In the ratings game, Geno Auriemma is no match for Pat Summitt.
Ratings dropped by double-digits for the 2009 Women’s NCAA Tournament. ESPN averaged a 1.2 cable rating and 1.5 million viewers for its twelve-game coverage of the Women’s NCAA Tournament, down 14% in ratings from a 1.4 last year. ESPN2 saw similar declines, as its 0.5 cable rating was off 17% from last year.
The Women’s National Championship game between Connecticut and Louisville drew a 2.1 cable rating and 2.7 million viewers Tuesday night, off 30% and 31%, respectively, from a 3.0 and 3.9 million for Tennessee/Stanford in ’08. The 2.1 cable rating is the lowest of the past ten years for the women’s title game.
The National Semifinals on Sunday also saw declining numbers. The early Louisville/Oklahoma game drew a 1.6 U.S. rating (1.9 cable) and 2.4 million viewers, down 11% and 14% from last year’s comparable Connecticut/Stanford game.
The late game, a rematch between Connecticut and Stanford, drew a 1.7 U.S. rating (2.0 cable) and 2.7 million viewers, off 29% and 26% from a 2.4 (2.8) and 3.6 million for Tennessee/LSU last year.
Overall, the Women’s Final Four averaged 2.6 million viewers on ESPN, down 24% from 3.4 million in ’08.
