ESPN Shatters Women’s Hoops Ratings Record—Without Caitlin Clark
Let’s talk about a massive win for women’s basketball! ESPN has just reported its highest NCAA women’s basketball regular season ratings since 2008–2009. And here’s the kicker—it happened without relying on superstar Caitlin Clark. This proves that women’s basketball is gaining ground as a must-watch sport, with or without a single headline name driving the numbers.
So, let’s break it down. Over the 2024–2025 season, ESPN networks, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU, pulled in an average of 280,000 viewers per game across 87 matchups. That’s a solid 3% increase from last year. The biggest jumps came from ABC and ESPN, the platforms with the broadest reach. ABC’s three games averaged 1.3 million viewers—an astonishing 120% increase compared to last year’s six ABC games. ESPN also saw significant gains, averaging 511,000 viewers over 28 games, up 13% from the previous season.
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The momentum really took off in February with some high-stakes matchups. A prime-time doubleheader on February 16 featuring UConn vs. South Carolina and LSU vs. Texas delivered ESPN’s two most-watched games of the season—1.8 million and 1.7 million viewers, respectively. Another highlight? South Carolina vs. Texas on February 9, which hit 1 million viewers, followed by Notre Dame vs. NC State on February 23 with 887,000.
It’s worth noting that before that February surge, ESPN’s women’s basketball ratings were actually down 17% compared to the previous season. But thanks to these major games, that deficit was slashed to just 3%, ultimately ending in positive territory.
One interesting factor in all this? ESPN aired only two non-conference Iowa games featuring Caitlin Clark in the 2023–2024 season, both early on. That means these impressive ratings were driven by a broader audience interest in the sport itself, rather than just one player. This is a huge sign that women’s basketball is growing as a brand, drawing fans across teams, conferences, and stars.
Looking ahead, ESPN is hoping to ride this wave of success into March Madness. With Selection Sunday airing on March 16, the network is gearing up for another massive audience boost. And if the regular season’s numbers are anything to go by, women’s hoops is only going to keep climbing.
This is a moment worth celebrating. Women’s college basketball is proving that it can stand on its own, attracting viewers with intense matchups and elite competition. The future of the sport is bright, and fans are clearly tuning in to watch history unfold.
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