Women's NCAA Championship Viewing Reaches Third Highest on ESPN Networks

Averaged viewership of 8.5 million, peaking at 9.8 million during the game.

, and ASMedia

2025 June 14 . 5:25 PM

2 min read

Game attracted an average of 8.5 million spectators, reaching a high of 9.8 million viewers.

Women's NCAA Championship Viewing Reaches Third Highest on ESPN Networks

Brimming with Basketball Frenzy:

Hometown: Bristol, Conn. - ESPN’s platforms are rolling with a record-breaking buzz, hosting the third biggest audience for the NCAA Women’s Championship since they claimed the exclusive rights agreement back in 1996. The viewership numbers trail only behind last year’s title-clinching extravaganza and the 2023 thriller between LSU and Iowa.

Airwaves echoed with ABC broadcasting the University of Connecticut Huskies, securing their 12th national championship against the 2024 titans, South Carolina, on Sunday, April 6. The nail-biting contest attracted 8.5 million viewers, with peaks reaching 9.8 million, representing a whopping 75% increase from the previous encounter between these titans back in 2022.

ESPN yesterday shared that the 2025 Championship game was the second most-devoured NCAA Women's College Basketball Tournament on record, with a stunning 8.5 billion minutes consumed. The whole tournament's viewership was the third most-watched event for ESPN platforms since the historic partnership started back in ‘96, with preliminary audiences up an impressive 22%. 💼

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Fans worldwide can expect even more excitement next year as ESPN plans to live-stream the 2026 NCAA Women's Championship, delivering video content of the highly-anticipated basketball tournament directly to viewers' IP addresses.
In an effort to ensure that sports enthusiasts never miss a moment of the action, ESPN has expanded its broadcasting capabilities, offering a dedicated app for viewing live college basketball games, including the upcoming NCAA-basketball matches.
To cater to the ever-growing demand for sports content, ESPN has accelerated its digital transformation, recently launching a new platform that allows users to replay and re-watch past basketball games, as well as access live coverage of various sports tournaments, including the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.