Women’s March Madness Championship Game Outdraws Men’s by 4M Viewers

Five big questions re: March Madness:
1) Which March Madness championship game drew the most viewers?
2) Was this a surprise?
3) How did this happen?
4) Which demos preferred the women’s championship over the men’s?
5) How much does ESPN pay to air the women’s NCAA March Madness tournament?

Big question #1: Which March Madness championship game drew the most viewers?

Quick answer: The women’s championship outdrew the men’s by 4M viewers (27%).

Total viewership for NCAA March Madness championship games (YoY growth) according to Sports Media Watch:
1) Mens – UCONN-PU (TBS) – 14.8M (↑ 1%)
2) Womens – USC-UI (ABC) – 18.9M (↑ 90%)

The 10-year trend for NCAA March Madness championship games:
1) Mens – 21.2M → 14.8M  (↓ 30%)
2) Womens – 4.3M →18.9M (↑ 342%)

Big question #2: Was this a surprise?

Quick answer: Yes!!!  The trend line has been moving this way recently, but this result was surprising.  You would have laughed if someone told you four weeks ago that the women’s championship would outdraw the men’s by 4M viewers.

Flashback: The Legend of Caitlin Clark and the Madness of March

Wow: The women’s championship game was the most-watched basketball game over the past 5 years.

Interesting: The championship and final four were not the most watched games this year for the men’s side. That honor goes to Duke vs. North Carolina State in the Elite 8.

Big question #3: How did this happen?

Quick answer: The women’s game has bigger stars (Caitlin Clark, etc.) and is on broadcast (ABC), while the men’s championship is on cable (TBS).

Keep in mind: Over the past decade, ≈ 30M households have cut the cord.  43% of households did not have access to the men’s game in the first place.

Big question #4: Which demos preferred the women’s championship over the men’s?

Demos that preferred the women’s championship, according to Michael Mulvihill:
1) Females 12-17 – +202%
2) Boys 2-11 – +108%
3) Girls 2-11 – +97%
4) Women 65+ – +81%
5) HH Income <$75K – +56%
6) Black HHs – +46%
7) Education, HS Grad – +44%
8) Education, 1-3 yrs college – +41%

Demos that preferred the men’s championship:
1) Men 18-34 – +40%
2) Men 35-49 – +7%
3) HH Income >$200K – +1%

Big question #5: How much does ESPN pay to air the women’s NCAA March Madness tournament?

PSA: In SOTS #359, I incorrectly stated ESPN was paying $65M per year for the women’s March Madness tournament.  In fact, this year was the last season under the old deal, under which ESPN paid $6.5M per year.

Media rights fee for the 2024 March Madness tournament:
1) Men’s – $873M
2) Women’s – $7M

Good deal: The men’s tournament drew roughly 5X as many viewers for each of the 67 games but earned 134X more in media rights fees.

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