sunday drew a 7.2 rating, the second highest for the tournament’s second weekend since 2011. The Michigan State-Duke game on Sunday, which the Spartans won 68-67, was the highest rated game for that timeframe in 14 years and up 4% from last year.

Auburn’s overtime victory over Kentucky on Sunday was up 15% from last year’s game in that time slot. Virginia’s overtime victory over Purdue on Saturday night was up 14% over 2018.

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