Millions are tuning in to watch Caitlin Clark.

Iowa women’s basketball player Caitlin Clark, looking excited/hyped up, with a cheering crowd and a T.V. in the background.
In a thrilling game that ended in overtime, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women’s basketball team shattered viewership records during their Big Ten title game on Sunday against Nebraska, raking in an audience of millions and marking a historical moment in women’s sports broadcasting.

With a staggering 3.02 million viewers tuning in to watch the regular game and a peak of 4.45 million during overtime, Iowa’s thrilling victory over Nebraska is now recorded as the most-watched women’s college basketball game on CBS in 25 years, via CBS Sports.

Caitlin Clark’s standout performance throughout the season has drawn significant attention to the women’s game, with Iowa’s matchups attracting millions of viewers consistently over the past weeks.

The team’s previous game against Ohio State, for example, pulled impressive numbers with a 1.9 rating and 3.39 million viewers.

The Iowa-Nebraska showdown saw a viewership that nearly matched that of a top-10 North Carolina-Duke men’s basketball game the previous night (1.5 rating and 3.08 million, per Sports Media Watch).

The Iowa-Nebraska game’s ratings increased fourfold compared to last year’s title game between Ohio State and Iowa.

This season, the Iowa-Nebraska game ranks fifth among all college basketball games — regardless of gender — a testament to the high-quality competition and compelling storylines within women’s basketball.

The surge in viewership extends beyond the Big Ten, with the South Carolina-LSU SEC Tournament final also drawing significant numbers (a 1.1 rating and 1.96 million viewers on ESPN) highlights the increasing appeal of women’s basketball to a national audience.

Caitlin Clark and her teammates have not only dominated on the court but have also played a pivotal role in elevating the profile of women’s basketball.