Despite a slight decline, viewership for ESPN’s coverage of the 2012 Women’s NCAA Tournament was the second-best on the network.
ESPN averaged a 1.2 U.S. rating and 1.836 million viewers for eleven Women’s NCAA Tournament telecast windows this year, flat in ratings and down 2% in viewership from last year (1.2, 1.878M).
Keep in mind the that these averages are for ESPN only. ESPN2 aired sixteen telecasts.
The three Women’s Final Four telecasts averaged a 2.3 U.S. rating and 3.635 million viewers, up 10% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (2.1, 3.215M).
For some perspective, ESPN’s Women’s NCAA Tournament coverage outpaced the network’s College World Series action last year (0.9, 1.310M, 11 telecasts), and the Women’s Final Four topped last year’s South Carolina/Florida College World Series championship (1.4, 2.233M, two telecasts).
(This year’s numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
