The women's Final Four game between Iowa and UConn on Friday night set a new record as the most-viewed women's basketball game ever, drawing an average of 14.2 million viewers on ESPN. This also marked the largest audience for any ESPN basketball broadcast to date. The previous record was held by the Iowa-LSU game in the Elite Eight, which garnered 12.3 million viewers.
Notably, the audience for the Iowa-UConn matchup peaked at 17 million viewers, solidifying its place as one of the most-watched games in recent years across all sports, excluding college football and the NFL. In comparison, the 2018 Eastern Conference finals Game 7 between Cleveland and Boston had 13.51 million viewers, making it ESPN's most-watched basketball game at the time.
The game is expected to rank among the top 50 primetime telecasts of 2024, potentially surpassing its 32nd place finish on last year's list. It also stands as ESPN's second-highest audience for a non-football broadcast, trailing only the United States-Portugal match during the 2014 men's World Cup, which averaged 18.22 million viewers.
Shifting focus to the men's basketball scene, the last NBA game to attract over 14 million viewers was Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals, where Golden State clinched the title against Boston with 14.22 million viewers tuning in.
During March Madness, Clark's five games on ESPN and ABC have averaged 8.3 million viewers. Iowa is set to face South Carolina in the national championship game on Sunday afternoon, which will be broadcast on ABC.
In the other semifinal matchup, South Carolina's victory over North Carolina State drew an average of 7.1 million viewers, marking the third most-watched women's national semifinal since records began in 1992. The previous record was set by the Stanford vs. Virginia game in 1992, which attracted 8.1 million viewers.
Overall, Friday's two games combined for an average of 10.8 million viewers, representing a significant 138% increase compared to the previous year's viewership. The growing interest and viewership numbers highlight the enduring appeal and excitement surrounding college basketball, particularly during the thrilling March Madness tournament.
For more information on the AP March Madness bracket and coverage, visit here and here.
