![Iowa vs LSU TV viewership numbers from NCAA Tournament blockbuster completely silence doubters](https://i2-prod.themirror.com/incoming/article417030.ece/ALTERNATES/s98/0_caitlin-clark-confetti.jpg)
ESPN announced that the Iowa vs LSU TV broadcast from Monday night's NCAA Tournament showdown drew an estimated 12.3 million viewers,
BREAKING all sorts of records and silencing anyone who's questioned the popularity potential of women's sports. To put the data into perspective, ESPN's "Monday Night Football" broadcasts from 2023 that were cable-only (so not the ones on ABC) averaged 11.8 million viewers. "If you build it… they will come!!!" wrote WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike on
Social Media after the results emerged. The star power on tap in Iowa's 94-87 Elite Eight victory helped bring in such phenomenal viewership numbers. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are two of the biggest athletes in America right now, and their rematch from last year's national title game brought a wide range of intriguing narratives. Both stars lived up to the hype with monster performances. Clark scored 41 points, while Reese notched a 17-point, 20-rebound double-double. The latter player put up her stat line despite . The game's 12.3 million viewers surpassed the average viewership of the 2023
NBA Finals and 2023 World Series. And the numbers could have been even better . Women's
basketball pioneers such as Iowa coach Lisa Bluder and LSU coach Kim Mulkey have spent decades advocating for the increased coverage of their sport but often hit walls from established media entities. For them, the wild success of this year's NCAA Tournament is a long-awaited victory that required tireless effort.