Yesterday’s NCAA Women’s College Basketball championship game unsurprisingly brought in some record numbers for ESPN.
ESPN
- With 18.7 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, the championship game between the University of South Carolina and the University of Iowa was the most watched basketball game (men’s or women’s, college or pro) since 2019.
- The game was also the most watched sporting event since 2019, excluding football and the olympics.
- The championship matchup, which saw the undefeated South Carolina team defeat Caitlin Clark’s Iowa, peaked at 24 million viewers.
- The viewership for the game was up 89% from 2023 and 285% from 2022.
- We also learned earlier today that South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley will be heading to Walt Disney World to celebrate her National Championship victory.
What they’re saying:
- ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro: “With a record-setting audience of 18.7 million viewers, Sunday’s Iowa-South Carolina title game was a fitting finale to the most-viewed ever NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. These exceptional athletes, coaches and teams captured our attention in unprecedented ways and it’s incumbent on all of us to keep the incredible momentum going. I’m also very proud of our talented and committed employees for how they presented this historic event.”