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 Women's Tournament Viewership Increases; Men's Drops - Apr 14, 2008
posted by: Marta
This year's women's basketball tournament was the most viewed ever, according to ESPN. Overall, viewership on ESPN was up 42 percent from last year and ESPN2 saw a jump of 31 percent. The championship game alone saw a 30 percent ratings increase over last year's final. The level of national interest and attention is encouraging, but also a little puzzling when you compare it to the men's game. The men's final, which was much closer and featured an overtime victory, saw an 8 percent drop in ratings over last year. It could be argued that the women's game has the greatest potential for growth. Thanks to Title IX more women are playing sports than ever before and those women become life-long fans. Another reason could be that the women's game has found its John Wooden in Pat Summitt. Summitt has become the ambassador for women's basketball, elevating her status in coaching ranks while simultaneously increasing interest in the sport. This year's final also had a Magic vs. Bird matchup in Candace Parker and Candice Wiggins. Superstars make for good story lines. A quick Google News search for "Candace Parker" returned 3,976 stories. "Candice Wiggins" returned 3,505. Of course, there's also Candace Parker's gutsy performance after twice dislocating her shoulder in the Elite Eight. Journalists and fans love drama and this year Tennessee had plenty to offer. Then there's the controversy. Nothing propels interest like bad blood. What if UConn had made the final? Can you imagine what the ratings would have been if Geno and Summitt squared off? Could last year's Don Imus scandal also have impacted national interest in the game? What do you think? Why have the women found double-digit success while the men struggle to keep ratings on par? 
CommentsThanks to Title IX, many men's programs in various programs have been dropped. Women's sports are boring. Pac 10 women's tournament couldn't draw many people, which is why it's being moved. Expose Title IX for the sham it is. Maybe because you are watching Pac 10 women's basketball, however, you may need to watch the SEC, ACC, Big East women's basketball BILL!!! Women basketball players, with talent, play in these conferences. If you really want to see some true women's basketball, check out some Division II games... true sweat and hard work!! Keep Title IX What were the actual tv shares gained by women's basketball? What are the actual households watching? These numbers look great but can be very misleading. The men's game didn't start till around 10 pm Eastern I would image that could affect the shares. Also, Memphis isn't really a national draw like a UCLA or UNC. Parker & Wiggins are no Bird & Magic. Parker is the one that will truly shape women's basketball. The more lasting matchup will be Parker and Fowles. Wiggins will be one of many in the WNBA. Bill don't blame Title IX for loosing men's programs. Blame the millions it costs to run Men's Basketball and Football. They are cutting non revenue sports that are just a drain financially. I would bet that women's basketball gets a larger audience night in and out across the nation over for say men's gymnastics. Be realistic here. Bill, your comment is both incoherent and completely beside the point. If you read my post, it's obvious there are many, many millions who believe that women's basketball is both engaging and interesting. In fact, as I note above, women's basketball viewership is up while the men's numbers are down. If women's basketball is as boring as you suggest, wouldn't that mean the men's game is even worse? As I said in the post, this increase in viewership for the women's game could be the result of an expanding fan-base. One possible explanation for this change may be the amount of women who now grow up participating in the sport. Those women not only gain a life-long appreciation for the game, they also influence their parents, friends and family, thus maturing the fan-base. This post is not intended to spur discussion about Title IX, rather, it is meant to point out the very clear impact that this legislation has had on the popularity and growing commercial appeal of women's athletics. In addition, as I said, this is simply one of several possible explanations for the outstanding growth the women's tournament has seen this year. Marta what are the numbers though not just the percentages? How many actual total viewers did each have and what were the actual gains and losses? Post a Comment |
  
I believe if the student-athlete has proven him or herself to be a responsible student who has time management then they should choose exactly what they want to do outside of collegiate athletics.
- claudia
   
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