• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, October 15, 2025

D-I Lacrosse Championship Sets Latest Women’s Viewership Milestone

  • Women’s college sports viewership continues to grow — and the latest milestone was in lacrosse.
  • The championship game on ESPN notched more viewers than any other women’s college lacrosse game in history.
UNC Women’s Lacrosse

Women’s college sports viewership continues to grow — and the latest milestone was in lacrosse.

The championship game between UNC and Boston College notched more viewers than any other women’s college lacrosse game in history. 

An average of 428,000 viewers watched the Tar Heels take home the title, according to ESPN PR. Viewership peaked at 590,000.

Over the past few months, other NCAA Division I women’s sports have had similar success.

Less than 24 hours later, ESPN announced that Saturday’s softball game between Texas and Arizona set a record of its own. The game boasted an average of more than 1 million viewers — more than any other regional or Super Regional in ESPN history.

Women’s basketball saw a 16% ratings increase for the entirety of March Madness compared with 2021, and set multiple records compared with the last several years. Women’s gymnastics and volleyball also demonstrated major growth over 2021.

The ratings could translate directly to revenue for the NCAA if it negotiates its next media rights contracts successfully. 

ESPN has a $500 million contract for 29 NCAA championships. Multiple sports, however, could be worth significantly more when the contract is up in 2023-24.

A 2021 gender equity review found women’s March Madness alone could be worth between $81-112 million a year by 2025. 

The continuous ratings growth of other women’s sports suggests they, too, could be worth more in the next round of negotiation.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Texas-Oklahoma Gets 8.7M Viewers, Most-Watched CFB Game of Week 7

The Red River Rivalry was the most-watched game of the weekend.
Cody Campbell

Texas Tech Booster Cody Campbell Slams Conference PE Deals

Campbell said the concept goes against “all the laws of finance.”
exclusive

WNBA’s Fire Prematurely Announce Head Coach Hire on LinkedIn

Portland is expected to hire Alex Sarama from the Cavaliers, FOS confirmed.

Featured Today

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.
Oct 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with teammates after game four of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center.

WNBA Finals Draws 1.5M Viewers, Second-Highest Series on ESPN

The four-game series averaged 1.5 million viewers.
Micah Parsons
exclusive
October 14, 2025

NFL Scorigami Creator Blames Glitches on Twitter Platform Changes

The bot has been glitching all NFL season, and fans have noticed.
MLS
October 14, 2025

MLS Publishes Unchecked AI-Generated Game Recaps

Humans are not reviewing the articles for accuracy.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Sep 5, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia embraces after their match in the semifinal of the men’s singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
October 13, 2025

Six Kings Slam Returns With Record $6M Prize, Netflix Deal

The Six Kings Slam is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the NBA logo and NBA app logo and basketballs in front of the base during warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center.
October 13, 2025

NBA Will Take Over League Pass After WBD Divorce

The league now has full operational control of those media assets.
Aces
October 10, 2025

WNBA Finals Most Viewed In 25 Years Despite Possible Aces Sweep

Games 2 and 3 have averaged more than 1.2 million viewers.
Spectrum
October 10, 2025

ESPN Streaming Service at Core of New Spectrum Plan

The No. 1 U.S. distributor further blends linear and streaming TV.