ESPN sees growth in women’s college basketball viewership

Women’s college basketball continues to take off as a viewership sport.

And perhaps the best indicator of that growth is ESPN’s viewership gains over the past two seasons. According to Flora Kelly, ESPN’s VP of Research, the network’s women’s college basketball audience is up 3% versus last year, and a whopping 44% versus two seasons ago.

Small note on Women’s College Basketball in a post Clark era

This season ESPN had 15 WCBB games with 500K+ viewers this season, which is 2 more than last year.

With only a few games remaining, WCBB on ESPN is up +3% vs last year and +44% from 2 seasons ago#notslowingdown pic.twitter.com/aKbKoKmbH9

— Flora Kelly (@ESPNFlora) March 4, 2025

ESPN’s numbers are likely the most accurate indicator of the sport’s growth because the network did not regularly benefit from the Caitlin Clark-fueled ratings fiasco that other networks, particularly Fox and the Big Ten Network, did while the superstar was playing in Iowa last season. Instead, ESPN’s viewership figures are largely Clark-free, meaning that, when controlling for the Clark-bump, women’s hoops is still on a growth trajectory.

Caitlin Clark was, and remains, the biggest needle-mover in the sport. No one is arguing that. However, some of the sport’s detractors have criticized Clark as being the only draw in women’s basketball.

The data clearly shows, that is not the case. Per Kelly, ESPN has aired 15 women’s college basketball games with audiences over 500,000 viewers this season; two greater than last season with the opportunity to add more.

No doubt, the sport’s overall viewership across all networks will be down this year without a generational television draw like Clark. But it’s clear that her impact has raised the baseline for women’s basketball, both college and pro.