Iowa-UConn Final Four Game Shatters Viewership Records Once Again

The Caitlin Clark television ratings extravaganza continued in Friday night's Final Four.
Apr 5, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball against
Apr 5, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball against / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Friday night's Final Four tilt between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 3 seed UConn shattered television ratings yet again, as the Caitlin Clark ratings extravaganza reached unprecedented heights.

Over 14.2 million people tuned in to watch Iowa advance to its second consecutive national championship game. At 14.2 million viewers, it became the most-watched women's basketball game on record.

The first Final Four game of the night featuring undefeated No. 1 seed South Carolina's win over No. 3 seed NC State drew 7.1 million viewers, which was the third-most watched women's Final Four game.

In addition, Friday night's Iowa-UConn telecast is the second-most watched non-football telecast in ESPN history. The only other non-football game to draw more viewers was the United States men's national team in 2014 against Portugal in the FIFA World Cup.

Clark and the Hawkeyes face undefeated South Carolina in the national championship Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. It should be another ratings boom for the worldwide leader.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.