Ratings Roundup: College Hoops, NCAA FCS, PGA, Figure Skating

Last Sunday’s Michigan State-Ohio State college basketball game had a 2.1 rating and 3.3 million viewers on CBS, up 11% in ratings and viewership from Wisconsin-Purdue last year (1.9, 3.0M) and the highest rated and most-watched game of the season. The Buckeyes’ upset of the #1 Spartans had a direct NFL lead-in.

The previous season-highs were a 1.8 and 3.0 million for Duke-Michigan State on ESPN in November.

In other action, Saturday’s North Carolina-Virginia game had a 0.9 rating and 1.30 million on ESPN — up 29% in ratings and viewership from last year (MSU-Penn State: 0.7, 1.0M). Head-to-head, it beat Florida-Missouri on CBS (0.7, 1.0M) and Xavier-Providence on FOX (0.49, 713K). ESPN also drew 1.32 million for Texas A&M-Kentucky (-14%) and 1.24 million for Purdue-Michigan (-5%) on Super Tuesday.

Saturday’s North Dakota State-James Madison NCAA FCS National Championship earned a 1.0 rating and 1.5 million viewers on ESPN2 — up a tick in ratings but down 3% in viewership from last year (JMU-Youngstown State: 0.9, 1.6M). It was the most-watched sporting event in its timeslot, beating college basketball on ESPN, CBS and FOX and the high school football All-American Game on NBC (0.85, 1.3M).

Final round coverage of the PGA Tournament of Champions had a 0.42 rating and 624,000 viewers on Golf Channel last Sunday, up 8% in ratings and 3% in viewership from last year (0.39, 608K) but down 19% and 22% respectively from Jordan Spieth‘s win in 2016 (0.52, 797K).

Third round action the previous day had a 0.37 (+48%) and 544,000 (+34%).

Coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships delivered a 1.5 rating and 2.3 million viewers on NBC Sunday afternoon, up 50% in ratings and 61% in viewership from last year (1.0, 1.4M). It was the largest Sunday audience at the event since 2012 (2.8M).

The previous day, afternoon coverage had a 1.3 (+18%) and 1.9 million (+21%). Primetime action on NBCSN, which featured the men’s free skate, had a 0.5 and 840,000. As noted previously, last Friday’s ladies free skate had a 2.7 and 4.5 million on NBC, an eight-year high.