ESPN had mixed numbers for a pair of college basketball conference championships Tuesday night. In other news, Western Conference contenders could not boost the NBA on ESPN Wednesday night, and UFC viewership has improved on Fox Sports 1 so far this year.
Big Gain For WCC Tournament Final
- The Gonzaga/BYU WCC Tournament final drew 1.4 million viewers on ESPN Tuesday night, up 37% from the same matchup last year (1.0M) and up 8% from Gonzaga/St. Mary’s on a Monday night in 2013 (1.3M). In other action, the Horizon League final between Valparaiso and Wisconsin-Green Bay drew 780,000 viewers — up 15% from Milwaukee/Wright State last year (679K), but down 4% from Wright State/Valparaiso in a later timeslot two years ago (812K). (via ShowBuzz Daily)
Double-Digit Drop For Western Doubleheader on ESPN
- Wednesday’s Rockets/Blazers NBA regular season game drew 1.4 million viewers on ESPN, down 22% from Blazers/Spurs last year (1.8M) and down 4% from Knicks/Nuggets in 2013 (1.4M). Clippers/Thunder drew 1.3 million earlier in the night, down 21% from Nets/Heat last year (1.6M) and down 9% from Jazz/Thunder in 2013 (1.4M). (via TV By the Numbers)
UFC on FS1 Up Big From Last Year
- Fox Sports 1 averaged 1.4 million viewers for UFC coverage during the first two months of the year, Fox Sports announced via Twitter Thursday — up 43% from the comparable point last year (979K). The network has averaged 853,000 viewers among adults 18-49, topping the NBA on ESPN by 12% and edging the NBA on TNT by 5%. (twitter.com/foxsportspr [1], [2])
