2024 has been another record-setting year for NCAA women's basketball in many ways!

Answer: 10.7 million viewers

• Up 6.2 million viewers YOY (year over year)
  
• Iowa vs. UCONN averaged 14.2 million viewers
  
• South Carolina vs. NC State averaged 7.1 million viewers

Questions:

1. Did you watch the 2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four games? If so, what was your motivation for watching?
2. What are some factors you can think of that contributed to this year’s spike in viewership?
3. How could this spike in viewership impact women’s basketball moving forward?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the Numbers (ESPN): 

"Iowa’s 71-69 win against UConn in Friday’s NCAA Final Four game drew 14.2 million viewers, the most in women’s college basketball history, according to ESPN.

The matchup produced the largest audience for a basketball game — college or professional — and was the second-best non-football telecast ever for the network.

Friday’s figure is higher than every World Series and NBA Finals game last year. ESPN said the game peaked at 17 million viewers.

Iowa vs. UConn bested a viewership record set just days prior when the Hawkeyes defeated LSU in the Elite Eight on Monday with 12.3 million viewers."

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About the Author

Ryan Wood

Ryan is the Partnerships and Adoption Manager for Next Gen Personal Finance’s midwest region. He brings his experience as a former teacher, curriculum designer, and sales and marketing professional to state organizations and school districts in supporting the implementation of their personal financial education efforts. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and earned his teaching credential from Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. He proudly taught at two rural high schools in Wisconsin before transitioning to curriculum design at NGPF, and is now excited to be on the front lines in delivering the best possible financial education in the midwest. He and his wife have three beautiful daughters, each of which inspire him to share the impact of being sound financial stewards both at home and as lifelong learners.