Overnight ratings surged again for Duke-UNC. Also: more increases for the lottery-bound Lakers, and a decline for NASCAR’s Xfinity Series.

Duke-UNC overnights up big despite absence of Zion

Saturday’s Duke-North Carolina men’s college basketball game delivered a 3.0 overnight rating on ESPN, up 31% from the rivals’ second meeting last season (2.3), and up 15% from their second meeting in 2017 (2.6). Those games aired in a later timeslot and faced competition from the NBA on ABC. The Tar Heels’ win, which peaked at a 3.7, ranks second among college basketball games this season. The teams’ first matchup this season holds the top spot (3.2). [ESPN PR 3.10]

Latest Laker games up double-digits

Celtics-Lakers scored a 2.2 overnight rating on ABC’s NBA Saturday Primetime last night, up 38% from last year (Spurs-Thunder: 1.6) and up 22% from 2017 (Warriors-Spurs: 1.8). The 2.2 is the second-lowest for NBA Saturday Primetime this season, ahead of a 2.1 for Thunder-Rockets last month. On Wednesday night, Nuggets-Lakers scored a 1.2 final rating and 1.74 million viewers on ESPN — up 20% in ratings and 26% in viewership from last year (Cavaliers-Nuggets: 1.0, 1.38M), but down a tick and 14% respectively from 2017 (Celtics-Warriors: 1.3, 2.02M). Seven of the last eight Laker games on ESPN/ABC and TNT have increased over last year, not counting Saturday’s preliminary results. In other action, Sixers-Bulls had a 0.9 (+13%) and 1.43 million (+16%) earlier Wednesday; Pacers-Bucks scored a 0.8 (-11%) and 1.29 million (-9%) and Thunder-Blazers a 1.0 (-23%) and 1.52 million (-26%) on TNT Thursday. Figures for Friday’s ESPN doubleheader were not immediately available. [ESPN PR 3.10; Programming Insider 3.7, 3.8]

NASCAR Xfinity Series dips at Las Vegas