No Caitlin Clark, No Problem: Women's March Madness Ratings Stay Strong

By faNILy Team · March 27, 2026

The women's game isn't riding on one superstar anymore. The numbers prove it.

The 2026 women's NCAA Tournament logged the second-highest viewership ever for its opening rounds, behind only the 2024 tournament that featured Caitlin Clark, according to Just Women's Sports.

The highlights

First round:

Second most-consumed first round on record
UConn vs. UTSA and South Carolina vs. Southern ranked as the sixth and seventh most-watched tournament openers ever
NC State's win over Tennessee drew 767,000 viewers, the top weekday first-round game on record

Second round:

About 1 million average viewers, the second most-watched round of 32 on record
South Carolina vs. USC led the weekend with 1.8 million viewers
UConn vs. Syracuse drew 1.5 million
Notre Dame's upset of Ohio State drew 1.5 million, and Virginia's win over Iowa drew 1.4 million

Through two rounds, fans watched 3.3 billion total minutes, also the second-highest on record.

Deeper than one star

Awful Announcing made a sharp point: these ratings are holding up without the likes of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers leading the charge, showing that "the growth in the women's game is much stronger and much deeper than just one or two star players." UConn's Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd are the main attraction this year, but the audience is clearly bigger than any single name.

It's also worth noting where the big numbers came from. South Carolina and UConn, the sport's two dominant programs of recent years, led the way. But upsets mattered, too. Notre Dame knocking off Ohio State and Virginia beating Iowa drew audiences right alongside the blue bloods. When fans tune in for upsets, that tells you they're invested in the sport, not just one team.

That's a big deal. A sport that depends on one generational player has a ceiling. A sport where fans tune in for South Carolina, UConn, Notre Dame, Virginia and a weekday NC State-Tennessee game is building something that lasts.

What it means for players

Women's basketball players have been among the most marketable athletes of the NIL era. Ratings like these help explain why:

Loyal audiences. Fans of women's basketball follow players closely, on and off the court.
Growing exposure. More eyeballs in March means more players become national names.
More money in the system. This is only the second year women's teams have earned NCAA Tournament units, and the NCAA added more units for teams that reach and win the title game this year.

The fan takeaway

If you're a women's basketball fan, you already knew this. The players are worth watching, and the sport's audience runs deep.

What's changing is that the rest of the sports world is catching up. Brands are paying attention. Networks are paying attention. And players have more ways than ever to turn that attention into direct relationships with the fans who've been there all along.

Up next

The Sweet 16 tips off Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET with eight games over two days, and the road to the Final Four is in full swing. We'll be watching which players turn this month's spotlight into something bigger.