ESPN earned strong numbers for a high-profile college basketball doubleheader Tuesday.
Tuesday’s Michigan State/Kentucky college basketball game drew a 2.6 U.S. rating and 4.0 million viewers on ESPN, up 30% in ratings and 32% in viewership from Duke/Kentucky last year (2.0, 3.0M), and the seventh-most viewed regular season college basketball game ever on ESPN.
The game also ranks as the second-most viewed non-conference regular season game on the network.
Earlier in the night, the Kansas/Duke game had a 2.1 and nearly 3.0 million viewers — up 62% and 49%, respectively, from Michigan State/Kansas last year (1.3, 2.0M).
Overall, the “Champions Classic” doubleheader averaged a 2.4 U.S. rating and 3.5 million viewers, up 50% in ratings and 40% in viewership from last year (1.6, 2.5M), and up 41% and 40%, respectively, from 2011 (1.7, 2.5M).
(Tue. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
