TV Ratings: Downs and Ups Of Women's Basketball

The 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament has shown a notable shift in TV ratings through the Elite Eight, reflecting both a decline from the exceptional 2024 season and sustained growth compared to earlier years. 

The tournament has averaged 967,000 viewers across its first four rounds, according to data compiled by Sports Media Watch. This figure represents a 31% decrease from the 1.4 million average at the same point in 2024, a year marked by unprecedented viewership driven largely by the "Caitlin Clark effect." 

However, it also marks a 47% increase over the 2023 tournament’s average at this stage, underscoring that interest in women’s college basketball remains robust even without last year’s record-breaking momentum.

The 2024 tournament set a high bar, culminating in a championship game between South Carolina and Iowa that averaged 18.9 million viewers, peaking at 24.1 million, making it the most-watched basketball game—college or professional—since 2019. That year’s Elite Eight averaged 6.2 million viewers, buoyed by marquee matchups like Iowa vs. LSU (12.3 million), a rematch of the 2023 final. In contrast, the 2025 Elite Eight averaged 2.9 million viewers, a 53% drop from 2024’s 6.2 million but a 34% rise from 2023’s 2.2 million, positioning it as the second-most-watched Elite Eight on record. Key games this year included UCLA vs. LSU (3.4 million) and South Carolina vs. Duke (3.1 million), both on ABC, showing that while viewership has cooled, it still outpaces pre-2024 norms.

Several factors explain these trends. The 2024 surge was fueled by Caitlin Clark, whose historic scoring and Iowa’s deep runs drew massive audiences—her games alone averaged over 10 million viewers across the tournament. Her departure to the WNBA, alongside stars like Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, left a void in 2025. 

The broader context shows women’s basketball sustaining its upward trajectory. The 2025 Sweet 16 averaged 1.7 million viewers, down 29% from 2024’s 2.4 million but up 39% from 2023’s 1.2 million, making it the second-most-watched Sweet 16 ever. Regular-season ratings also reflect growth, with ESPN reporting a 3% increase over 2024 and a 41% jump from 2022-23, the highest since 2008-09. Networks like ABC and ESPN have capitalized on this, with games like Texas vs. Tennessee (2.9 million) and Notre Dame vs. TCU (2.5 million) on ABC driving viewership. Posts on X and industry analyses suggest that while 2025 won’t match 2024’s peaks, the sport’s “floor” has risen significantly, supported by new stars and increased media exposure.

 South Carolina and Connecticut will face each other in the championship game Sunday (3 pm ET, ABC). On the men's side, the Final Four begins tomorrow, with the Florida Gators taking on the Auburn Tigers (6:09 pm ET, ABC) and the Houston Cougars taking on the Duke Blue Devils (8:49 pm ET, ABC).