Taking place a week earlier than normal, the Big Ten Tournament final posted its lowest rating in at least a decade.
Sunday’s Michigan-Purdue Big Ten Tournament final earned a 2.0 rating and 3.18 million viewers on CBS, down 13% in ratings and 11% in viewership from last year (Michigan-Wisconsin: 2.3, 3.6M) and down 9% and 2% respectively from 2016 (MSU-Purdue: 2.2, 3.25M).
The Wolverines’ win ranks as the lowest rated Big Ten final in at least a decade, falling below the previous mark set in 2016. It was the least-watched since at least 2009.
Versus the same weekend last year, ratings increased 100% and viewership 96% from a 1.0 and 1.7 million for Purdue-Northwestern. That was a regular season game.
Despite the lower numbers, the Big Ten title game ranks as the third-most watched college basketball telecast of the season. North Carolina-Duke the previous night (3.4M) and Michigan State-Ohio State in January (3.3M) hold the top two spots.
In other tournament action, Saturday’s Michigan-Michigan State Big Ten semifinal had a 1.7 (+13%) and 2.7 million (+27%). It was the most-watched Big Ten semi since Michigan State-Maryland in 2015 (2.8M).
Purdue-Penn State had a 1.4 (-7%) and 2.2 million (-1%).
Highest College Basketball Ratings, Viewership, This Season
| TV+streaming viewership in parentheses | ||||
| Date | Game | Net | Rtg. | Vwrs. |
| 3/3 | UNC-Duke | ESPN | 2.0 | (3.37M) |
| 1/6 | MSU-Ohio St. | CBS | 2.1 | 3.30M |
| 3/4 | Michigan-Purdue | CBS | 2.0 | 3.18M |
| 1/27 | UVA-Duke | CBS | 2.0 | 3.04M |
| 11/14 | Duke-MSU | ESPN | 1.8 | (2.97M) |
| 1/13 | NWU-Indiana | CBS | 1.9 | 2.88M |
| 3/3 | Michigan-MSU | CBS | 1.7 | 2.67M |
| 11/14 | Kentucky-Kansas | ESPN | 1.7 | (2.66M) |
| 2/15 | Duke-UNC | ESPN | 1.5 | (2.43M) |
| 12/23 | UCLA-Kentucky | CBS | 1.4 | 2.33M |
[Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 3.6]
