NCAA Men’s Title Game Made History For the Wrong Reasons
A Historic Year in Ratings for the Women’s Tournament Overshadowed the Men’s
Girl’s World 🌎
March Madness is usually the hottest topic in NCAA news all through March, but this year, the championship game left its mark in a way nobody expected – for the low viewership numbers.
While the overall tournament saw a slight increase this year compared to 2021, the viewership for the men’s championship game hit a record low. This is especially surprising considering the women’s championship the day before broke records with the highest audience ever!
18.7 million people watched the women’s national championship game.
Same number as the Washington-Texas CFP semifinal.
Higher than last year’s Alabama-Georgia SEC championship.
To think, just two years ago, this same event drew 4.5 million.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) April 8, 2024
Men’s Final Falls Flat, Women Steal the Show
UConn’s win over Purdue in the men’s final was one of the most exciting NCAA games for fans, but the excitement didn’t translate to record-breaking viewership. Only 14.82 million viewers tuned in, making it the second-lowest audience ever for a men’s championship game.
This is a significant drop compared to just a few years ago when audiences routinely surpassed 17 million. On the other hand, the women’s championship the day before boasted an all-time high of 18.87 million viewers, proving that basketball fever is still alive and well, just maybe not for the men’s side of the bracket.
Everyone is watching 🙌
The Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship game averaged 18.7 million in viewership and peaked at 24 million viewers!#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/nqlrOgRjzm
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 9, 2024
Let’s rewind a few March Madness championship games. Back in 2019, Virginia and Texas Tech had viewers glued to their screens, pulling in a whopping 19.6 million viewers! Since then, the buzzer-beaters haven’t quite been translating to the same level of national obsession.
In 2022, Kansas vs. North Carolina drew 17.05 million, and 2021’s Baylor-Gonzaga matchup pulled in 16.92 million. There’s a clear downward trend, and if March Madness wants to maintain its hold on viewers, it might need to strategize some changes for next year’s NCAA basketball tournament.
Is March Madness Losing Its Magic?
There could be a few reasons for the decline in viewership for the men’s tournament. Some experts point to the dominance of traditional powerhouse teams in the early rounds. With fewer Cinderella stories and upsets, the games might not be as captivating for casual fans. Another possibility is the changing media landscape.
With more streaming options and entertainment choices than ever before, grabbing viewers’ attention can be tougher. The demographics also tell a story. Ratings among young adults, a key demographic, have also been dropping. We’re talking a 3.7 rating for 18-49-year-olds, down from 4.7. Even younger viewers (18-34) weren’t as hyped, with a 2.9 rating compared to 3.5 last year.
Key March Madness TV Ratings in 2024:
NC State/Duke (men): 15.1 million
Iowa/UConn (women): 14.2 millionKey Pro Sports TV Ratings in 2023:
2023 NBA Finals: 11.64 million
2023 World Series: 9.11 million— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 6, 2024
It’s too early to say for sure. March Madness is still a huge event, attracting millions of viewers and generating tons of excitement. However, the declining viewership is a trend worth watching. Perhaps the tournament needs to adapt to the changing times. Maybe new formats, more Cinderella stories, or even a shift in broadcasting strategies could help reignite the national obsession with March Madness.
The reality is next year’s NCAA Tournament will not draw this number in the title game (and likely not the 2023 number). The viewership interest in Caitlin Clark was a unicorn.
But this sport is a 🚀 — and they will retain people who sampled it for the first time. pic.twitter.com/sdpSh8FhXa
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 9, 2024
Author: Sin City Sniper
Author: Sin City SniperBusting bookmakers and taking their money is his greatest joy in life. He’s been around the block more than once, knows the players both on and off the field of battle, and uses his experience to serve the bookies a heaping plate of humble pie washed down by a warm glass of their salty tears. You can find him in any number of Vegas books, sniping weak lines and getting paid to do it.
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