Michigan State-Duke helps boost NCAA Tournament TV ratings

Michigan State’s dramatic NCAA Tournament victory over Duke drew a 10.5 television rating, the highest for a late Sunday regional final in 14 years.

CBS Sports and Turner Sports say Nielsen ratings for the entire tournament are up 8% from last year at 6.7, heading into Saturday’s Final Four.

Ratings represent the percentage of U.S. television households tuned into a program.

The four Elite Eight games from Saturday and Sunday drew a 7.2 rating, the second highest for the tournament’s second weekend since 2011. The Michigan State-Duke game on Sunday, which the Spartans won 68-67, was the highest rated game for that timeframe in 14 years and up 4% from last year.

Auburn’s overtime victory over Kentucky on Sunday was up 15% from last year’s game in that time slot. Virginia’s overtime victory over Purdue on Saturday night was up 14% over 2018.