Caitlin Clark’s Departure Cost NCAA 10 Million Loss In Viewership: Report

Let’s just call it what it is—the Caitlin Clark Effect is very real, and the NCAA just got a cold, hard reminder.

When the UConn Huskies punched their ticket to the 2025 Final Four with a gritty win over the UCLA Bruins, it should’ve been a huge night for women’s hoops. But the numbers told a different story. A 4.1 million average viewership? That’s over 10 million short of last year’s Clark-fueled frenzy. Well, that’s got to hurt.

The Caitlin Clark Factor Hits Like a Truck

It’s not like UConn vs. UCLA didn’t deliver. That game still became the fifth-most watched women’s college basketball game ever on ESPN. But it didn’t even sniff the viewership monster that was UConn vs. Iowa in 2024. That game pulled in a ridiculous 14.2 million viewers. And it wasn’t just a one-off. Every single time Clark laced up for a deep tourney run, history followed.

Last year’s Final Four with Iowa and Clark was off the charts. This year? Down 14 percent. Sure, the 2025 version was still the third-most watched in the last 30 years, but let’s not kid ourselves. When Clark was on the floor, viewership was shattering records.

Need more proof? That 2024 title game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and South Carolina Gamecocks reeled in nearly 19 million average viewers. And not only did it become the most-watched women’s basketball game of all time, it actually beat the men’s championship game in viewership.

Life After Clark? Still Bright, But Different

The numbers don’t lie. Clark was a walking rating boost. She didn’t just bring eyeballs—she brought energy, drama, and moments that made fans stop scrolling and start watching. From deep logo 3s to high-stakes clutch plays, Clark was a movement.

Now that she’s repping the Indiana Fever in the WNBA, that wave hasn’t exactly died down. The 2024 WNBA season was the most watched in 24 years. Every major network that broadcast her games saw a spike. Casual fans tuned in. Diehards showed out. And the league is riding that momentum straight into the future.

But honestly, the NCAA isn’t gonna find another Clark overnight. And losing her to the pros? It straight-up cost them 10 million viewers in one night. That’s the kind of star power you can’t just plug and play. It has to be built, earned, and elevated season after season.

So, sure, the women’s game is still trending upward. Interest is booming. Talent is everywhere. But if the NCAA didn’t fully realize how big of a deal Clark was, they definitely do now.