Jerry Tipton on UK basketball

ESPN’s telecast of the Tennessee-Memphis game last weekend set a record as the network’s most-viewed men’s college basketball game.

Here’s the news release from ESPN:

The showdown between then-#2 Tennessee and #1 Memphis – won by Tennessee 66-62 – averaged 3,636,000 households and 5,281,000 viewers.

The Saturday Primetime telecast averaged a 3.8 rating, making it ESPN’s highest rated men’s college basketball game since December 22, 1998 (Kentucky vs. Duke in the Jimmy V Classic averaged a 3.9).

It also stands as the most-viewed regular-season men’s college basketball on any television outlet – broadcast or cable – since March 6, 2005 (CBS’ coverage of Duke at North Carolina averaged 3,977,000 households). 

ESPN’s previous most-viewed men’s college basketball telecast was North Carolina at Duke on March 4, 2006, which averaged 3,134,000.  The game was featured on every ESPN entity as part of ESPN’s Full Circle initiative and was seen by an average of 3,780,000 households on ESPN and ESPN2 (which televised the game from the “Above the Rim” camera) combined.

ESPN’s men’s regular-season college basketball coverage this season is averaging 946,000 households and a 1.0 rating, marking 11 % increases in households (vs. 850,000) and ratings (vs. 0.9) over last year through the same point.