The NCAA Tournament’s Final Four between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Connecticut Huskies resulted in the latter’s loss with a final score of 71-69. The highly-anticipated matchup became the most-watched college basketball game in women’s category in entire history, as per Front Office Sports.
The game, which featured NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark and rising star Paige Bueckers, was viewed by 14.2 million. The matchup also saw a controversial foul registered against UConn, which later became a point of contention as communities online took great notice to it. The game after the foul reached 17 million.
Friday night's 2024 #WFinalFour matchup between No. 1 @IowaWBB & No. 3 @UConnWBB was the MOST-WATCHED #NCAAWBB game EVER 🎉
🏀 Peak 17M viewers
🏀 Highest audience for ANY BASKETBALL GAME on record
🏀 Iowa-UConn was the most-viewed college event ever on ESPN+#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/P8BUtRyUxH— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 6, 2024
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 6, 2024
ESPN has had the NBA since 2002.
But Iowa-UConn's Final Four matchup was the network's most-watched basketball game—men’s or women’s, pro or collegiate—ever.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 6, 2024
On ESPN network, the matchup that stopped Clark at 21 points became the most-watched basketball game. As per FOS, the game reached several records, including becoming the most-viewed women’s game considering level and network in last thirty years.
The semifinals had an average of 10.8 million and saw 138% increase considering last year. The earlier record set in college viewership in the women’s category was set by the LSU Tigers against Iowa, which had an average of 12.3 million and the year before this, it was 9.9 million as per Front Office Sports.
The women’s tournament has succeeded considering the shortcomings they have faced by the NCAA and its broadcast partners. A few disparities are still existing today. The giant network, ESPN and NCAA have also agreed to an eight-year $920 million extension regarding their media contract. The value of the women’s March Madness is $65 million.
