Who's watching March Madness
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Viewership during the women's NCAA basketball tournament has grown in 70 markets since the opening round, according to data from Roku.
The big picture: More people have tuned in to the men's games in general, but women's support remains strong post-Caitlin Clark.
By the numbers: Columbia, South Carolina, home of the reigning NCAA champion Gamecocks had the highest Elite 8 tune-in rate among Roku users, with nearly one in five traditional TV households tuning in to Women's Elite 8 games.
- Viewership in Columbia grew 41% from the First Round to the Elite Eight.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, home of 2023's NCAA champions at LSU, had the second-highest Elite 8 tune-in rate, growing 27% as LSU remained in the tournament.
Fun fact: Roku found the highest viewership rate in the women's first round came from Sioux Falls, where South Dakota State played in the first two rounds.
Across every market, viewership of the men's tournament has fallen between the first round and the Elite 8 as teams are knocked off the bracket.
State of play: March Madness' biggest stars like University of Connecticut's Paige Bueckers and Texas Christian University's Hailey Van Lith have played into the deep rounds of the women's tournament.
- The Women's Final Four will include the powerhouse University of South Carolina and Bueckers' UConn Huskies.
- Cooper Flagg, arguably the only household name on the men's side, has led Duke to its 18th Final Four.
What we're watching: The women's Final Four tips off at 7pm Friday on ESPN and the men's begins shortly after 6pm Saturday on CBS.
