The Duke-UNC game in prime time on Friday night at the 2019 ACC Tournament produced for ESPN a 3.0 overnight rating, making it the highest rated Champ Week game on ESPN.
The game peaked with a 3.6 rating in the final minutes of the second half (11:30-11:45 p.m. ET).
The two semifinals averaged a 2.1 rating, ranking as the highest-rated tournament semifinals in ESPN history. Virginia-Florida State, which preceded the historic rivalry, averaged a 1.3 overnight rating. Last night’s ACC semis featured three of the top five teams ranked in the AP poll, the first time that has ever happened in conference tournament history.
Prior to last night’s game, the best Champ Week game was Syracuse-Louisville in 2009, which averaged a 2.5 overnight rating. The last time both ACC semifinals aired on ESPN was 2017 – that year, both semifinals averaged a 1.5 rating.
This comes on the heels of men’s college basketball being up 15 percent on ESPN in the regular season.
Local markets
| Rank | Market | Rating |
| 1 | Greenville-Sprtnburg-Ash | 9.9 |
| 2 | Raleigh-Durham | 9.7 |
| 3 | Greensboro-High Point | 8.9 |
| 4 | Charlotte | 8.5 |
| 5 | Norfolk-Portsmth-N. Nws | 7.7 |
Augusta Free Press coverage of the 2019 ACC Tournament is presented by Bear Creek. Serving Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and surrounding communities, Bear Creek provides a hassle-free process to help homeowners create outdoor living spaces that bring people together. Schedule a consultation at BearCreek.co.
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