ESPN is entering the Women’s Final Four on a higher note.
Monday’s Maryland/Tennessee Women’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game earned 1.5 million viewers on ESPN, up 51% from North Carolina/Stanford on last year (1.0M) and up 8% from Louisville/Tennessee in 2013 (1.4M), both on a Tuesday night.
The Terrapins’ win ranks as the most-watched Women’s Elite Eight game in any window since Tennessee/Baylor in 2012 (1.7M).
Earlier in the night, undefeated UConn’s win over Dayton drew 1.4 million — up 47% from Maryland/Louisville last year (967K), up 14% from Duke/Notre Dame in 2013 (1.2M), and the third-largest Elite Eight audience since 2012. Only the above-mentioned Maryland/Tennessee and Louisville/Tennessee games had a larger audience.
Hartford-New Haven turned in a 13.7 rating for Connecticut’s win, while Knoxville (TN) generated a 12.9 for Tennessee’s loss.
In Sunday action, Notre Dame/Baylor drew 1.2 million — down 10% from Texas A&M/Connecticut last year (1.3M) but up 18% from Georgia/Cal in 2013 (1.0M). South Carolina/Florida State drew 930,000 in the afternoon, down 27% from Baylor/Notre Dame last year (1.3M) and down 23% from Kentucky/Connecticut in 2013 (1.2M). The comparable games both last year and in 2013 aired on a Monday night.
(Elite Eight numbers from ESPN Media Zone, ShowBuzz Daily)
