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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

Honestly, I didn't expect Iowa to even be in this situation this year. I didn't think the team, as a whole, would be good enough without Czinano to get back to the ship. Beating SC would be monumental and I highly doubt we do but I didn't think they had a chance last year either. All I know is that I'm happy I was wrong and please, please, please, let us win a national championship, in front of 20 million viewers, in one of the big three sports for college. I'll be happy!
 
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who's gonna ignite TV viewership next year?

JuJu?

Or is the flame going out?
At this point, who would you say is the most flamboyant female basketball player after CC?

That's your answer.

Bueckers doesn't seem outspoken and I question whether Auriemma would allow it.
That's why WBB will take a big step backward next year, imo.
 
At this point, who would you say is the most flamboyant female basketball player after CC?

That's your answer.

Bueckers doesn't seem outspoken and I question whether Auriemma would allow it.
That's why WBB will take a big step backward next year, imo.
While I think the college woman's game will take a step backwards for the reasons you gave. It will still be ahead of what it was pre CC.

I don't think we will see the CC effect in the WNBA like many do. People are programed to watch basketball in winter to mid spring. WNBA schedule is late spring through the summer. People's interest fade during that time. As there's more things to do. Yes the NBA doesn't want the competition on top of NHL. I always thought one of the problems with the WNBA is the schedule.
 
It is interesting how much E$PN has screwed the pooch on Clark and the Hawks.

They would continually state that A. Boston was the best player in the women's game. (Short sided)

Promote LSU & S. Carolina as the two best teams in America.

They FINALLY came over to the dark side early this year and recognized Clark & Iowa. Even then, they had mouth pieces like Carolyn Peck continuing to pick against them.

If they would have set their bias to the side and embraced Clark & Iowa two years ago, E$PN would have made more money.
But ESPN didn’t have rights to B1G games this year, so they could only have profited last year, and she didn’t take off nationally until the elite eight and final four last year.
 
What's fascinating is that the numbers watching back in the era of Cheryl Miller were also likely watching because there were fewer viewing options back then. That was back in the era when network television still ruled the roost.

Now we're in the era of streaming media ... where there are tons of viewing options. Hell ... many people don't even watch "normal" broadcasts anymore and just watch youtube videos and things of that nature.

So when it's reported that so many folks are tuning into women's basketball now ... there are factors that have to be driving those numbers. We all know that the "Caitlin effect" is part of the story ... furthermore, part of it is that the folks shelling out the dough for NIL deals have a vested interest in making players celebrities. Young fans gravitate toward the celebrities blossoming before them.

The question now is ... are these young new viewers (and new older viewers) "hooked?" Or are they only invested in watching because of Caitlin?

Given how sports fandom works ... once folks get "hooked" ... they often are fans for life. So you have to figure that a decent percentage of folks who got lured into watching the game because of Caitlin will continue to watch. Obviously, not everyone will ... so the question is ... how many will keep watching?

Furthermore, the women's game has some other fantastic players like Hidalgo, Bueckers, and Watkins. Anybody see Hidalgo steal the ball this year? Impressive! Bueckers obviously has a tremendous all-around game. And I wholly expect Watkins to pass Caitlin's scoring record. I see exciting times ahead.

I would surmise that the numbers may not keep on reaching such ridiculous highs ... but I would guess that they will still be fairly high. The fact that players stick around longer in the college women's game AND because the game is played more below the rim allow for the quality of the product to easily rival the entertainment-factor of the men's collegiate game. Hell ... I get tired of the lack of defense and consistent effort by the NBA ... so I've been more entertained by the women's game over the past few years.
Yep. Hidalgo is quite the thief. She stole the Staley award from Clark this season. Best guard in womans basketball my ASS. Oh, I guess that was Dawn's doing. Just like she said that CC can NEVER be considered the GOAT if she doesn't win a title, just like SHE doesn't get called that because SHE didn't win one. Sounds like a serious case of small woman syndrome.....
 
Yep. Hidalgo is quite the thief. She stole the Staley award from Clark this season. Best guard in womans basketball my ASS. Oh, I guess that was Dawn's doing. Just like she said that CC can NEVER be considered the GOAT if she doesn't win a title, just like SHE doesn't get called that because SHE didn't win one. Sounds like a serious case of small woman syndrome.....
Envy is never a good look.

Yeah, I think that the whole discussion about the need for a title is ridiculous ... because it unduly places a bias towards blue-blood programs.

I was just digging up info on Stewie's teams ... because, without questions, Stewart's record of having 4 championships IS impressive. However, when you dig up the info ... you learn that she was on a roster that was littered with WNBA talent. We're talking about a league that only has room for something like 144 players ... and yet Stewart's team was such that the majority of starters on her teams are still current WNBA players? ... and almost all of those who aren't current WNBA players still played in the league for a few years?!

Iowa's roster simply cannot touch that level of talent that was on Stewart's squads that won 4 natties.

Furthermore, Bluder is great ... but she ain't no Geno. Really stoked that Bluder got a win on him ... that isn't going to happen all that often.

While Iowa's winning has truly been a team-driven thing ... Caitlin is still the engine that has made it "go." There have been many a game where it really feels like she's WILLED us to victory.

So anyhow ... I call bullshit!

You're good in my book Caitlin ... and I'm smarter than everyone. You don't need to prove shit!
 
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While I think the college woman's game will take a step backwards for the reasons you gave. It will still be ahead of what it was pre CC.

I don't think we will see the CC effect in the WNBA like many do. People are programed to watch basketball in winter to mid spring. WNBA schedule is late spring through the summer. People's interest fade during that time. As there's more things to do. Yes the NBA doesn't want the competition on top of NHL. I always thought one of the problems with the WNBA is the schedule.
I think the wrinkle to this is team USA. If they keep Caitlin around for it and she is a star on a gold medal team, the WNBA will be in the map so long as Caitlin’s star is shining.
 
I think the wrinkle to this is team USA. If they keep Caitlin around for it and she is a star on a gold medal team, the WNBA will be in the map so long as Caitlin’s star is shining.
I highly doubt she'll be on this years team. Tryouts were this week, and they don't NEED CC to whoop ASS on the world......
 
At this point, who would you say is the most flamboyant female basketball player after CC?

That's your answer.

Bueckers doesn't seem outspoken and I question whether Auriemma would allow it.
That's why WBB will take a big step backward next year, imo.

yeah , i think WBB viewership numbers nosedive next season
 
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Envy is never a good look.

Yeah, I think that the whole discussion about the need for a title is ridiculous ... because it unduly places a bias towards blue-blood programs.

I was just digging up info on Stewie's teams ... because, without questions, Stewart's record of having 4 championships IS impressive. However, when you dig up the info ... you learn that she was on a roster that was littered with WNBA talent. We're talking about a league that only has room for something like 144 players ... and yet Stewart's team was such that the majority of starters on her teams are still current WNBA players? ... and almost all of those who aren't current WNBA players still played in the league for a few years?!

Iowa's roster simply cannot touch that level of talent that was on Stewart's squads that won 4 natties.

Furthermore, Bluder is great ... but she ain't no Geno. Really stoked that Bluder got a win on him ... that isn't going to happen all that often.

While Iowa's winning has truly been a team-driven thing ... Caitlin is still the engine that has made it "go." There have been many a game where it really feels like she's WILLED us to victory.

So anyhow ... I call bullshit!

You're good in my book Caitlin ... and I'm smarter than everyone. You don't need to prove shit!
No offense but the "she ain't no Geno" comment is pretty subjective. Bluder has done more with less through the years than Geno by far. I'll give you that Geno has definitely stacked more talent on his roster which in and of itself deserves some recognition. But given equal talent, I'd put Lisa's x and o game up with anyone in women's basketball right now.
 
NCAA women’s basketball tournament national championship:
#1 Iowa vs. #1 South Carolina (3p Sun ABC).
Prediction: 24.20 million viewers.

NCAA men’s basketball tournament national championship:
#1 Purdue vs. #1 UConn (9p Mon TBS, TNT and truTV).
Prediction: 15.75 million viewers.



cc: @mr12182 @EvilMonkeyInTheCloset
 
NCAA women’s basketball tournament national championship:
#1 Iowa vs. #1 South Carolina (3p Sun ABC).
Prediction: 24.20 million viewers.

NCAA men’s basketball tournament national championship:
#1 Purdue vs. #1 UConn (9p Mon TBS, TNT and truTV).
Prediction: 15.75 million viewers.



cc: @mr12182 @EvilMonkeyInTheCloset
nba finals games average about 12M only. iowa-sc more than doubled that.
 
According to Nebraska media and fans the real reason the place was sold out was due to Nebraska fans going to see their team compete against Iowa. Nothing to do with CC22 and Iowa’s # 2 ranking. And they are touting the tv numbers that they generated it due to Nebraska and not the true reasons. Oh, and congrats on your only sell out of Pinnacle Bank Arena since it has never happened for a women’s game.
thus the reason why they still think their football team is top tier
 

South Carolina-Iowa Women’s Final is Top Hoops Game in Five Years


By Jon Lewis
April 8, 2024

The final game of Caitlin Clark’s collegiate career was the most-watched basketball game of any kind in five years.

Sunday’s South Carolina-Iowa NCAA women’s basketball national championship averaged a 9.3 rating and 18.7 million viewers on ABC, per Nielsen fast-nationals — marking the largest basketball audience (college or pro, men or women) since the 2019 Virginia-Texas Tech men’s national championship on CBS (19.6M). The previous high over that span was 18.6 million for Game 6 of the 2019 Raptors-Warriors NBA Finals on ABC.

The 9.3 rating is the highest for any basketball game since the Baylor-Gonzaga men’s national championship on CBS in 2021 (9.4).

In addition to delivering the largest basketball audience in five years, the Gamecocks’ win delivered the largest non-football sports audience of any kind since the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on FOX and Univision (22.32M). Only that World Cup final and a post-Super Bowl Winter Olympics telecast earlier the same year (22.49M) rank higher dating back to 2019.

The national title game was Iowa’s third-straight to set the all-time viewership record for women’s college basketball. Their Elite Eight win over LSU set the mark with 12.3 million last Monday and their Final Four victory over UConn drew 14.2 million on Friday, both on ESPN.

Outside of the NFL, it is relatively rare for any matinee sporting event to deliver an audience of such size.

 
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Iowa is #1 #2, #3 and #6 on this all-time list.

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


#13: 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.)


#12: 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).


#11: 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.


#10: 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.


#9: 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.


#8: 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.


#7: 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.


#6: 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.


#5: 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.


#4: 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

#3: 2024 Elite 8, Iowa def. LSU (ESPN): 12.3 million​


#2: 2024 Final Four, Iowa def. UConn (ESPN): 14.2 million​


#1: 2024 National Championship, South Carolina def. IOWA (ABC): 18.7 million​

 
The question was not if the showdown between Iowa and South Carolina in the national championship game on Sunday would set a new TV viewership record for women's basketball, but rather how big the viewership numbers would be. The answer? Very, very, very big.



The game smashed existing viewership record, with a currently reported total of 18.7 million viewers (the number is likely to tick up as final ratings information comes in). The game peaked with an astonishing 24 million viewers.

MORE HERE:
 
Okay, but why since 1992.
everyone keeps saying biggest audience ever.... but only since a game in 1992?
So, it's not the biggest ever?
 
Okay, but why since 1992.
everyone keeps saying biggest audience ever.... but only since a game in 1992?
So, it's not the biggest ever?
What Is It Reaction GIF by Nebraska Humane Society
 
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