Iowa-UConn averages 14.2 million viewers as Women's NCAA Tournament ratings surge continues

Looking to build on the momentum created by a record-breaking Elite Eight matchup, ESPN had another dream showdown Friday night in the Final Four. That’s when Caitlin Clark and Iowa squared off against Paige Bueckers and UConn for a spot in the national championship.

The expectation was the TV ratings would continue their steady rise as two of the biggest names in the sport went head-to-head. That continued as it became a one-possession game in the final minutes and a controversial call dominated the conversation on social media.

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It lived up to the billing. An average of 14.2 million people tuned in as Iowa held on to defeat UConn and punch its ticket to the national championship, ESPN announced, with a peak audience of 17 million. That topped the previous record, which Iowa set in its last NCAA Tournament game against LSU, for the most-watched college basketball game in ESPN history. It also became ESPN’s second-best, non-football broadcast in history.

Iowa-UConn was also the second game of the day, following South Carolina vs. NC State. That matchup averaged 7.1 million viewers as the Gamecocks put together a strong second half to stay undefeated entering the national championship.

For as much hype as Clark vs. Bueckers received, it was the supporting casts who stole the show – just as the two warned could happen. For UConn, KK Arnold put together a complete performance, totaling 14 points to go with five steals and four assists to make an impact on both sides of the basketball. On the Iowa side, Hannah Stuelke led the Hawkeyes with 23 points to help pick things up as Clark struggled in the first half.

However, officiating became the hot topic of discussion postgame.

Aaliyah Edwards was called for an illegal screen with three seconds to play in the matchup as the Huskies went down the court trailing the Hawkeyes by one point. The play quickly made its way around social media as opinions rolled in across the country.

“NAAAAAHHHHHH!!!” LeBron James wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I ain’t rolling with that call.”

Women’s basketball popularity continues to surge

Clark and Iowa have been TV ratings darlings this season. The Hawkeyes have set multiple viewership records, and their Elite Eight matchup against LSU – a rematch of last year’s national championship – became the most-watched college basketball game in ESPN history with an average of 12.3 million people watching.

The game in the late slate that night – UConn vs. USC – also drew a big number with an average of 6.7 million viewers tuning in to watch the Huskies defeat the Trojans. All told, viewership for the women’s tournament is up 127% over last year, ESPN said, including a 138% increase for the Final Four.

That’s also paying off in the arenas, too.

Ticket prices for this year’s Final Four skyrocketed ahead of Friday’s games. The average get-in price for Friday’s national semifinals in Cleveland is $479, according to TicketIQ, and the average resale price is $1,556 – more than double last year’s Women’s Final Four in Dallas. For comparison, those numbers were $456 and $1,422, respectively, for the Men’s Final Four in Arizona.