The NCAA women's basketball championship game between Iowa and South Carolina attracted a record 18.7 million viewers.

• On Sunday, the NCAA Women's Championship between Iowa and South Carolina attracted a record audience of 18.7 million viewers on ABC and ESPN.
• The game was the most-watched women's college basketball game since 1992.
• Women's basketball has experienced growth, in part, due to players such as Caitlin Clark, who has been compared to some of the sport's greatest legends, increasing fan interest.

On Sunday, the NCAA Women's Championship between Iowa and South Carolina attracted a record audience of 18.7 million viewers on ABC and ESPN.

The NCAA women's college basketball game was the most-watched since 1992, with 24 million viewers, ESPN announced. The game's viewership increased by 89% from the previous year and 285% from 2022, according to ESPN.

Since 2019, the most-watched basketball game, either men's or women's and college or professional, was the championship game where Caitlin Clark-led Iowa lost to South Carolina.

"ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro stated that the 18.7 million viewers who watched Sunday's Iowa-South Carolina title game were a fitting conclusion to the most-viewed ever NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. He added that the exceptional athletes, coaches, and teams captured the attention of viewers in unprecedented ways and it is important for everyone to keep the momentum going."

Last week, the semifinals between Iowa and University of Connecticut broke viewership records, with a peak of 17 million viewers, ESPN reports.

The growth of women's basketball was driven in part by players like Clark, who has drawn comparisons to some of the sport's greatest of all time, fueling interest in the sport and attracting new viewers. Clark, 22, has dominated the court and set several records, luring in more fans with the "Caitlin Clark Effect."

In recent months, the March Madness tournament has been one of several pivotal moments for women's sports.

In 2023, women's sports set new records, with Deloitte estimating that revenue from women's elite sports could reach $1 billion, a 300% increase from 2020.

Record-level valuations for women's sports have been driven by groundbreaking media deals and private investors and celebrities alike looking to invest.