How many tuned in to the Women's NCAA championship
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The women's national championship game between UConn and South Carolina averaged 8.6 million viewers and peaked at 9.9 million on Sunday according to data from ESPN on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Viewership was down from last year's matchup (18.9 million) featuring Caitlin Clark, but it still set records.
By the numbers: The game was ABC's third most-watched women's championship, behind 2023's matchup between LSU and Iowa (which averaged 9.9 million) and 2024's game between Iowa and South Carolina, according to ESPN.
- Viewership was up 75% from the same matchup in 2022 on ESPN.
Catch up quick: ESPN platforms acquired exclusive rights in 1996. Games aired on ESPN networks 2020-2022 and on ABC in 2023-25.
The Final Four games drew historic numbers, too. The UCLA-UConn game averaged 4.1 million viewers and South Carolina-Texas averaged 3.6 million, landing in the top 10 best audience viewership on ESPN platforms.
Yes, but: Ahead of Sunday's title game, both South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma advocated for a new TV deal, one separate from the NCAA championships.
- "We need our own television deal so we can understand what our worth is," Staley said in a press conference Saturday.
Context: ESPN and the NCAA reached a new, eight-year deal in 2024.
The big picture: Even without star power like Clark and former LSU player Angel Reese, viewers are still tuning in to watch women's sports.
More from Axios
- Women's NCAA tournament ticket prices are down but still strong post-Caitlin Clark
- March Madness is doing fine without a Cinderella
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect the 2024 women's championship was between Iowa and South Carolina (not UConn). The story and chart were also updated with the latest viewership numbers from ESPN.
