Entertainment
Will Women’s Basketball Ever Be More Popular Than Men’s?
Will Women’s Basketball Ever Be More Popular Than Men’s?
Here’s The Scoop
In a stunning blow to the longstanding narrative that men’s sports are the only ones that truly command the attention of the American people, the NCAA women’s basketball championship has shattered previous viewership records, making clear that the era of women’s sports playing second fiddle to men’s is coming to an end.
Iowa’s enthralling 94-87 victory over LSU drew in an unprecedented 12.3 million viewers on ESPN, setting a new record for the largest TV audience for a women’s basketball game in the United States. This record-breaking viewership even surpasses that of the 1983 title game, which had held the previous record for over 40 years.
The Iowa-LSU game wasn’t just a hit among basketball fans. It was the most-watched show during Monday’s prime time slot, outperforming even the biggest program on the broadcast networks, CBS’ NCIS, which gathered a comparatively measly 5.9 million viewers.
But this isn’t a one-off fluke. The late game featuring Connecticut’s 80-73 win over USC also pulled in an impressive 6.7 million viewers, surpassing all broadcast shows.
The increased viewership didn’t stop there. On Sunday afternoon, South Carolina and Oregon State drew in an average of 3.1 million viewers, while North Carolina State and Texas brought in 2.5 million. These numbers represent some of the biggest audiences for women’s Elite Eight games ever.
This should serve as a wake-up call to those who continue to dismiss women’s sports as unworthy of the same recognition and support as their male counterparts. The numbers don’t lie – women’s sports are on the rise, and they’re here to stay.
What do you think? Let us know by participating in our poll, or join the discussion in the comment section below!
Jack
April 9, 2024 at 7:25 pm
I like watching women play the game because most are fundamentally sound and they execute well. Still, they don’t play above the rim, with a few exceptions, and the game is slower because of limited speed and strength. Still, it’s a nice game to watch..
Makoto Oto
April 9, 2024 at 9:48 pm
Women’s basketball has come a long way and very pleasant to watch. But the speed of play and the jump over the rim will need a lot more work. They still do a great job.
Jerry C.
April 10, 2024 at 3:35 am
Wait, women play basketball?!?
Charley Parker
April 10, 2024 at 6:27 am
Perhaps someday. My (unsubstantiated) belief is that lots of boys/young men play basketball daily and fewer women do. Admittedly I am not of this generation, but between the ages of 12-18 I played pick-up basketball after school and in the summer nearly every day – often twice a day. Later in life, I played pick-up games 2-3 days a week after work, and at lunchtime at the Y. There were occasionally 2 or 3 women there who could barely keep up – just didn’t have the size or skills.
Note that I was not very good, but I could guard those women. It was an unwritten rule had to go easy on them on offence (e.g. didn’t post them up).