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Let’s catch up with the latest TV viewership numbers from UCF’s spring events.
Softball’s Auburn Win is the Second-Most Watched Knights Softball Game Ever
The UCF Knights Softball team’s win over Auburn in the NCAA Tournament regional in Tallahassee on May 21st was watched by 188,000 viewers on ESPN2, according to ESPNPR. The dramatic win was the second-most watched UCF Softball game of all-time and was the most-watched non-football, non-men’s basketball UCF broadcast of the 2020-2021 athletic year.
The Knights’ 5-4 win over Auburn is also the second-most watched UCF Softball telecast all-time behind only their regional game at No. 1 Florida five years to the day, on May 16, 2021, which was watched by 246,000 people on ESPN2. Keep in mind that the 2016 game was on a Saturday at noon on ESPN2, which is a better time slot than the Friday 2 p.m. slot that UCF-Auburn was at. UCF-Auburn nearly doubled the normal audience that watched ESPN2 in that time period.
Catch every big hit and clutch play from today's NCAA Regional win over Auburn #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/n6L6mlk53t
— UCF Softball (@UCF_Softball) May 22, 2021
Knights Set New AAC Championship Viewer Record
UCF’s 7-4 loss to Wichita State in The American Softball Championship Game on May 15th was watched by 147,000 viewers on ESPN2 which is most watched AAC Championship game since 2016. The Knights 1-0 win over Tulsa in AAC Championship game in 2015 in Orlando had 139,000 viewers which aired on ESPN2 at Noon.
Denali comes through CLUTCH to put us up 3-0 #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/Zbi8DDz1OD
— UCF Softball (@UCF_Softball) May 15, 2021
Both UCF Softball viewership numbers easily topped UCF Baseball’s and Women’s Basketball AAC title games against South Florida.
Overall UCF Softball was part of a big explosion in TV viewership for College Softball as it had its most watched postseason ever, highighted by the most-watched Women’s College World Series ever.
I broke down in depth the postseason softball numbers for Justin’s World of Softball:
Most-Viewed #WCWS
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 11, 2021
Entire WCWS averaged , , viewers | 10% over 2019
Championship Series between @OU_Softball & @FSU_Softball averaged , , viewers | 15% over 2019 pic.twitter.com/CjdRaZexeK
How Many People Watched Rayniah Jones?
First she set the school record. Then she posted our best 100H finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championship.
— UCF Track & Field/XC (@UCF_Track) June 14, 2021
We can't wait to see what @RayniahJones does next! #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/OCtw05xD14
In other UCF TV news, Rayniah Jones, who finished 2nd in the 100-meter hurdles two Saturdays ago in the NCAA Championships, was watched by 234,000 viewers on ESPNU. Thursday’s coverage of the NCAA Track & Field Championships, which included Jones qualifying for the 100-meter hurdles final, was watched by 236,000 viewers. That number is down from 2019, when 332,000 viewers tune in.
More eyeballs were on Jones and Track and Field this weekend as the U.S. Olympic Trials, which were watched by 5 million viewers back in 2016.