The ACC Tournament is off to a strong start in the Nielsens compared to last year. In other news, the Warriors remain red hot in the ratings department, if not on the court, and NFL Combine viewership rose double-digits on NFL Network.
Duke-Louisville Tops Hot Start For ACC Tournament
- Duke-Louisville scored 1.2 million viewers in Thursday’s ACC Tournament quarterfinals on ESPN, up 28% from Notre Dame-Duke last year (958K), up 55% from North Carolina-Louisville in 2015 (791K), and the top game of the tournament thus far. Ratings were not immediately available. Figures do not 89,000 who streamed coverage on WatchESPN, the third-largest college basketball audience on the platform. In the day’s other action, Virginia-Notre Dame had a 0.8 final rating (+100%) and 1.2 million viewers (+102%), Virginia Tech-Florida State had a 0.7 (+27%) and 1.1 million (+36%), and UNC-Miami had 741,000 in the Noon ET window (+14%). All eight games of the tournament have increased double-digits over last year.
Warriors Slumping, But Not in Ratings
- Celtics-Warriors delivered a 1.3 final rating and 2.0 million viewers on the latest edition of ESPN’s NBA Wednesday, up 30% in ratings and 31% in viewership from Clippers-Thunder last year (1.0, 1.5M) and up 30% and 48% respectively from Rockets-Blazers in 2015 (1.0, 1.4M). Earlier in the night, Pistons-Pacers had a 0.6 (-2%) and 994,000 (+11%). The following night on TNT, Spurs-Thunder scored a 1.0 (+7%) and 1.6 million (+12%) and Lakers-Suns a 0.7 (-40%) and 1.1 million (-41%).
NFL Combine Viewership Up Double-Digits
- The NFL Combine averaged 276,000 viewers on NFL Network last week, up 23% from last year and the event’s second-highest average behind 2015, according to Sports Business Daily. Last Saturday’s window was the most-watched of the event, scoring a 0.3 final rating and 406,000 viewers — up a tick in ratings and 17% in viewership from last year (0.2, 346K) but flat and down 23% respectively compared to 2015 (0.3, 527K). Final day coverage last Sunday had a 0.2 (flat) and 306,000 (+15%).
(Numbers from Programming Insider 3.10a, 3.10b; ShowBuzz Daily 3.10, 3.7; Sports Business Daily 3.9)
