How the record-breaking TV viewership for Penn State vs. Iowa shows growing interest in wrestling
While the 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena was filled nearly to capacity for Friday night’s battle between No. 1 Iowa and No. 2 Penn State wrestling, a record crowd also watched from home.
The Big Ten Network-televised dual averaged 342,955 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, making it the most-watched wrestling telecast in BTN history, surpassing the 2018 Penn State vs. Ohio State dual (309,265) by 11%. It was also the highest-rated college sporting event across all networks Friday, BTN said.
Penn State vs. Iowa wrestling also topped viewership of Penn State basketball’s game against Indiana on Wednesday, which was that day’s most-watched broadcast, drawing 325,205 viewers, according to the network.
The record-breaking viewership fits into a trend that the Big Ten Network has seen with increased interest in wrestling. In response to that increased interest, BTN upped its number of live wrestling broadcasts by 40% (from 14 to 25) this season. Through 12 broadcasts for wrestling so far this season, BTN has averaged 116,043 viewers, and increase of 67% from last season.
BTN also beefed up its wrestling coverage for Penn State vs. Iowa, offering a 30-minute pre-dual show, as well as two digital exclusives on its YouTube page, including a feature on Penn State’s play-by-play radio announcer Jeff Byers.
Although Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said he was disappointed that the most-watched wrestling broadcast resulted in a 19-17 loss for his team, he’s also encouraged by the growing interest he’s see in the sport over the past decade.
“I just look at the number, and numbers don’t lie,” Sanderson said Tuesday. “The attendance numbers have continued to increase over the years, the last 10 years. Dual meets continue to increase when you have the largest dual meets at individual schools popping up all the time this year. We’ve fortunately been a part of several of those. I think college wrestling is competitive and it’s getting more exciting and I guess the numbers are showing that.”
The attendance at Carver-Hawkeye Friday night was 14,905, the 18-largest dual crowd in NCAA history. The Nittany Lions were also part of history when they traveled to Nebraska Jan. 24, setting the Devaney Center’s record for the largest wresting crowd at 5,960.
BTN wrestling analyst Tim Johnson attributed what appears to be a growing interest to several different factors, but mainly to the caliber of wrestling in the Big Ten — driven by what Penn State’s been able to do in the past decade.
“Penn State’s the best, has been for a decade,” he told the Centre Daily Times last week. “Now all the sudden Iowa’s back, and they’re the real deal. (Fans) just want to see the best; they want to see the program Cael Sanderson has built. I think Iowa’s a factor, I think Tom Ryan and what he’s done at Ohio State adds a third in there. Then you have traditional powers like Michigan, Minnesota, and you have a crowd of the best wrestling in the world in the Big Ten.”
Other factors Johnson believes are contributing to the growth in viewership and attendance are the loyalty of wrestling fans, the increased growth and excitement around girls’ and women’s wrestling at the youth and Olympic levels and the senior-level freestyle success of Team USA.
Penn State will have three more duals broadcast on BTN this season, its 9 p.m. Friday contest against Wisconsin, 2 p.m. Sunday battle with Minnesota and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 Bryce Jordan Center dual with Ohio State, which will also feature a half-hour live pre-dual show.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 5:41 PM.
