While the men faltered in the ratings, the women soared.
Ratings for the Women’s National Semifinals were up 25% on ESPN Sunday. Tennessee/LSU drew a 2.8 cable rating and 3.6 million viewers, up 17% from last year. Tennessee/LSU drew the same rating as the MLB Opening Night telecast on ESPN a week earlier — the highest rated Opening Night broadcast on ESPN in 12 years.
The game finished with a 2.4 final national rating, making LSU/Tennessee the #16 highest rated cable program of the entire week. No other sports program made the top 20.
Overall, ESPN averaged a 2.5 cable rating and 3.2 million viewers for its Sunday doubleheader, making the Final Four the most watched in three years.
Ratings for the Women’s NCAA Tournament have been up in every round; entering the Final Four, ratings were up 43% and 31% on ESPN and ESPN2, respectively.
