ESPN's BracketBusters averaged 226,000 viewers across six telecasts this year on ESPN2, down 8.1% from last year and down 38.4% from '09. This year's BracketBusters included a Sunday afternoon telecast for the first time in years. The Cleveland State-Old Dominion matchup did not perform well up against strong sports competition. The game averaged only 114,000 viewers, marking the least-viewed BracketBusters game since at least '07. The Missouri State-Valparaiso matchup last Saturday in the 5:00pm ET slot earned the top BracketBusters audience this year with 378,000 viewers. It also topped all BracketBusters games last year. Below is a viewership trend for BracketBusters from recent years. Viewership figures for games aired on ESPNU are unavailable.
ESPN BRACKETBUSTERS VIEWERSHIP TREND |
DAY |
DATE |
NET |
TIME (ET) |
'11 MATCHUP |
VIEWERS (000) |
Fri. |
2/18 |
ESPN2 |
7:00pm |
VCU-Wichita State |
215 |
Sat. |
2/19 |
ESPN2 |
5:00pm |
Missouri State-Valparaiso |
378 |
Sat. |
2/19 |
ESPN2 |
7:03pm |
George Mason-Northern Iowa |
248 |
Sat. |
2/19 |
ESPN2 |
9:19pm |
Utah State-St. Mary's |
207 |
Sat. |
2/19 |
ESPN2 |
11:16pm |
Montana-Long Beach State |
189 |
Sun. |
2/20 |
ESPN2 |
1:00pm |
Cleveland State-Old Dominion |
114 |
AVERAGE ===================================>>>>>>> |
226 |
DAY |
DATE |
NET |
TIME (ET) |
'10 MATCHUP |
VIEWERS (000) |
Fri. |
2/19 |
ESPN2 |
7:00pm |
Old Dominion-Northern Iowa |
258 |
Sat. |
2/20 |
ESPN2 |
11:00am |
Siena-Butler |
301 |
Sat. |
2/20 |
ESPN2 |
1:03pm |
Louisiana Tech-Northeastern |
164 |
Sat. |
2/20 |
ESPN2 |
3:03pm |
Nevada-Missouri State |
209 |
Sat. |
2/20 |
ESPN2 |
8:02pm |
College of Charleston-George Mason |
312 |
Sat. |
2/20 |
ESPN2 |
12:00am |
Wichita State-Utah State |
228 |
AVERAGE ===================================>>>>>>> |
246 |
DAY |
DATE |
NET |
TIME (ET) |
'09 MATCHUP |
VIEWERS (000) |
Fri. |
2/20 |
ESPN2 |
7:00pm |
Illinois State-Niagara |
275 |
Sat. |
2/21 |
ESPN2 |
11:00am |
Northeastern-Wright State |
190 |
Sat. |
2/21 |
ESPN |
12:00pm |
Butler-Davidson |
1,130 |
Sat. |
2/21 |
ESPN2 |
1:03pm |
Buffalo-Vermont |
178 |
Sat. |
2/21 |
ESPN2 |
3:27pm |
Northern Iowa-Siena |
147 |
Sat. |
2/21 |
ESPN2 |
5:11pm |
Utah State-St. Mary's |
242 |
AVERAGE ===================================>>>>>>> |
367 |
DAY |
DATE |
NET |
TIME (ET) |
'08 MATCHUP |
VIEWERS (000) |
Fri. |
2/22 |
ESPN2 |
7:00pm |
Davidson-Winthrop |
284 |
Sat. |
2/23 |
ESPN2 |
11:00pm |
VCU-Akron |
148 |
Sat. |
2/23 |
ESPN2 |
1:00pm |
George Mason-Ohio |
189 |
Sat. |
2/23 |
ESPN2 |
3:05pm |
Creighton-Oral Roberts |
233 |
Sat. |
2/23 |
ESPN2 |
5:11pm |
Drake-Butler |
648 |
Sat. |
2/23 |
ESPN2 |
12:00am |
Kent State-St. Mary's |
192 |
AVERAGE ==================================>>>>>>> |
277 |
