© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WECS · WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM · WVOF
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

For the first time, NCAA women's basketball championship drew more viewers than men's

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

It was a record-breaking season in college basketball, and the viewership ratings reflected the enthusiasm sports fans had for this year's women's and men's tournaments.

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Over the weekend, South Carolina finished off a perfect season with its victory against Iowa in the women's bracket. And on Monday, on the men's side, UConn beat Purdue.

SHAPIRO: This year was the first time more people tuned in for the women's championship game than the men's. The Iowa-South Carolina game averaged almost 19 million viewers and peaked at 24 million in the final 15 minutes, according to ESPN.

CHANG: That's a whole lot of eyeballs. Iowa's Caitlin Clark leaves setting the record for points scored across women's and men's college basketball, and her stardom drew some of the biggest audiences this tournament has ever seen. With the WNBA draft quickly approaching, you won't have to wait long to see what's in store for some of this year's top players.

SHAPIRO: The draft is set to take place on Monday. Clark is expected to go to Indiana, and we'll find out where some of this year's other standout players are heading next.

(SOUNDBITE OF BEYONCE SONG, "RUN THE WORLD (GIRLS)") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Kai McNamee
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Gus Contreras
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.


Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.