The NCAA Division One Women’s Basketball Tournament in 2024 set viewing records throughout all six rounds, culminating in the championship game between South Carolina and Iowa, which averaged 18.7 million viewers on ABC and ESPN. This marked an 89% increase from last year’s championship game and made it the most watched women’s basketball game of all time. The tournament as a whole shattered viewership records from any previous year, surpassing even top-tier live sporting events like the World Series and NBA Finals.
The success of the tournament can be attributed to standout players such as Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, LSU’s Angel Reese, UConn’s Paige Bueckers, USC’s JuJu Watkins, and the South Carolina Gamecocks with Kamilla Cardoso. Iowa and Caitlin Clark in particular played in the three most watched games of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament in 2024. The audience delivery for each round of the tournament showed significant year-over-year increases in viewership.
The opening round of the tournament saw Iowa’s victory against Holy Cross averaging 3.2 million viewers on ABC, setting a new record for opening round games. The second round game between Iowa and West Virginia generated an average audience of 4.9 million viewers on ESPN, making it the third most watched women’s tournament game in the past two decades. The tournament viewing average increased by 108% compared to the previous year’s numbers after the first two rounds.
As the tournament progressed, viewership continued to grow with the “Sweet 16” round collectively averaging 2.4 million viewers with Iowa leading the charge. The “Elite Eight” round saw Iowa’s rematch with LSU drawing an average of 12.3 million viewers, becoming the most watched women’s college basketball game to date. The Final Four games also set a new viewing record, with Iowa’s victory against UConn averaging 14.2 million viewers.
Advertisers took notice of the growing popularity of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, with Disney selling out all of its in-game commercial inventory weeks ahead of the Final Four and championship game. With strong demand from marketers, the tournament attracted a total of 87 brands, including 42 first-time marketers like Adidas, Honda, Google, and Home Depot. Advertisers invested over $25 million in the women’s tournament in 2024, up from $19.4 million the previous year.
As women’s sports continue to grow in popularity, media ad buying companies like GroupM are recommending doubling ad commitments to women’s sports and creating dedicated ad marketplaces. The success of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in 2024 has set a precedent for future support and investment in women’s sports, with companies like Adidas expressing their commitment to continuing to invest in the growing space. The legacy of players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reece, and Kamilla Cardoso will continue to popularize women’s basketball and inspire the next generation of athletes.
