Iowa's Elite Eight Win Over LSU Broke Ratings Records
Caitlin Clark and Iowa keep breaking viewership records. According to ESPN, the Hawkeyes' Elite Eight win over LSU from Monday night drew 12.3 million viewers. That makes it the most-watched women's college basketball contest on record, and the most-watched college basketball game ever on ESPN platforms. The rematch of the 2023 national championship lived up to the hype.
This news comes after it was announced the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA women's tournament was the most-watched in history. Iowa's win over Colorado drew 6.9 million viewers, while LSU vs. UCLA had 3.8 million watching, South Carolina's win over Indiana garnered 2.1 million viewers and UConn's victory against Duke drew 2 million.
To put the Iowa-LSU numbers in perspective, the 2023 NBA Finals only averaged 11.64 million viewers. Clark's rematch against Angel Reese, Kim Mulkey and LSU cleared that mark. Those ratings are also higher than the 2023 World Series, which checked in at 9.11 million viewers.
Those who tuned in got one heck of a show. Iowa's 94-87 victory was a fast-paced, high-scoring affair, and the stars shined. Clark scored 41 points, dished out 12 assists and grabbed seven rebounds while hitting nine three-pointers. For LSU, Reese finished with 17 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. Flau'jae Johnson had 23 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
Clark and Iowa have now reached the Final Four again, and will face UConn, who topped USC in the Elite Eight. As The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach noted, that contest drew 6.7 million viewers, which would have been the most for a non-Final Four women's game ever, if not for all the records broken this year. Additionally, UConn's women's team garnered more viewership than the UConn men's Elite Eight game (6.48 million).
Iowa and UConn's Final Four matchup should be another ratings monster for ESPN, as women's basketball continues breaking viewership records.
Ryan Phillips is a senior writer at The Big Lead.
