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The NCAA News - News and FeaturesThe NCAA News -- April 12, 1999 Final Fours play to the crowds
Women's championship obtains record mark
Not only did the tournament establish overall attendance records, the title game between Purdue University and Duke University drew a television rating of 4.3, an ESPN record for a women's basketball game. The previous record was 4.0 for the 1997 championship game between the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Old Dominion University. The 1999 championship game, won by Purdue, was watched by an average of 3.238 million television viewers, which is the second-largest audience ever for a college basketball game on ESPN -- men's or women's. Not only did the championship game claim record viewership, the rating was accomplished without either Tennessee or the University of Connecticut -- thought to be the top TV draws in women's basketball -- reaching the Women's Final Four. ESPN averaged a 1.33 rating for 14 tournament games, up 24 percent from 1998 (1.07 over 15 games). Viewership also grew on ESPN, increasing by 22 percent. In another television milestone, the March 22 regional final between Duke and Tennessee drew a 2.1 rating, becoming the first pre-Women's Final Four tournament game to surpass 2.0 on ESPN. As for attendance, the tournament total of 300,487 was the best ever, surpassing last year's 285,428. The average per session also was the best ever at 7,154, 5.3 percent better than the 6,796 from 1998. The tournament drew an average of 6,253 in the first round and 6,239 in the second round. Regional attendance ranged from a high of 13,204 (East semifinals at Greensboro, North Carolina) to a low of 4,583 (West semifinals at Los Angeles). Average attendance for regional competition was 8,144. The Women's Final Four in San Jose, California, was played before a sellout crowd of 17,733 for both sessions.
Women's championship attendanceAttendance for all rounds of the Division I Women's Basketball Championship since 1990:
Women's championship TV ratingsESPN television ratings of the Division I Women's Basketball Championship final:
Women's basketball television ratings1999
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The 1999 Division I Women's Basketball Championship was special in terms of spectator appeal, no matter what measuring stick was used.