NCAA women's championship match records 18.7 million views

The NCAA women's championship showdown between Iowa and South Carolina garnered an impressive 18.7 million viewers on Sunday, setting a new record for a women's college basketball game, according to ESPN.

The game reached its peak viewership at 24 million on ABC and ESPN, making it the most-watched basketball game since 2019, regardless of gender, college or professional level.

This figure surpasses the previous record set during Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes' revenge match against LSU earlier in the tournament, which attracted 12.3 million viewers, as well as their Final Four clash against the University of Connecticut, which drew 14.2 million viewers.

Clark, who has captivated fans throughout her final season with Iowa, not only shattered Pete Maravich's all-time scoring record in college basketball but is also widely anticipated to be the top pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft.

Unfortunately, her quest for the championship title was thwarted by coach Dawn Staley's formidable South Carolina team, resulting in an 87-75 loss for the Hawkeyes in the final game.

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro hailed the Iowa-South Carolina title game as a fitting conclusion to the most-watched NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament ever, acknowledging the exceptional athletes, coaches, and teams that captivated audiences in unprecedented ways.