Just days after playing in the top CBS game of the young season, Kentucky was at it again on ESPN.
Wednesday’s Kentucky/Louisville college basketball game had a 1.7 final rating and 2.7 million viewers on ESPN, marking the highest rated and most-watched game of the young season on cable. Overall, it ranks second among all networks behind Kentucky/North Carolina on CBS Saturday (2.2, 3.6M).
Kentucky has played in three of the four most-watched games this year, with their Champions Classic matchup against Michigan State ranking fourth (2.1M). The lone non-Wildcat game in the top four was Kansas/Duke in the same Champions Classic (2.4M).
Despite the season-high, it was the lowest rated and least-watched game in the rivalry since at least 2012 — behind last year on CBS (1.8, 2.8M), 2014 on ESPN2 (2.1, 3.5M) and 2013 on CBS (2.0, 3.3M).
The Cardinals’ close win was the most-watched sporting event of the night, topping its Poinsettia Bowl lead-out (2.4M).
(Numbers from ESPN, with additional info from ShowBuzz Daily 12/21)
