Media & Broadcast 2 min read

Fox Sports viewership hits 25-year high for NCAA women’s basketball match

Written by MOS Editorial Team

Published on 7 March 2024

The recent matchup between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Ohio State Buckeyes in NCAA college basketball drew new levels of attention from fans and viewers.

With Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft prospect Caitlin Clark leading the charge, the game drew in over four million viewers on Fox Sports, marking a milestone in women’s college basketball history.

Confirmed reports reveal that the average viewership for the game stood at an impressive 3.39 million, peaking at 4.42 million on Fox Sports. This remarkable achievement solidified the game as the most-watched women’s college basketball event ever aired on Fox Sports.

Sports Media Watch highlighted that no women’s college basketball regular-season game had garnered such massive viewership on any network since January 1999, when a matchup between the University of Connecticut and Tennessee attracted 3.88 million viewers.

Central to this historic game was the presence of Clark, whose remarkable performance propelled her team to victory but also solidified her status as a likely WNBA star. As the projected first overall pick, Clark has garnered widespread attention, further amplified by her recent multi-year partnership with Indianapolis-based financial platform Gainbridge. Serving as a brand ambassador, Clark’s partnership with Gainbridge aligns with the company’s commitment to advancing opportunities for women both on and off the court.

In conjunction with her endorsement deal, Gainbridge introduced ParityFlex, a multi-year guaranteed annuity product tailored for women. Clark emphasised the importance of empowering women to prioritise their long-term financial goals, highlighting the significance of initiatives like ParityFlex in enabling women to build a secure financial future.

Reflecting on her partnership with Gainbridge, Clark stated, “I am honoured to be part of the company’s deepening commitment to advancing opportunities for women, on and off the court, like this visionary new product for women.

“Women of all ages need to think about their long-term financial goals. The ParityFlex product is designed to allow women to begin building their financial future now.”