Last week's gargantuan sports story was the Duke-UNC game...for good reason. The ratings in the Raleigh-Durham television market were remarkable as the Blue Devils beat the Tar Heels 73-68. I have some "inside the rivalry" TV ratings from Nielsen and WRAL television:
The regional ACC Network telecast - on TV5 - pulled a 15.2 household rating. The closest competitor was American Idol at 7.6, and that popular show is usually no slouch in the ratings.
A separate production of the game aired nationally on ESPN. Most viewers in the Triangle had a choice of either broadcast, but the ESPN cablecast drew a household rating of 6.2.
These Tobacco Road rivalries are incredibly popular, and it seems the "locals" prefer the regional broadcast over the national brand by an impressive margin.
