Strong Ratings Registered on ESPN Platforms for Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament
Women's college basketball hits a record-breaking stride in the 2025 tournament, boasting impressive viewer numbers for the first and second rounds. This year's tournament maintained the second-highest viewership ever recorded, not far behind the 2024 record-breaking season.
As of the second round, the 2025 Women's Division I Basketball Tournament is averaging an impressive 602,000 viewers, making it the second-highest audience since 2009. With a total of about 1 billion total minutes viewed, these early rounds are the second most-consumed on record.
ESPN reported a 43% rise in average viewers across all platforms, making the first round the second most-watched since 2013 (only behind last year's historic season). ABC and ESPN both saw their second-best first round performances on record with viewership exceeding one million.
The second round witnessed a 60% increase from 2023 and was only beaten by the 2024 viewership. ESPN's second round averaged 991,000 viewers, marking their third best performance. ESPN2 averaged 755,000 viewers across two games, their best second round since 2010.
Meanwhile, specific matches — such as South Dakota State/UConn, Indiana/South Carolina, and Mississippi State/USC — have claimed spots within the Top-10 for most-watched second round games on record. The peak for the Alabama/Maryland game on ESPN2 reached 1.6 million viewers in the second overtime.
This year's tournament showcases an overall historic trend, with the championship game raking in 24 million viewers, a record high representing an 89% increase from 2023 and a 285% increase from 2022[1]. Key matchups like the Iowa vs. UConn game peaked at 14.2 million viewers[1], becoming the most-watched women's college basketball game ever[2].
The women's college basketball championship in 2025 outdrew the men's final for the first time, symbolizing the ever-growing popularity of the female sport[1]. This growing interest and investment in the female basketball scene is attributed to star players and strategic media efforts that have propelled exponential growth in fan engagement and broadcast ratings[5].
- The surging interest in women's college basketball is evident in the 2025 tournament, with streaming media platforms reporting a 43% rise in average viewers during the first round.
- In the second round of the 2025 Women's Division I Basketball Tournament, viewership on ESPN averaged 991,000, marking the third-highest second round performance since 2009.
- Some specific matches in the 2025 tournament, such as South Dakota State/UConn and Indiana/South Carolina, have broken records for most-watched second round games on record, surpassing even the 2024 season.
- The ongoing rise in the popularity of women's college basketball is demonstrated by its coverage on various media platforms, including streaming services and traditional television channels like ABC and ESPN, that are broadcasting basketball content, including sports like NCAA-Basketball, to millions of viewers worldwide.
