On Sunday, an impressive 3.38 million viewers tuned in to witness Iowa guard Caitlin Clark’s historic feat as she shattered the NCAA Division I basketball all-time scoring record during the Hawkeyes’ triumphant 93-83 victory over Ohio State.
This game has etched its place in history as the most-watched regular-season women’s college basketball event since January 10, 1999, when the clash between No. 2 Tennessee and No. 1 UConn captivated audiences with a score of 92-81, according to Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch.
Broadcasted by Fox Sports, the game drew even more attention with a peak viewership of 4.42 million early in the 3:00 hour, as revealed by Fox Sports PR.
This thrilling matchup now holds the distinction of being the second-most watched regular-season college basketball game, whether men’s or women’s, of the year.
Sunday’s Ohio State-Iowa game ft. Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking performance scored 3.39 million viewers on FOX
🏀Most-watched reg season WCBB game on any net since 1999
🏀Most-watched WCBB game in FOX Sports history
🏀Viewership peaked at 4.42 million viewers from 3-3:14 PM ET pic.twitter.com/GvTtjlmCSd— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) March 5, 2024
According to Lewis, the top spot goes to the Thanksgiving Day showdown between Arizona men’s hoops and Michigan State, drawing an average of 5.18 million viewers, following the Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions NFL game on FOX.
Clark’s journey to this record-breaking moment had been eagerly anticipated. Needing 18 points to surpass the legendary “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s all-time scoring record (male or female) of 3,667 points amassed at LSU from 1967-1970, Clark delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 35 points and securing her place in NCAA history with a total of 3,685 points for her career.
While the WNBA beckons Clark’s talents in the near future, her focus, for now, remains on leading the Hawkeyes through the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Their journey begins this Friday in the quarterfinals against an opponent yet to be determined.
