The women’s NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8 stage featured a repeat of last year’s final, as Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes sought revenge against Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers. The highly anticipated clash did not disappoint, as the two teams went back and forth in an instant classic. The heavyweight bout smashed women’s basketball viewership records as 12.3 million viewers tuned in to watch Clark and the Hawkeyes beat Reese and the Tigers.
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Iowa’s superstar guard was the show’s star. She finished the game with 41 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Clark and the Hawkeyes avenged their loss from last year’s final and beat the Tigers 94-87 to eliminate them and advance to the Final Four stage.
According to statista.com, the game between Iowa and LSU raked in more viewers than the 2023 NBA Finals. The six-game series between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat averaged 11.64 million viewers, 660,000 short of the 12.3 million who saw the Hawkeyes eliminate the Tigers.
A women’s college basketball game beating the NBA in viewership is a testament to Caitlin Clark’s star power and her rivalry with Reese and the Tigers. The Hawkeyes star has had a historic final season with her alma mater and fans are flocking to watch her potentially finish her college career with a storybook ending.
ESPN gets a bargain deal to broadcast women’s basketball
The 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament has been a smash hit, with teams like the Iowa Hawkeyes, LSU Tigers, UConn Huskies, and the USC Trojans captivating audiences unlike ever before. The Hawkeyes and Tigers’ mark of 12.3 million viewers was almost 33% more than the NFL’s Black Friday game between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.
Amazon pays $100 million a year for the broadcasting rights to the NFL’s Black Friday game, while ESPN pays $65 million annually for the entire women’s basketball slate, including March Madness. Given the rise in popularity of women’s basketball and the numbers the bigger teams are raking, ESPN’s investment looks shrewd.
For context on the potential $$$ in women’s hoops…
ESPN recently signed a new media rights deal for women’s March Madness worth $65 million annually — a 10x increase from the previous deal.
But that is already looking like a bargain.
The men’s tournament receives $900… pic.twitter.com/SPhK0b5nHa
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) April 2, 2024
Clark and the Hawkeyes are scheduled to face the UConn Huskies in the Final Four stage, which is expected to shatter more viewership records. ESPN is reaping the rewards of taking a gamble on broadcasting women’s basketball.
