The ACC/Big Ten Challenge averaged a 0.9 U.S. rating and 1.3 million viewers for eight games across ESPN and ESPN2 this year, up 29% and 26%, respectively, from a 0.7 rating and 1.0 million viewers for nine telecasts last year. The telecasts were solely on Tuesday and Wednesday nights this season; the event began with a Monday night game in previous years. The gains this year were fueled by the Nov. 29 Duke-Ohio State matchup, which averaged a 2.3 rating and 3.4 million viewers, marking the most-watched ACC/Big Ten Challenge telecast since the event began in ’99. The game was ESPN’s most-viewed college sports telecast last week, topping the BCS Selection Show (3.0 million viewers) and the Clemson-Virginia Tech ACC Championship (2.8 million viewers). Listed below is a ratings and viewership trend for the tournament, as well as a breakdown of this year’s games.
| RATINGS/VIEWERSHIP TREND FOR
ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE ON ESPN/ESPN2 |
| YEAR | GAMES | RATING | VIEWERS (000) |
| '11 | 8 | 0.9 | 1,314 |
| '10 | 9 | 0.7 | 1,042 |
| 09 | 9 | 0.7 | 1,046 |
| '08 | 9 | 0.7 | 1,039 |
| | | | |
| DATE | START | NET | MATCHUP | RAT. | VIEWERS (000) |
| 11/29 | 9:37pm | ESPN | Duke-Ohio State | 2.3 | 3,422 |
| 11/30 | 9:39pm | ESPN | Wisconsin-North Carolina | 1.5 | 2,243 |
| 11/29 | 7:30pm | ESPN | Illinois-Maryland | 0.9 | 1,300 |
| 11/30 | 7:30pm | ESPN | Florida State-Michigan State | 0.8 | 1,164 |
| 11/30 | 7:15pm | ESPN2 | Indiana-NC State | 0.5 | 799 |
| 11/29 | 7:00pm | ESPN2 | Michigan-Virginia | 0.5 | 763 |
| 11/30 | 9:17pm | ESPN2 | Virginia Tech-Minnesota | 0.3 | 511 |
| 11/29 | 9:03pm | ESPN2 | Miami-Purdue | 0.3 | 484 |
| | | | | | |
NOTE: Ratings/viewership unavailable for games on ESPNU.
