The first two rounds of the women's NCAA Tournament have left fans entertained, and the standout matchups have racked up the numbers to prove it. The second round of March Madness has become the second-most watched in the history of the women's tournament, averaging around one million viewers, according to ESPN.
The @MarchMadnessWBB 2nd Round was the 2nd most-watched on record, averaging 1.0M viewers 📈
🏀 Overall, the #NCAAWBB tournament has amassed 3.3B total minutes – making it the 2nd most-consumed early rounds on record pic.twitter.com/Dtvr7Ki2oj
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 25, 2026
The South Carolina women's basketball team's Round of 32 win over USC women's basketball led the way with an average of 1.8 million viewers and peaked around 2.0 million. Those numbers lifted the game to fourth place in ESPN's record books.
Meanwhile, UConn women's basketball's takedown of Syracuse slotted in at seventh all-time, averaging 1.5 million viewers and peaking at 1.7 million. Notre Dame women's basketball's upset victory over Ohio State came slightly behind in eighth place with very similar viewership numbers.
Lastly, Virginia's shocking upset win over Iowa women's basketball rounded out the record-setting group in 10th, averaging 1.4 million but topping out at 1.9 million viewers. So far, the women's NCAA tournament has amassed 3.3 billion total minutes viewed overall, setting it as the most-consumed opening rounds of March Madness on record.
The women's tournament has the chance to add to those numbers when play continues this weekend. Two of the four winners of the record-setting contests, UConn and Notre Dame, will be in action this Friday, while South Carolina and Virginia will take the court on Saturday for a chance at making the Elite Eight.
