Big Ten Network is crowing about its ratings for the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, stating its ratings were 36% higher than last year. In addition, the semifinal game between Ohio State and Michigan State is now the highest rated women’s game in the network’s young history. These ratings are measured from eight markets in the Midwest throughout the Big Ten Conference’s footprint. Let’s take a look at the press release.
Big Ten Network’s Women’s Basketball Tournament ratings up 36 percent
OSU-MSU semifinal was network’s highest rated women’s basketball game
CHICAGO – Ratings for the Big Ten Network’s Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament coverage increased 36 percent over last year’s ratings throughout the network’s eight metered markets, and included its highest rated women’s basketball game ever.
The network aired nine tournament games through Saturday’s semifinals, which included No. 2 seed Penn State defeating No. 11 seed Illinois and the top-seeded Spartans falling to the fifth-seeded Buckeyes, behind 37 points from the conference’s four-time Player of the Year, Jantel Lavender.
The tournament averaged a 0.19 household (HH) rating in the eight metered markets. In addition, based on Nielsen metered-market data, the tournament games had an estimated total audience of more than 500,000 viewers across the country. The OSU-MSU matchup earned a .46 HH rating.
The tournament kicked off a month of extensive Big Ten basketball coverage. On Wednesday, the Big Ten Network begins its Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament coverage with the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Preview Show live at 8 PM ET from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The network will also broadcast three Big Ten Tournament games, beginning with No. 6 seed Penn State taking on No. 11 seed Indiana in Game 3 at 7:30 PM ET Thursday. On Friday, the network’s coverage continues at 6:30 PM ET with second-seed Purdue facing the winner of Game 2 (No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Iowa), followed by Game 7, featuring No. 3 Wisconsin against either Indiana or Penn State.
Before the games begin on Thursday and Friday, the Big Ten Network will air a 30-minute Tip-Off Show on location featuring Dave Revsine, Ohio State’s former two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Jim Jackson and former Northwestern standout Shon Morris. During Big Ten Network games, the studio team returns with halftime analysis. At the end of each day, coverage continues with The Finale, featuring post-game reaction and analysis. In addition, every Big Ten Tournament post-game press conference will be streamed live and for free at www.BigTenNetwork.com
Following the tournament, the network kicks off 23 straight nights of NCAA Tournament coverage with the Big Ten Basketball and Beyond: Selection Sunday Special at 7 PM ET on Sunday. The 90-minute program will dissect the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament pairings for each Big Ten team and examine the potential for a Big Ten team to reach the Final Four in Houston. In addition, the network will air a 30-minute Big Ten Basketball and Beyond: Tournament Edition show after each night’s last game.
Source: Nielsen Arianna Overnights (3/3 to 3/5/11). Metered Markets: Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis
And we’re done here.
