Caitlin Clark’s continued March Madness presence driving women’s basketball economy

April 3, 2024

Instead of letting women’s March Madness’ media rights hit the market, ESPN renewed its NCAA deal in January — and it’s already paying dividends. While many stars have been knocked out of this year’s tournament, Iowa’s presence in the Final Four will likely have networks and advertisers rooting for Clark to win it all.

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Caitlin Clark’s continued March Madness presence driving women’s basketball economy

Source: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The GIST: Instead of letting women’s March Madness’ media rights hit the market, ESPN renewed its NCAA deal in January — and it’s already paying dividends. While many stars have been knocked out of this year’s tournament, Iowa’s presence in the Final Four will likely have networks and advertisers rooting for Clark to win it all. Net-cutting equals net gains.

The tournament: Clark’s team has reeled in viewers throughout the tournament, with Iowa responsible for three of the tourney’s most-watched games so far, starting with 3.2M in the first round and 4.9M viewers for the second. When Iowa defeated LSU in the Elite Eight on Monday, 12.3M viewers tuned in — the most for any men’s or women’s college basketball game in NCAA history.

This level of hype is why Disney sold out its ad inventory before the first tip-off, and why 2024 ad revenue has doubled from last year. Recent data also indicates games featuring Clark are 7% more effective for advertisers than those without her.

The precedent: It’s well-documented that in sports, stars sell. In women’s sports, this has often been observed in tennis, with American stars like Serena Williams driving national viewership. Williams’ final pro tennis match peaked at 6.9M viewers, the most-watched ESPN tennis telecast in history — a fitting finale for the woman who taught brands to spend more on women athletes.

And Coco Gauff seems poised to be the next great American tennis star after drawing 3.4M viewers in the US Open final last year (the highest viewership ever for a women’s major) and selling a record 28.1K tickets, with prices soaring 20% after Gauff made it. She also drove brand value for New Balance, which partially credited her for $6.5B in annual sales in 2023.

Zooming out: The Caitlin Clark economy — which has infused up to $82.5M into Iowa’s — continues to profoundly impact the postseason. Although official numbers aren’t out yet, record crowds and viewership will likely be followed by record revenue, and by touting the tourney’s most recognizable athlete, the sport continues to recruit new converts. Everybody watches women’s sports.