A ton of people people tuned in Saturday night for Duke’s 75-65 victory over Syracuse.
According to a Tuesday report from TVByTheNumbers, just less than three million people watched Coach K’s squad get the win without Zion Williamson. (RELATED: Jim Boeheim Will Coach Syracuse Against Duke After Fatal Car Accident)
The game was also the first for Syracuse since Jim Boeheim’s tragic car accident, which resulted in a man dying.
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Getting nearly three million viewers for a college basketball game on a Saturday is solid viewership for sure. Yet, I thought there might be even more, given the situations surrounding the game.
Boeheim was literally involved in a fatal car crash a few days earlier, and was right back on the sidelines.
Jim Boeheim comes out of the tunnel to huge cheers at the Carrier Dome. Coach K greets him with a big hug. pic.twitter.com/SaCQb4YgtE
— Brian Neal (@BrianNealNews) February 23, 2019
If I had to guess for why the numbers weren’t a bit higher, Zion not playing probably had something to do with it.
He’s the biggest draw on the sport right now, and there isn’t a close second.
As I always say, it’s always a good sign for America whenever our basketball games are getting viewers. I’m glad to see the game between two ACC powerhouses got nearly three million viewers.
It’s a good time for the sport that we all love in America.