A scheduling change benefited both the ACC and SEC title games.
Sunday’s Virginia/Duke ACC Championship Game earned a 2.2 overnight rating on ESPN, up 38% from Miami/North Carolina last year (1.6), and up 47% from Florida State/North Carolina in 2012 (1.5).
The 2.2 overnight was the second-highest of Championship Week, trailing only the Big Ten title game on CBS (2.4).
Later in the day, the Florida/Kentucky SEC title game earned a 2.1 overnight — up 62% from Mississippi/Florida on ABC last year (1.3), and even with Kentucky/Vanderbilt on ABC in 2012 (2.1). The SEC title game was the third-biggest draw of the week.
Both games benefited from a scheduling change — the SEC title game moved from its customary 1 PM timeslot on ABC to 3:30 PM on ESPN. The ACC faced less formidable competition, and the SEC gained a solid lead-in.
On Saturday, the Florida/Tennessee SEC Tournament semifinal earned a 1.4 overnight on ABC — up 56% from Florida/Alabama last year (0.9), and down 13% from Kentucky/Florida in 2012 (1.6). The late game between Kentucky and Georgia earned a 1.3, up 86% from Mississippi/Vanderbilt last year (0.7), and up 30% from Vanderbilt/Mississippi in 2012 (1.0).
Meanwhile, the Duke/N.C. State ACC Tournament semifinal earned a 1.1 overnight on ESPN, and the Virginia/Pittsburgh semi scored a 0.8.
(Weekend numbers from ShowBuzz Daily)
