Iowa vs. LSU Most Watched Women’s Basketball Game Ever, per ESPN

It had massive hype leading into it, and it delivered on all of it, and then some.

After mounting build-up to Sunday’s national championship game between LSU and Iowa, the game delivered an instant classic result, with the Tigers notching a 102-85 victory for the program’s first-ever title. On Monday, the TV ratings came through, confirming a historic audience for the event.

The game drew in 9.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record, according to ESPN. On the streaming side, the game was the most-watched sporting event—men’s or women’s—in the history of ESPN+. The broadcast peaked at 12.6 million viewers.

The game drew over four million more viewers than the previous women’s college basketball record, which took place during the 2002 national championship game between UConn and Oklahoma.

Blows the previous record out of the water. (That was 5.68 million for the '02 Championship, where UConn beat Oklahoma to finish an undefeated season with Sue Bird / Diana Taurasi / Swin Cash) https://t.co/3xU2erVGSL

— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) April 3, 2023

This year’s ratings represented a 103% increase from last year’s national championship game, when South Carolina defeated UConn.

The Tigers used a first-half shooting barrage and to build up a 17-point halftime lead, then leaned on dominant interior play to hold off the Hawkeyes’ comeback attempt. Iowa star Caitlin Clark dealt with foul trouble yet finished with 30 points and eight assists. LSU forward Angel Reese notched 15 points and 10 rebounds, setting a new record with her 34th double-double of the season.

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