Final Four: Best TV Ratings In Five Years

by srr50 on Apr 5, 2010 9:16 AM CDT in Texas Longhorns and Other Basketball

If only one Top Seed was to make it to the Final Four, the NCAA wanted that #1 seed to be Duke -- the team that genders both love and hate -- as well as TV ratings.

The trend continued this year as the Blue Devils win over West Virginia pulled in more than 16 million viewers.

The 10.0 rating/18 share is the best rating in the window since an 11.4/19 in 2005 (North Carolina-Michigan State). In this era of fractured viewing where so many channel choices have diluted the audience profile, Duke continues to be the only college basketball program that consistently draws double digit ratings.

Duke's win over West Virginia was watched by more viewers than three BCS bowl games (Orange, Sugar and Fiesta).

The first game of the Final Four, with Butler beating Michigan State, earned an average overnight household rating/share of 9.4/20, up 8% versus an 8.7/18 in 2009 (Michigan St.-Connecticut). This is the highest rating in the window since another Cinderella team reached the semis in 2006 (Florida-George Mason).

The two games combined for a 9.7 rating and over 15 million viewers. It will be interesting to see just what tonight's game pulls, since many believe having Butler in the final game will limit the amount of casual fans who will turn in.

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Imagine how many people would have watched if Gus Johnson had called the games.

by Sailor Ripley on Apr 5, 2010 10:35 AM CDT reply actions

Duke vs. Texas Tech, in 3-D, would shatter all known records.

by uthookem on Apr 5, 2010 10:54 AM CDT reply actions

Was anyone else as freaked out as I was when Huggins attempted to make out with his shrieking player in one of the more camera-aware moments in coaching history?

I CARE ABOUT THESE KIDS! WATCH!

NOW I’M GOING TO REND MY HAIR AND CLOTHES!

by Scipio Tex on Apr 5, 2010 1:28 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah the close up of him thumb stroking the tears away was Days of our Lives awkward. Combine that with the arm around Butler’s neck and it went to bizarro real fast.

I prefer heart attacky huggy to care bear huggy.

by Vasherized on Apr 5, 2010 1:47 PM CDT reply actions

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by SENuke X on Feb 5, 2011 6:14 PM CST reply actions