Really? The most-watched regular-season men's game in BTN history is...

[lou v]

Last Sunday's Wisconsin vs. Minnesota game. Who'da thunk it? With all of the great games over the years, this one was the most watched?

Here's the release....


Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Men’s Basketball Sets BTN Ratings Record

Game on March 1 earned 693,272 viewers, BTN’s largest audience ever for a men’s regular season game

CHICAGO, Ill. – Sunday’s men’s basketball game between No. 24 Wisconsin and Minnesota averaged 693,272 viewers on BTN, making it the most-watched regular season game in network history as well as cable TV’s highest-rated college basketball game of the day. BTN’s coverage of men’s conference basketball games is now up +11% year-over-year, averaging 273,985 viewers per telecast.

The Badgers and Golden Gophers paced a standout weekend on BTN, in which both No. 23 Illinois vs. Indiana (545,263 viewers – March 1) and No. 18 Iowa vs. No. 20 Penn State (445,981 viewers – Feb. 29) delivered strong numbers. The tight contest between the Fighting Illini and the Hoosiers slotted in as BTN’s second-most watched regular season game of the 2019-20 season.

BTN’s top five regular season men’s basketball games of the 2019-20 regular season are as follows:

3/1/2020

MINNESOTA vs. WISCONSIN

693,272


3/1/2020

INDIANA vs. ILLINOIS

545,263


1/27/2020

WISCONSIN vs. IOWA

504,924


1/30/2020

IOWA vs. MARYLAND

455,490


2/26/2020

MARYLAND vs. MINNESOTA

454,395


Who'da thunk it?

 

[NUCat320]

I wonder if any of those other games had such a strong lead-in.

 

[Catreporter]

This has been a great year for Big Ten basketball. So much unpredictability, so many close games. Just wish the Cats had been more a part of it. The league is going to get a record number of teams in the Big Dance but I wonder if any are consistently good enough to make it to the Final Four.

 

[pawildcat_rivals209725]

This has been a great year for Big Ten basketball. So much unpredictability, so many close games. Just wish the Cats had been more a part of it. The league is going to get a record number of teams in the Big Dance but I wonder if any are consistently good enough to make it to the Final Four.

I think this is a good part of it. I can't recall another recent year in which the games have been so much fun to watch night after night. Just when you think a team is emerging from the pack, they get pulled back (Maryland the most recent example). Problem is, as you say, I don't know if there's a tourney winner in the bunch, and the league is going to continue to take hits until someone finally breaks through and wins the thing. I do think there are several Final Four possibilities. Remember that some of the top teams in other leagues have as many or more question marks than the B1G teams. Duke, for example, has certainly looked vulnerable recently.

 

[CatManTrue]

Last Sunday's Wisconsin vs. Minnesota game. Who'da thunk it? With all of the great games over the years, this one was the most watched?

Here's the release....


Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Men’s Basketball Sets BTN Ratings Record

Game on March 1 earned 693,272 viewers, BTN’s largest audience ever for a men’s regular season game

CHICAGO, Ill. – Sunday’s men’s basketball game between No. 24 Wisconsin and Minnesota averaged 693,272 viewers on BTN, making it the most-watched regular season game in network history as well as cable TV’s highest-rated college basketball game of the day. BTN’s coverage of men’s conference basketball games is now up +11% year-over-year, averaging 273,985 viewers per telecast.

The Badgers and Golden Gophers paced a standout weekend on BTN, in which both No. 23 Illinois vs. Indiana (545,263 viewers – March 1) and No. 18 Iowa vs. No. 20 Penn State (445,981 viewers – Feb. 29) delivered strong numbers. The tight contest between the Fighting Illini and the Hoosiers slotted in as BTN’s second-most watched regular season game of the 2019-20 season.

BTN’s top five regular season men’s basketball games of the 2019-20 regular season are as follows:

3/1/2020

MINNESOTA vs. WISCONSIN

693,272


3/1/2020

INDIANA vs. ILLINOIS

545,263


1/27/2020

WISCONSIN vs. IOWA

504,924


1/30/2020

IOWA vs. MARYLAND

455,490


2/26/2020

MARYLAND vs. MINNESOTA

454,395


Who'da thunk it?

I wonder how much TV ratings are up across the board due to people staying home and avoiding potential coronavirus exposure.

E.g. Netflix’s stock has performed very well while the entire market has sunk due to the theory more people will be streaming shows & videos from home.

 

[NURoseBowl]

This has been a great year for Big Ten basketball. So much unpredictability, so many close games. Just wish the Cats had been more a part of it. The league is going to get a record number of teams in the Big Dance but I wonder if any are consistently good enough to make it to the Final Four.

Gonna make for a helluva tournament in Indianapolis, our allegiances aside.