Current:Home > FinanceCaitlin Clark, Iowa set conference tournament viewership record after beating Nebraska -FutureFinance
Caitlin Clark, Iowa set conference tournament viewership record after beating Nebraska
View
Date:2025-04-14 09:34:09
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! (737)
Related
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Men's March Madness bubble winners and losers: Wake Forest picks up major tournament boost
- Former NFL player Richard Sherman arrested on suspicion of DUI, authorities in Washington state say
- The 2025 Dodge Ram 1500 drops the Hemi V-8. We don't miss it.
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- UAW president Shawn Fain on labor's comeback: This is what happens when workers get power
- Eva Mendes Showcases Purrfect Style During Rare Appearance at Dolce & Gabbana Fashion Show
- Railroad Commission Approves Toxic Waste Ponds Next to Baptist Camp
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Proof Reese Witherspoon Has TikToker Campbell Pookie Puckett on the Brain at 2024 SAG Awards
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- H&R Block wiped out tax data of filers looking for less pricey option, FTC alleges
- Warm weather brings brings a taste of spring to central and western United States
- You Can't Miss Emma Stone's Ecstatic Reaction After Losing to Lily Gladstone at the 2024 SAG Awards
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Decade's old missing person case solved after relative uploads DNA to genealogy site
- SAG Awards 2024 winners list: 'Oppenheimer' wins 3, including outstanding ensemble cast
- South Carolina voter exit polls show how Trump won state's 2024 Republican primary
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
'Oppenheimer' looks at the building of the bomb, and its lingering fallout
Soldier surprises younger brother at school after 3 years overseas
2024 could be an incredible year for Block stock. Here's why.
Intellectuals vs. The Internet
Josh Hartnett Makes Rare Appearance at 2024 SAG Awards After Stepping Away From Hollywood
The One Where Jennifer Aniston Owns the 2024 Sag Awards Red Carpet
John Wooden stamp unveiled at UCLA honoring the coach who led Bruins to a record 10 national titles