Sunday’s Journey episode is BTN’s highest rated ever

Sunday?s episode of The Journey: Big Ten Basketball 2012 was BTN?s highest-rated original program, according to Nielsen metered market data. The Emmy-nominated series following the Purdue - Indiana men?s basketball game earned a 1.16 household rating in the network?s eight metered markets.*

The episode featured senior night festivities at four universities, including Michigan, which honored Zach Novak and Stu Douglass; Ohio State, recognizing William Buford; Purdue, with Robbie Hummel, and Iowa, which honored Matt Gatens.

?The Journey really captures the emotions of the players and coaches and shows us all a side of them that people rarely see. That?s what makes the storylines so compelling,? said BTN President Mark Silverman. ?And the good news is that we still have one more episode to go this season.?

The Journey?s final episode airs at 8 PM ET on Wednesday, March 14, and will feature senior nights at Wisconsin and Michigan State; the Michigan State-Ohio State end-of-season thriller; the emotional reunion of Illinois sophomore center Meyers Leonard and his brother Bailey, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps who recently returned from active duty; and behind the scenes at this week?s Big Ten Men?s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis.

Before Sunday, BTN?s most-watched non-event program was the Sept. 18, 2010, episode of Big Ten Icons featuring Charles Woodson.

Also on Sunday, the Big Ten Icons: Coaches debut of the Bob Knight episode that followed was Icons? highest-rated 2012 debut and the third-highest-rated Icons? episode overall, behind the Woodson episode and the Jan. 15, 2011, show featuring Jerry Lucas.

Source: Nielsen Arianna Overnights (3/4/12). Metered Markets: Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis