UCLA Women's Basketball Wins Title with 9.9 Million Viewers
UCLA's women's basketball team secured its first NCAA national championship by defeating South Carolina with a score of 79-51 on April 5, 2026, in Phoenix. The final game averaged 9.9 million viewers across ESPN and ABC, marking the third most-watched women's championship since 1996 and representing a 15% increase from the previous year. The broadcast peaked at 10.7 million viewers at the conclusion of the match. Additionally, the tournament saw strong overall engagement, with Friday's semifinals averaging 5.2 million viewers. The entire tournament averaged 1.3 million viewers per game, a 5% rise compared to last year, as ABC and ESPN aired 41 of the 58 games.
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UCLA Women's Basketball Wins Title with 9.9 Million Viewers
UCLA's women's basketball team secured its first NCAA national championship by defeating South Carolina with a score of 79-51 on April 5, 2026, in Phoenix. The final game averaged 9.9 million viewers across ESPN and ABC, marking the third most-watched women's championship since 1996 and representing a 15% increase from the previous year. The broadcast peaked at 10.7 million viewers at the conclusion of the match. Additionally, the tournament saw strong overall engagement, with Friday's semifinals averaging 5.2 million viewers. The entire tournament averaged 1.3 million viewers per game, a 5% rise compared to last year, as ABC and ESPN aired 41 of the 58 games.
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