Like the Lakers, Yankees and Cowboys, the Duke Blue Devils may be hated — but they sure do move the needle.
Sunday’s Baylor/Duke Elite Eight game, the first Elite Eight game involving the Blue Devils since 2004, drew a 9.9 overnight rating on CBS — up 29% from North Carolina/Oklahoma in the same timeslot last year (7.7), and up 7% from Kansas/Davidson in ’08 (9.3).
The 9.9 overnight is the highest for any Elite Eight game since Kentucky/Michigan St. in ’05 (10.8), and the second-highest since at least ’99.
This is only the fourth time since ’99 that an Elite Eight telecast has drawn at least a 9.0 overnight.
For perspective, the 9.9 overnight tops two of last season’s NBA Finals games (Games 1 and 5) and matches a third (Game 2). Additionally, the 9.9 surpasses the overnights for the Orange Bowl (7.1), Fiesta Bowl (8.6) and Sugar Bowl (9.2).
