Crossroads Classic matchup on BTN sets non-conference basketball viewership record

The Big Ten Network saw its highest viewership for non-conference men?s basketball in history on Saturday during the Crossroads Classic matchup between No. 9 Indiana and No. 18 Butler. BTN earned a 0.59 HH rating in the network?s 12 metered markets,* topping its previous record set just one month earlier by over 40 percent (Purdue vs. Villanova; 0.41 HH rating).

Four of the top five non-conference games in network history have taken place within the past two months. Along with the Hoosiers and Bulldogs matchup this past Saturday, Purdue vs. Villanova (11/14/16), Purdue vs. Butler (2015), Ohio State vs. Connecticut (12/10/16) and Indiana vs. Fort Wayne (11/22/16) round out the top five. Four of those top five games also involved a team(s) from the state of Indiana.

*Source: Nielsen Arianna Overnights (11/14/16). Metered Markets: Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.