The Final Four undercard was a strong draw of its own.
Saturday’s Duke/Michigan State NCAA Tournament Final Four game drew an 8.7 rating and 15.3 million viewers on TBS, TNT and TruTV, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up 26% in ratings and 31% in viewership from UConn/Florida last year (6.9, 11.7M) and flat and up 6%, respectively, from Louisville/Wichita State on CBS in 2013 (8.7, 14.5M).
The Blue Devils’ win ranks as the most-watched Final Four national semifinal in the early window since Illinois/Louisville in 2005 (15.7M), and is tied as the highest rated since Florida/George Mason in 2006 (9.1).
The game also earned the fifth-largest non-football audience in cable TV history, trailing only Kentucky/Notre Dame in the Elite Eight (16.3M), two of last year’s World Cup matches, and Saturday’s Wisconsin/Notre Dame nightcap (22.6M).
Overall, this year’s national semifinals averaged a 10.5 rating and 18.9 million viewers on TBS, TNT and TruTV — up 31% in ratings and 35% in viewership from last year, and the most-watched since 1996. The NCAA Tournament as a whole has averaged a 6.7 and 10.8 million entering Monday’s title game, up 6% in both measures from last year, and the highest average at this point of the tournament since 1993.
(Sat. numbers from Turner Sports)
