- The women’s NCAA Tournament viewership ratings have dominated the NBA on ESPN.
- The Round of 32 West Virginia vs. Iowa matchup finished atop the ESPN ratings last week.
- Caitlin Clark’s rise to prominence has helped send interest in women’s college basketball skyrocketing.
As women’s college basketball steals the March Madness spotlight, recent metrics reveal that the 2024 Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament has been ESPN’s most successful basketball product.
According to the ratings, the Round of 32 matchup between West Virginia and Iowa was watched by millions more people than the NBA doubleheader on March 27.
Women’s NCAA Tournament Beats The NBA In Viewership
Per the data, provided by US TVDB, the West Virginia vs. Iowa game recorded 4,901,000 viewers in the persons aged two or more category (P2+) on Monday, March 25. In comparison, ESPN’s NBA doubleheader showcase of the week on Wednesday, March 27, posted 1,435,000 viewers.
This accounts for 3,466,000 more basketball fans watching the women’s NCAA Tournament than the NBA. That’s despite the fact that the pros had strong matchups on display. The LA Clippers vs. Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets played on the ESPN slate for March 27.
The figures translate to 3,337,500 households (2.67 rating) in the United States with the West Virginia vs. Iowa game on TV. The NBA had just 887,500 households (0.71 rating) viewing the NBA doubleheader matchups.
Additionally, the coveted 18 to 49-year-old (P18-49) demographic significantly favored the women’s tournament game. With 1,331,500 tuning in to watch Caitlin Clark take on West Virginia, there were 699,000 more 18 to 49 years old watching her than the NBA!
On Wednesday, March 20, the NBA had higher ratings for a high-profile matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. However, Iowa and Clark did not play, and the ratings were still competitive.
The P2+ demographic attracted 1,178,000 viewers for Iowa State vs. Stanford and Baylor vs. Virginia Tech as opposed to 1,393,000 for the NBA. It’s mightily impressive for women’s college basketball to be competitive without Iowa playing.
This bodes well for the future of the women’s NCAA Tournament after Clark moves on to the WNBA next year.
Women’s NCAA Tournament Most-Watched ESPN Programming
The NBA isn’t the only programming that the 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament is dominating. West Virginia vs. Iowa was the most-watched ESPN event of last week.
The season debut of ESPN’s MLB Sunday Night was no match for Clark’s allure. The Chicago Cubs vs. Texas Rangers attracted 1,578,000 viewers in the P2+ demographic. Respectable numbers, but the Iowa matchup had 3,331,400 more than Major League Baseball.
With the Cubs vs. Rangers being the second-most viewed program, there was therefore a significant gap between women’s college basketball and the rest of ESPN’s sporting events.
The Caitlin Clark Effect
Clark has had a monumental impact on growing the women’s game. The highest-scoring NCAA basketball player of all time is bringing in a new wave of women’s college basketball fans.
Clark’s incredible range and scoring touch makes her games must-watch TV. The 22-year-old future No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft has averaged 32 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 9 assists in 2023-24.
In the NCAA Tournament, Clark has recorded 32.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. She has also swiped two steals to make an impact on the defensive end. Clark and Iowa are entering the Women’s Final 4 as a favorite, but everyone expects South Carolina to win the whole thing.
And yet, Clark is coming off an incredible 41-point and 12-assist performance over LSU in the Elite Eight. If she can carry Iowa to the title, this will be one of the most iconic stories in US sports.
So, will the ratings bonanza continue for ESPN after she exits college? Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers and USC’s JuJu Watkins figure to fill Clark’s void. Bueckers announced that she is returning to UConn for the 2024-25 season.
Also, with Watkins currently only a freshman, the dynamic guard will have an opportunity to become the new face of women’s college basketball for the next few years. Clark got the ball rolling, but the women’s NCAA Tournament ratings should continue to ascend in the future.
Another potential star to watch out for is Cotie McMahon, who was kind enough to answer our questions in an exclusive interview.
