NCAAW Basketball Tourney draws record TV ratings

Women's championship game draws highest rating


April 7, 2004
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) -- The NCAA women's championship game drew the highest
rating since ESPN began broadcasting the event in 1996.

Tuesday night's game between Connecticut and Tennessee drew a 4.3 overnight
rating, up 23 percent from last year's 3.5.

In addition, the Huskies' 70-61 win was the most-watched basketball game,
collegiate or pro, in the network's 25-year history. Nearly 4 million
households tuned in as UConn became the first Division I school to win both
the men's and women's championships in the same year.

``Our presentation was unmatched in the history of NCAA tournaments,'' said
Len DeLuca, ESPN senior vice president for programming strategy. ``The NCAA
gave us great theater and we are so pleased our fans responded so
positively.''

The tournament's overall 1.5 rating was a 36 percent increase from a year
ago.

The rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, whether or not they are
in use. Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets in the United
States, covering nearly 70 percent of the country.

In article <ygofc.32185$i74.702556@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
Lurker at the Threshhold <Who_you.DeleteThis@SAYNOTOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote:

> Women's championship game draws highest rating

> ... Nearly 4 million
> households tuned in as UConn became the first Division I school to win both
> the men's and women's championships in the same year.

Let's see now, CT has about 2 million households, so that leaves about
2 million more scattered around TN and the rest of the US who wanted to
watch Taurasi. I think the Mercury would be happy with those numbers
this summer.

-WG