“Fall” 2021 TV Viewership

[awhom111]

3/26 Notre Dame-North Carolina State ESPN 1,047,000
3/26 Studio Show ESPN 1,006,000
3/26 Indiana-UConn ESPN 1,347,000
3/26 Tennessee-Louisville ESPN2 879,000
3/26 Studio Show ESPN2 573,000
3/26 South Dakota-Michigan ESPN2 821,000
3/27 Creighton-South Carolina ESPN 1,070,000
3/27 Texas-Stanford ESPN 1,289,000
3/28 UConn-North Carolina State ESPN 2,037,000
3/28 Michigan-Louisville ESPN 1,607,000

Interestingly, some of these games did slightly better among female than male viewers in a demographic measuring group (18 to 49 or 12 to 34).

 

[rvwsleep]

3/26 Notre Dame-North Carolina State ESPN 1,047,000
3/26 Studio Show ESPN 1,006,000
3/26 Indiana-UConn ESPN 1,347,000
3/26 Tennessee-Louisville ESPN2 879,000
3/26 Studio Show ESPN2 573,000
3/26 South Dakota-Michigan ESPN2 821,000
3/27 Creighton-South Carolina ESPN 1,070,000
3/27 Texas-Stanford ESPN 1,289,000
3/28 UConn-North Carolina State ESPN 2,037,000
3/28 Michigan-Louisville ESPN 1,607,000

Interestingly, some of these games did slightly better among female than male viewers in a demographic measuring group (18 to 49 or 12 to 34).

More than 2,000,000 for the NC St game. Impressive and about 25% greater than the next highest viewed game on this list.

 

[CTGirl15]

Only a 400K drop off from UConn/NC State to Michigan/Louisville, which is also great. Probably helped that when the audience was dropped in, it was clearly another competitive game.

 

[DefenseBB]

I will be very curious how the viewship for the games are on Friday, which isn't noted as the best night of the week for tv viewing. Add in the fact the UConn game is later at 9:30 (or later) and it will be interesting on how it fairs.

 

[visitingcock]

I will be very curious how the viewship for the games are on Friday, which isn't noted as the best night of the week for tv viewing. Add in the fact the UConn game is later at 9:30 (or later) and it will be interesting on how it fairs.

I think the double blueblood game will attract more views than the rising elites.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Comparison to earlier games:

Women's Final Four Ratings Hub

A historical chart of Women's Final Four ratings, including figures for the national championship game dating back to 1996.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

 

[sun]

IMO more people will watch if they anticipate a close, well played game instead of a blow out.

 

[azfan]

And for those who still wonder why WCBB isn't on the same financial reward system as the MCBB:
1 Duke-Michigan State 11.2 million viewers
2 Michigan-Tennessee 9.8 million
3 Kansas-Creighton 8.8 million
4 Villanova-Ohio State 8.6 million
5 North Carolina-Baylor 7.1 million viewers.

That is a huge difference in viewership. On the Plus side of the equation, The WCBB broadcasting rights are expected to fetch $97-121 million on its own when the contract expires in 2024. Maybe then, the Tournament can payout to the schools.

Progress.

BUT also reflective of the distance WBB has yet to travel to even approach a tiny proportion of the total basketball market

Glass 5 per cent full or 95 per cent empty....these tiny steps are encouraging.

Realistically the time horizon to significantly move the needle to expanded audience, viewership, engagement and market is generational

I am wondering if recent developments:. transfer portal, NIL, visible activism (social justice, Rooney rule, branding, etc) will accelerate progress, hinder progress or are natural evolutions that reflect rather than lead changes in the scale and scope of WBB.

 

[azfan]

Comparison to earlier games:

Women's Final Four Ratings Hub

A historical chart of Women's Final Four ratings, including figures for the national championship game dating back to 1996.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

Compare championship game 1999 to last year.

 

[UConnCat]

The ESPN /AAC media rights deal would have put many UConnWBB games behind the ESPN+ paywall. ESPN wanted to use UConnWBB and other UConn sports to prop up its streaming service. So much ESPN bias. That was the final straw. UConn left the AAC and returned to the Big East which has a media rights deal with Fox/CBS.

ESPN still broadcasts UConn regular season road games at ACC/SEC/Big10 schools and, of course, during the NCAA tournament. ESPN continues to maximize its coverage of UConn because of ratings. I hate that ESPN benefits.

 

[awhom111]

3/31 College Slam ESPN 572,000
4/1 Pregame ESPN 461,000
4/1 Louisville-South Carolina ESPN 2,047,000
4/1 Studio Show ESPN 2,092,000
4/1 UConn-Stanford ESPN 3,110,000
4/1 UConn-Stanford ESPNU 118,000

 

[hoopsfan22]

 

[hoopsfan22]

 

[CL82]

So it seems obvious from this thread that UConn is good for women’s college basketball viewership and exposure. They should just play all postseason tournament games in Storrs. It’s for the good of the game.

 

[visitingcock]

So it seems obvious from this thread that UConn is good for women’s college basketball viewership and exposure. They should just play all postseason tournament games in Storrs. It’s for the good of the game.

Viewership crashed during UConn’s most dominant period. It rebounded this year when UConn has a nemesis.

What was Batman without the Joker?

 

[DefenseBB]

Viewership crashed during UConn’s most dominant period. It rebounded this year when UConn has a nemesis.

What was Batman without the Joker?

Wait, what? Are you saying what most of us fans on here have been saying about your fanbase for since 2016, that you shouldn't be taken seriously? Ok, I like that and will be glad to just ignore most the SC comments....

 

[awhom111]

Here are the numbers in equivalence to the rest of the thread:
4/3 Pregame ESPN 1,075,000
4/3 UConn-South Carolina ESPN 4,465,000
4/3 UConn-South Carolina ESPN2 218,000

The game did substantially better among female than male viewers in the 12-34 age range. Sometimes I am not sure whether to interpret that as overperforming on the female side or underperforming on the male side.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

From Yahoo Sports:

Why it matters South Carolina-UConn women's championship game was most-watched in 18 years

The viewership numbers continue to climb, furthering the point the media rights to women's basketball should be sold separately.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[awhom111]

4/11 WNBA Draft ESPN 403,000

 

[eebmg]

4/11 WNBA Draft ESPN 403,000

Any idea how that compares to previous years?

 

[darrell]

Any idea how that compares to previous years?

Most viewed since 2004. Have to believe it’ll only get better with Aliyah Boston, Haley Jones, Zia Cooke, etc. next year and Paige, Caitlin, Van Lith and co. the following year.

 

[CL82]

Most viewed since 2004. Have to believe it’ll only get better with Aliyah Boston, Haley Jones, Zia Cooke, etc. next year and Paige, Caitlin, Van Lith and co. the following year.

I wonder if Paige, Caitlin, Van Lith can be to the WNBA what Bird and Magic were to the NBA. They really jumpstarted NBA viewership. Paige, Caitlin, Van Lith our dynamic players who could make the WNBA product more watchable.

 

[MSGRET]

It would be nice if FOX decided to bid on the Women's tournament, I think that they could force whoever gets the tournament to put it on one of the major channels. If Disney would have had the major tournament games on ABC, the numbers would have been much higher.

I'm tired of ESPN and their networks handling of the Women's tournament and I believe that the only reason why they had all of the games on their networks this year was because of the stink that happened in last years tournament.