The TV audience for the CU Buffs Sweet 16 game was crazy good

The growth of women’s basketball continues to be a rocket ship, as one NCAA Tournament game did better TV numbers than any nationally broadcasted NBA games this season.

That matchup featured Caitlin Clark’s Iowa against Louisville and Clark put on a show, going for a 40-point triple-double as her Hawkeyes headed to the Final Four. But their Sweet 16 matchup angered us in the Centennial State.

A massive third quarter pushed the Hawkeyes past the Colorado Buffaloes 87-77, ending CU’s great season. But it was the Buffs first trip that deep since 2003 and the TV eyes showed up in droves for that game. ESPN PR says the game drew 1.3 million viewers.

2023 #MarchMadness #NCAAWBB Sweet 16 viewership up 73% YOY

🏀 1.2M viewers
🏀 @OhioStateWBB–@UConnWBB: ESPN platforms most-viewed Sweet 16 game on record
🏀 @UCLAWBB–@GamecockWBB: ESPN platforms 2nd most-viewed Sweet 16 game on record
🏀 3.5B mins consumed thru Sweet 16 pic.twitter.com/j7GtYh4c8z

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 28, 2023

Between the resurgent Buffs the amazing prep players coming out of Colorado and this week’s announcement of Colorado State great Becky Hammon headed to the Basketball Hall of Fame, Denver is primed for a WNBA once the league expands.

Clark’s Hawkeyes are in the Final Four with South Carolina and the winner of that will play the winner of LSU and Virginia Tech for the title.

For JR Payne and her team’s effort, they grew the program, put some eyes on it, and made themselves big-time players in a quickly crowding athletic department in Boulder, featuring Deion Sanders and Cody Williams.