According to Sports Media Watch, the Elite Eight matchup between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Xavier Musketeers drew the worst ratings of any such game in the last two decades.
It was the Cinderella story that ended in a whimper. The worst part? Not that many people tuned in to watch it happen.
The game drew a viewership of only 6 million, and a paltry rating of 3.7.
The poor television performance is even worse when compared directly to the previous two seasons. Viewership ratings were down by as much as 21 percent compared to last year’s matchup between Oklahoma and Oregon, and 31 percent from the 2015 matchup between Louisville and Florida.
Perhaps it was the certainty of the result that caused many to occupy their time elsewhere. Gonzaga controlled the game throughout and Xavier was playing catchup from the opening tip.
The Bulldogs made quick work of the Musketeers, not unlike nearly every other opponent they have faced this season.
To be fair, though, the game was slotted in the least desirable slot available.
Saturday afternoon is a tough draw. The fact that the game was a total snoozer might be looked at as having dodged a bullet.
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