Current:Home > reviewsCaitlin Clark, Iowa set conference tournament viewership record after beating Nebraska -TruePath Finance
Caitlin Clark, Iowa set conference tournament viewership record after beating Nebraska
View
Date:2025-04-18 22:05:33
Fans can't get enough of Caitlin Clark.
Iowa's Big Ten championship win over Nebraska on Sunday was the most-watched conference tournament game on any network in women's college basketball history, CBS Sports reported on Tuesday.
The network said that the game, where the Hawkeyes won 94-89 for their third straight Big Ten title behind 34 points and 12 assists from Clark, had an average of 3.021 million viewers. The audience peaked when the game went into overtime and 4.450 million people tuned in.
The matchup was the most-watched game of the day, which also featured the SEC championship where South Carolina outlasted LSU after a scuffle in the fourth quarter to win their eighth conference title in 10 years.
The Athletic's Richard Deitsch compared the numbers between the women's Big Ten championship and the storied rivalry between Duke and North Carolina's men's basketball teams. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels faced off on Saturday in the regular season finale. North Carolina won at Cameron Indoor, clinching the regular season ACC crown. Deitsch said that game, which was aired on ESPN, had an average of 3.076 million viewers.
WOMEN'S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's women's tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
The Big Ten Network also reported that Iowa amassed more than 1 million viewers for both its semifinal and quarterfinal games in the conference tournament. It's the first time the network has seen two women's games pass the 1 million mark. The 1.075 million fans that tuned in for the semifinal against Michigan made the game the most-watched women's sports event and second overall in the network's history.
Clark − with other stars such as LSU's Angel Reese, former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston and Stanford's Cameron Brink − have helped elevate the profile of women's basketball. Last year's Final Four saw record viewership on ESPN with an average of 5.5 million and peak of 6.6 million people watching Iowa versus South Carolina. When Clark broke Pete Maravich's all-time scoring record earlier this month in a game against Ohio State, an average of 3.4 million fans tuned in, making it the most-watched women's college basketball game in FOX's history.
The Hawkeyes clinched a berth in the NCAA tournament with the championship win. They will learn their seeding for the competition on Selection Sunday.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Hong Kong eyes stronger economic and trade ties with Thailand to expand its role in Southeast Asia
- Cory Booker able to safely depart Israel after surprise Hamas attack in Gaza
- Punctuation is 'judgey'? Text before calling? How proper cell phone etiquette has changed
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- 3 of 4 killed in crash involving stolen SUV fleeing attempted traffic stop were teens, police say
- Michael Chiarello, chef and Food Network star, dies at 61 following allergic reaction: Reports
- Afghans still hope to find survivors from quake that killed over 2,000 in western Herat province
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Why Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White Thinks Pat Sajak's Daughter Is a Good Replacement for Her
Ranking
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Hamas official says Iran and Hezbollah had no role in Israel incursion but they’ll help if needed
- Monday's Powerball is over $1.5 billion. What are the 10 biggest Powerball jackpots ever?
- Stock market today: Rate hopes push Asian shares higher while oil prices edge lower
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Cory Booker able to safely depart Israel after surprise Hamas attack in Gaza
- US Postal Service proposes new postage stamp price hikes set to begin in 2024
- Comfort Calendar: Stouffer's releases first ever frozen meal advent calendar
Recommendation
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
As poverty spikes, One Warm Coat, Salvation Army coat donations are more important than ever
Flag football in the Olympics? Cricket, lacrosse also expected as new sports for 2028
What to know about the Psyche mission, NASA's long-awaited trip to a strange metal asteroid
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
Simone Biles wins 2 more gold medals at 2023 Gymnastics World Championships
Powerball jackpot grows to $1.55 billion for Monday; cash option worth $679.8 million
Casino industry spurs $329 billion in US economic activity, study by gambling group shows