UConn-Iowa Final Four Game Shatters ESPN Ratings
By Movieguide® Contributor
The UConn-Iowa Final Four game shattered college women’s basketball ratings for ESPN.
Per Variety, “ESPN’s nighttime telecast of UConn-Iowa faceoff delivered an audience of 14.2 million viewers, a new high mark for a women’s college basketball game, per ESPN citing Nielsen data. The game that ended 71-69 was a nail-biter with a one-point margin until the final seconds. The audience turnout topped the short-lived ratings record for a women’s college basketball game of 12.3 million viewers set on April 1 with Iowa’s victory over LSU in the Elite 8 game.”
At one point, over 17 million viewers were tuned into the game.
The Athletic writer Richard Deitsch wrote, “To put this in perspective. This game tops… Every World Series game last year. Every NBA Finals game last year. Every Daytona 500 since 2013. Every Masters final round viewership since 2013. All but five CFB games in 2023.”
To put this in perspective. This game tops…
• Every World Series game last year.
• Every NBA Finals game last year.
• Every Daytona 500 since 2013.
• Every Masters final round viewership since 2013.
• All but five CFB games in 2023. https://t.co/i7e3G7DWSK— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 6, 2024
Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark has been key to drawing national attention to this season’s NCAA women’s basketball championship. She became the all-time leading scorer for both men and women.
Movieguide® reported:
Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark is the talk of the sports world.
Clark, who just recently broke the record for the most points scored by any female collegiate basketball player, is also on her way to scoring the most points in collegiate history for both men and women.
She also just surpassed Lynette Woodard for the most 3-pointers made in a single season.
As a kid growing up in Iowa, Clark dreamed of playing for the UConn Huskies, but when an opportunity came for her to play in her home state, she decided to stay.
Her goal coming into college was not only to be the best but also to change women’s basketball forever. She’s done just that, as viewership has increased tremendously over the last two years.
“A record 9.9 million viewers tuned in to watch LSU’s win over Iowa in the 2023 national championship game. And on Monday, Iowa’s 94-87 victory over LSU in the Elite Eight of averaged 12.3 million viewers, the most watched women’s college basketball game in history and one of the most-viewed games in any sport other than NFL football over the past year,” ESPN reported.
Her influence has reached beyond Iowa as well.
“A total of 292,456 fans came through the turnstiles to watch first- and second-round games, an increase of 60,779 fans over 2023, when a then-record 231,677 fans attended,” NCAA wrote.