Sunday's NCAA women's basketball national championship drew a record-setting 18.7 million viewers as the media frenzy surrounding Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark helped bring new attention to the sport. It has opened up historical horizons.
South Carolina defeated Iowa 87-75 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. The network said it was ESPN's most-watched basketball game, professional or college, since 2019.
At its peak, 24 million viewers tuned in to the game, according to figures provided by ESPN.
“Sunday's Iowa-South Carolina title game set a record with 18.7 million viewers, making it a fitting finale to the most-watched NCAA women's basketball tournament in history,” said ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro. An extraordinary athlete, coach and team achieved this victory.” It has captured our attention in an unprecedented way, and it is incumbent upon us all to maintain this incredible momentum. ”
Friday's semifinal game between Iowa and University was watched by 14.2 million viewers, peaking at 17 million, more than all of last year's World Series and all of the NBA Finals.
Iowa State defeated UW 71-69 on Friday.
Sunday's championship was the final collegiate game for the distinguished Clark, who gained national attention by breaking Division I scoring records for both men and women.
She scored 30 points in the championship and is headed to the WNBA draft.
It was also a perfect season for South Carolina, which missed out on a spot in the Final Four last year after losing to Iowa State.
“Saturday Night Live'' reported that all eyes are on the women's college game. A cruel parody of March Madness television coverage highlighted the disparity in interest compared to college men's hoops.
“We've got a star player in the women's tournament,” said Kenan Thompson, who plays former NBA star Charles Barkley. “Caitlin Clark has done ads for State Farm, Subway, Xfinity, and Nike. I've only done ads for three of those companies.”
Asked to give viewers a preview of the men's final, Thompson had to jog his memory and form a few words.
“I think the men’s final this Monday is between Quinnimac University and Northern Southern State,” he said.