Women’s title game down 55%, still draws third-most viewers in history

Field Level Media|published: Mon 7th April, 21:02 2025

NCAA Womens Basketball: Villanova at Connecticut

Jan 22, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) is recognized with head coach Geno Auriemma for her 2000 career points before the start of the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

The women's NCAA national championship game between UConn and South Carolina on Sunday drew its third-largest TV audience on record.

ESPN announced Monday that the Huskies' 82-59 win over the Gamecocks collected 8.5 million viewers across ABC and ESPN.

The number is down a whopping 55 percent from last year's record of 18.9 million, when South Carolina defeated Iowa, and it's 14 percent less than the 9.9 million who watched LSU beat Iowa in 2023 at the apex of the Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark rivalry.

Still, the 2025 game managed to crack the top three, thanks in part to two of the sport's biggest brands. UConn won its first national title since 2016 and its record-setting 12th overall (all under coach Geno Auriemma), while Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks were vying for their fourth championship since 2017.

The women's national title game began airing on ABC in 2023, while it was previously shown only on ESPN. This year's game included a simulcast on ESPN featuring women's hoops legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

--Field Level Media