The biggest star of the women’s NCAA tournament was able to survive the bracket’s toughest region, setting up a Final Four straight from Hollywood. On Monday night, No. 1 Iowa got revenge on No. 3 LSU, the team that beat them in last year’s national championship game. 

Now, the Caitlin Clark show continues. The NCAA men’s and women’s all-time scoring leader showed her must-see firepower once again Monday night with nine made three-point baskets—which tied a tournament record. Clark likely cemented her status as the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft (the Indiana Fever, who currently hold that top pick, may even have those No. 22 Clark jerseys ready to hit the shelves) and now has potentially two more games to showcase her stardom to basketball fans and potential brand partners alike. 

The NCAA and ESPN are also big winners, with Iowa’s strong ratings making the Hawkeyes a can’t-miss attraction this weekend. Clark is undeniably the major factor for much of the hype around the women’s tournament. The Hawkeyes have delivered the most-watched games of women’s March Madness reported thus far, including an audience of 4.9 million for their second-round victory over West Virginia, and 3.2 million viewers for the opening win over Holy Cross.

McCarthy: Tourney Dodged A Bullet

In what has been a banner year for women’s college basketball, that momentum continues with Clark and the Hawkeyes advancing. We asked Front Office Sports media expert Michael McCarthy what an early Iowa exit would have meant for the networks. 

“The loss of Clark and Iowa would likely have hurt Final Four viewership,” says McCarthy. “But with a ratings-maker like Paige Bueckers still in the tournament, the audience drop shouldn’t have been so bad given the sport’s momentum.” Now, March Madness viewers will still get to watch both Clark and Bueckers.

So, how long will the Clark train keep rolling? ESPN platforms had their most-watched regular season of women’s college basketball since 2008–09, and that was with Iowa playing all of its conference games on other networks. Now, the allure of Clark trying to end her collegiate career with a title has had experts predicting a potentially huge title-game viewership increase, over last year’s record 9.9 million, for one involving Iowa, which is now just one more victory away from that chance. The idea of the women’s final outdrawing the men’s has even become a more feasible scenario to some.

The women’s Final Four begins Friday in Cleveland, and ESPN executives, advertisers, and other stakeholders in the sport are likely grinning ear to ear at the thought of Clark and the Hawkeyes getting to Ohio.

For the first time in NCAA history, both the men’s and women’s teams for two schools have made their respective Final Fours: UConn and NC State.

On Sunday, the NC State women beat Texas to secure their first Final Four appearance since 1998 (a thrilling upset that was marred by the discovery of unequal three-point lines). About two hours later, their men’s team did the same, upsetting Duke. “Seeing the girls have success definitely motivates us,” NC State’s DJ Horne told reporters after the win. 

Fans of UConn, on the other hand, had to wait a full two days in between their men’s and women’s teams cutting down the nets. Paige Bueckers led the Huskies to an 80-73 win over Southern Cal on Monday night with 28 points and 10 rebounds. But while the two schools have achieved the same feat, their basketball budgets could not be more different. 

NC State spent $14.5 million between its men’s and women’s programs during the 2021–22 season, according to U.S. Department of Education data. The men’s program spent $10 million, and the women’s program spent just under $5 million.

UConn, on the other hand, spent significantly more, with a combined expense report of $32.6 million. The men’s program spent $24 million (though $11 million of that was attributed to a settlement). The women’s program spent $8.5 million. 

UConn also isn’t new to sending both its teams to the Big Dance’s grandest stage. In 2014, their programs not only made it to the Final Four but also won their respective championships. NC State has never sent both teams to the Final Four at the same time before now. 

Motorcycle racing is hardly the most popular attraction for most fans, even among motor-sports enthusiasts. But Liberty Media—the owner of Formula One and still a significant factor in the newly independent Atlanta Braves—believes its extensive resources and operational expertise can bring the sport to an entirely different level.

Liberty Media completed Monday an acquisition of Dorna Sports, the exclusive commercial rights holder to MotoGP, widely viewed as the world’s top motorcycle racing series. The deal places an equity value of $3.8 billion on the operation Liberty Media is acquiring from investment manager Bridgepoint and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. MotoGP will be 86% held by Liberty Media, with MotoGP management retaining the rest.

MotoGP, which is set to host 21 motorcycle races across 17 countries in its 2024 season, will be folding into Liberty Media’s Formula One Group tracking stock. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta will remain in his position, as he has since 1994. 

Liberty Media expects to close the deal by the end of calendar year 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. But once done, the company is aiming to achieve a similar business escalation for MotoGP, where riders can often exceed 220 miles per hour, as what has occurred in the last two years for F1. MotoGP generated $522 million in revenue last year and $192 million in adjusted earnings.

“Opportunities like this are difficult to find and are incredibly attractive,” Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said in a conference call with financial analysts. “MotoGP is a perfect fit for Liberty Media. … This is a league-level asset, which means there are centralized commercial rights and generates control over the ecosystem and the potential for excellent profitability. We hope to leverage Liberty’s experience with F1, the Braves, and what’s evolving in the media landscape to accelerate the growth of MotoGP.”

The acquisition also adds to a broader Liberty Media portfolio that includes a 30% equity stake in Live Nation, majority control of satellite radio company SiriusXM, and full ownership of sports and entertainment ticket and hospitality company QuintEvents. 

Regulatory approval of a combined F1-MotoGP holding, however, might not be a sure thing. Prior F1 owner CVC Capital Partners, who sold that property to Liberty Media in 2017, gained European Commission approval for its original purchase in ’06 on the condition that it sell Dorna. 

Vegas Bump

Clark County, Nev., meanwhile, recently released a report detailing some of the fiscal impacts from last November’s much-discussed debut of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. While economic impact studies from any sports event remain the subject of significant debate, the county said the race generated $77 million in tax revenues for state and local governments, net visitor spending of $501 million, and an average spend of more than $4,100 per incoming fan, a number more than triple the comparable figure for all Las Vegas visitors.

Numbers like this help demonstrate why Las Vegas is all but certain to remain a force on the F1 calendar, despite a significant disruption to locals and millions in lost revenue to area businesses due to the race.