The NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship is a lucrative business. According to ESPN, the game between Jackson State and UConn was the third most-watched first-round game in history.
JACKSON STATE AND TOMEKIA REED’S APPEAL
The illuminating star power of Tomekia Reed, Miya Crump, and Angel Jackson competing against Geno Auriemma, Alliyah Edwards, and Paige Bueckers was enough to attract 1.1 million viewers. Sponsors must have been elated with the numbers.
Fans tuned in to First Round #NCAAWBB #MarchMadness on ESPN platforms
š Most-consumed First Rd on record (1.5B total mins)
š Iowa/Holy Cross: 3.2M viewers, most-viewed First Rd game on record
š UConn/Jackson State: 1.1M viewers, 3rd most-viewed First Rd game on record pic.twitter.com/QpBqg7oNkC
ā ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 26, 2024
Considering the competition began at 1:00 PM Eastern on a Saturday afternoon, the appeal of attracting a nationwide audience was a bold strategic move, and it paid off for ABC and ESPN.
