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18.9M Viewers vs South Carolina(All-Time College WBB Record); 14.4M vs UConn; 12.3M vs LSU; 6.87M vs Colorado; 4.9M vs W Virginia; 3.23M vs Holy Cross

Over 12 million for Iowa-LSU rematch, all-time record for women’s college hoops​


By Jon Lewis
April 2, 2024

Despite taking place in an earlier round and on cable, the much-anticipated rematch of Iowa and LSU not only outperformed their historic national championship meeting a year ago, but set a new all-time mark for women’s college basketball.

Monday’s Iowa-LSU NCAA women’s basketball tournament regional final averaged 12.30 million viewers on ESPN, marking the largest NCAA women’s basketball audience ever recorded by Nielsen. The previous high was 11.83 million for the 1983 USC-Louisiana Tech national championship game on CBS, the first title game appearance by Cheryl Miller.

Viewership increased 24% from last year’s LSU-Iowa national championship game, which aired in a Sunday afternoon window and averaged 9.92 million across ABC and ESPN2.

In addition to setting a high for the women’s tournament, Iowa-LSU ranks as the most-watched basketball game on ESPN since Game 7 of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals (Cavaliers-Celtics: 13.6M) and the most-watched on cable since the 2022 NCAA men’s national championship on TBS, TNT and truTV (Kansas-North Carolina: 17.05M).

UConn-USC led out with 6.72 million, marking the fourth-largest audience for the women’s tournament dating back to 1995.

USATSI_22921160-750x375.jpg

April 1, 2024; Albany, NY. Caitlin Clark shoots against LSU guard Hailey Van Lith in the 3rd quarter in the finals of the Albany 2 Regional in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at MVP Arena.
 
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Franisdaman said:

Over 12 million for Iowa-LSU rematch, all-time record for women’s college hoops​


By Jon Lewis
April 2, 2024

Despite taking place in an earlier round and on cable, the much-anticipated rematch of Iowa and LSU not only outperformed their historic national championship meeting a year ago, but set a new all-time mark for women’s college basketball.

Monday’s Iowa-LSU NCAA women’s basketball tournament regional final averaged 12.30 million viewers on ESPN, marking the largest NCAA women’s basketball audience ever recorded by Nielsen. The previous high was 11.83 million for the 1983 USC-Louisiana Tech national championship game on CBS, the first title game appearance by Cheryl Miller.

Viewership increased 24% from last year’s LSU-Iowa national championship game, which aired in a Sunday afternoon window and averaged 9.92 million across ABC and ESPN2.

In addition to setting a high for the women’s tournament, Iowa-LSU ranks as the most-watched basketball game on ESPN since Game 7 of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals (Cavaliers-Celtics: 13.6M) and the most-watched on cable since the 2022 NCAA men’s national championship on TBS, TNT and truTV (Kansas-North Carolina: 17.05M).

UConn-USC led out with 6.72 million, marking the fourth-largest audience for the women’s tournament dating back to 1995.

USATSI_22921160-750x375.jpg
Click to expand...
Impressive.
 
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Iowa is #1 and #4 on this list.

The most-watched NCAA women’s basketball tournament games​

#11: 1989 final, Tennessee def. Auburn (CBS): 7.22 million viewers​

Pat Summitt and Tennessee won their second national championship in front of a CBS television audience of 7.22 million viewers, the largest for the national title in three years. (This was the first national title game of the Nielsen people meter era — 1988-present — which is generally how far back network records go.)

#10: 1991 final, Tennessee def. Virginia (CBS): 7.33 million​

Tennessee won again in 1991 and again proved to move the needle. Viewership not only outpaced their previous title game in ’89, but surged 57 percent over Stanford’s title game victory the prior year (4.67M).

#9: 1995 final, UConn def. Tennessee (CBS): 7.44 million​

The first national title meeting of Geno Auriemma and Pat Summitt was also the last national title game to air on CBS. UConn’s first of many national title victories attracted 7.44 million viewers, up 37 percent from the prior year.

#8: 1993 final, Texas Tech def. Ohio State (CBS): 7.81 million​

Led by future Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech edged Ohio State for the national title in front of a television audience of 7.81 million, the highest for the title game in seven years.

#7: 1992 national semifinal, Stanford def. Virginia (CBS): 8.08 million​

One of 2 games on this list that was not for the national championship, Stanford’s 1992 Final Four victory over Virginia averaged 8.08 million on CBS, which until 2023 was the largest women’s college basketball audience of the Nielsen people meter era (1988-present). The actual national title game did not fare nearly as well, as Stanford’s win over Western Kentucky averaged just 5.52 million the following day.

#6: 1984 final, USC def. Tennessee (CBS): 8.29 million​

Cheryl Miller’s second-straight — and final — national championship was won in front of a television audience of 8.29 million viewers, but that marked a sharp decline from the Trojans’ win the prior year.

#5: 1982 final, Louisiana Tech def. Cheyney State (CBS): 8.79 million​

In the first NCAA women’s basketball national championship, 8.79 million viewers tuned in to watch Louisiana Tech (featuring future LSU coach Kim Mulkey) defeat Cheyney State.

#4: 2023 final, LSU def. Iowa (ABC and ESPN2): 9.92 million​

After CBS gave up rights to the women’s tournament in 1995, the event moved to ESPN. For 25 years, all ESPN coverage was limited to its cable networks, and viewership declined accordingly. It took until 2023 before the national title game aired on broadcast television again, just in time for a sharp upswing in interest in women’s basketball fueled largely by Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.

Following increased viewership throughout the early rounds and national semifinals, the national title game between Clark’s Hawkeyes and Angel Reese and LSU averaged nearly ten million viewers across ABC and ESPN2 — easily the largest women’s college basketball audience of the people meter era.

#3: 1986 final, Texas def. USC (CBS): 11.22 million​

In the final college game played by Cheryl Miller, USC fell short to Texas in a national title game viewed by 11.22 million viewers — a 62 percent increase over the prior year.

#2: 1983 final, USC def. Louisiana Tech (CBS): 11.84 million​

Cheryl Miller’s first national championship attracted an audience of 11.84 million viewers, up 35% from the inaugural title game a year earlier

#1: 2024 Elite 8, Iowa def. LSU (ESPN): 12.3 million​

 
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hsmoulton said:
The 65 million ESPN paid for the women’s tourney has gotta be one of the best business decisions that network has ever made. Considering that CBS is paying the NCAA a billion dollars a year for the men’s tourney.
Click to expand...

Compare viewership of Iowa women's basketball games to The NBA Finals games.

12.3M viewers vs LSU (All-Time WBB record); 6.87M viewers vs Colorado.

Is this real life? ;) Who da thunk women's basketball would reach these heights?


GKMR2XHWYAInGJx





Source:

 
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Moral said:
I imagine ESPN will be super bummed if UConn wins because no way no way UConn vs one of the Carolina teams does nearly as well as an Iowa game.
Click to expand...

On Sunday, Feb 11, UConn lost at South Carolina, 83-65. It wasn't even that close. South Carolina led 69-44 after three quarters.
 
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full text of tweet

Iowa-LSU's average 12.3 million viewers are more than:

• Every women's college basketball game ever

• Every ESPN college basketball game ever

• Every MLB game last season

• Every NHL game last season

• Every MLS game last season

• Every NBA game last season except one

• Every CFB regular season game last season except one

 
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NCHawkeye24 said:
These numbers are crazy and what us crazier is that the networks didn't get together to pay this girl to stay in school one more year. Is she worth 20 million? 30? 50? Hell, they should just give her a wnba expansion team in Iowa.
Click to expand...

I remember SVP of ESPN saying that very thing on air; he said do what you gotta do (to keep her one more year).

it will be interesting to see what the WNBA numbers are for her games and what the numbers are for women's college BB games (they are for sure to drop significantly)
 
The best part about the tweet with all the viewership numbers is that they thought it was necessary to include the MLS in the games they outdrew. 😂
 
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Franisdaman said:
I remember SVP of ESPN saying that very thing on air; he said do what you gotta do (to keep her one more year).

it will be interesting to see what the WNBA numbers are for her games and what the numbers are for women's college BB games (they are for sure to drop significantly)
Click to expand...
No kidding. I see everyone on the bandwagon now talking about the popularity of women's basketball skyrocketing, yada, yada, yada. Hell, the NCAA is going to revamp the tournament structure because of it. But is it just me, that, hey people, this is all because of one single solitary person! South Carolina is 36-0 and has won something like 72 of their 73 games and NOBODY cares. Juju is good, but, she is no Caitlin Clark. There is no man that is Caitlin Clark. Have you seen any college men's player pull up regularly from 30 feet and let it fly? She is the cash cow and she is making a lot of people a lot of money for sure. I just laugh because people are kidding themselves that this popularity is more than it is.
 
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NCHawkeye24 said:
No kidding. I see everyone on the bandwagon now talking about the popularity of women's basketball skyrocketing, yada, yada, yada. Hell, the NCAA is going to revamp the tournament structure because of it. But is it just me, that, hey people, this is all because of one single solitary person! South Carolina is 36-0 and has won something like 72 of their 73 games and NOBODY cares. Juju is good, but, she is no Caitlin Clark. There is no man that is Caitlin Clark. Have you seen any college men's player pull up regularly from 30 feet and let it fly? She is the cash cow and she is making a lot of people a lot of money for sure. I just laugh because people are kidding themselves that this popularity is more than it is.
Click to expand...

I agree with your points. Iowa had 4 times the viewership as South Carolina. She's must see TV.

It's interesting listening to people who think that these numbers will continue to grow. Maybe they will, but I have doubts.

And shouldn't games on ABC draw more viewers than games on cable?

For the Elite 8 games on Sunday and Monday:

12.301M: LSU vs Iowa (94-87 win on ESPN on Monday)

6.718M: USC vs UConn (80-73 win on ESPN on Monday)

3.066M: Oregon St vs South Carolina (70-58 win on ABC on Sunday)

2.466M: Texas vs NC State (76-66 win on ABC on Sunday)
 
full text of tweet:

At 12.3 million viewers, last night's Iowa-LSU game had more viewers than:

• Any women's CBB game ever

• The 2023 NBA Finals

• The 2023 World Series

• The 2023 Orange Bowl

• The 2023 Big Ten Championship

• The 2023 Cotton Bowl

• The 2023 Pac-12 Championship

• The 2023 Big-12 Championship

• The 2023 ACC Championship

• The 2023 Peach Bowl

• Thursday Night Football

• Every 2023 college football regular season game except Ohio State vs. Michigan

Absolutely INCREDIBLE.

 
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NCHawkeye24 said:
No kidding. I see everyone on the bandwagon now talking about the popularity of women's basketball skyrocketing, yada, yada, yada. Hell, the NCAA is going to revamp the tournament structure because of it. But is it just me, that, hey people, this is all because of one single solitary person! South Carolina is 36-0 and has won something like 72 of their 73 games and NOBODY cares. Juju is good, but, she is no Caitlin Clark. There is no man that is Caitlin Clark. Have you seen any college men's player pull up regularly from 30 feet and let it fly? She is the cash cow and she is making a lot of people a lot of money for sure. I just laugh because people are kidding themselves that this popularity is more than it is.
Click to expand...
I thought the same thing when I heard they were exploring revamping their tourney format. I was thinking why don’t you wait a year until after Caitlin leaves and see where the numbers and momentum are. I think the women’s game is permanently elevated above where it was, but not to where it is now. Caitlin is one of one. I could be wrong, so I guess we will have to see.
 
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