An “unfortunate technical error” by ESPN resulted in the 2019 NCAA women’s tournament bracket being shown on air Monday afternoon hours before it was to have been revealed, scuttling watch parties and forcing the network to move up its selection show by two hours.
The show, originally scheduled for 7 p.m., instead began on ESPN2 at 5 p.m., at which point the leaked bracket had already been circulating online. ESPN confirmed that the bracket was accurate.
“In working with the NCAA to prepare for tonight’s women’s selection special, we received the bracket, similar to years past,” ESPN host Maria Taylor said in a statement read on the air before the show began. “In the midst of our preparation, the bracket was mistakenly posted on ESPNU. We deeply regret the error and extend our apology to the NCAA and the women’s basketball community. We will conduct a thorough review of our process to ensure it doesn’t happen in the future.”
