Women's basketball has never been big in todays society. Whether it is NCAA or WNBA, there has always been a big difference between its partnered men sports. As March Madness comes to an end, we have witnessed a shift in women's basketball as it continues to get bigger and bigger.
Well before last weekend, it was clear that the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament of this year would go down in history. Discussions over the best player have been blooming. The level of play is really high. Most significantly, there are more viewers than ever before.It’s worth celebrating that viewership for women’s basketball is skyrocketing, even though eyes on the men's game has declined.
ESPN said viewership for the women’s Sweet 16 was up 73% compared to last year, averaging 1.2 million viewers per game. Elite 8 viewership was up 43% for an average of 2.2 million per game.
Not only are more people watching the women's game at home, but it will also cost more money to attend the women's Final Four in person than the men's Final Four. The lowest price for tickets to both women's games on StubHub as of Thursday was $428 before fees, while the lowest price for both the men's games was $68.
Meanwhile, secondary market prices for the women's semifinal and final in Dallas this weekend more than doubled compared to 2022 figures, according to ticketing technology company Logitix. The price per ticket for the semifinal was $367, up 120% over 2022. And the price for the final was $351, up 103% over the prior year.
Secondary market prices for the men's semifinal was down 26% from last year to $819 and down 28% for the final to $415.
The demand for women's sports is increasing, which is fantastic and shows that if you invest in it, fans will come.
I would completely agree that women's basketball seems to be on the up, especially when looking at the numbers from this past March Madness event. People are getting more and more excited to see this high level of competition. Although, I wonder if we are too late to ever have women's sports generate the same numbers as men's sports.
ReplyDeleteIt's exciting to see these kinds of changes, women's basketball deserves more recognition. Although I hope that rising prices won't discourage some from wanting to watch them. Also, with the NBA struggling with its budget, I'd be curious to know if the WNBA is facing similar issues.
ReplyDeleteWe should all give a round of applause to the great Caitlin Carter. She has been an inspiration for women's college basketball this year and has shown how far it has grown.
ReplyDeleteI love that women's basketball is finally getting their shot at the forefront. These women are professional athletes playing at the highest level and they should be paid as such. As a tournament watcher, I can say I was definitely more focused on the women's teams like others because of superstars like Angel Reese and Caitlyn Clark. Hopefully this trend continues and these women get not only the spotlight they deserve, but the financial compensation they should be owed.
ReplyDeleteIt's crucial to keep in mind that in past, women's sports have received less support and funding than men's sports. Therefore, I think it is critical that this momentum be maintained in order to give female athletes more opportunities and allow them to demonstrate their skills to a larger audience.
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