This year's March Madness is soaking up the spotlight, as early reports indicate that the 2026 competition boasts the second most-watched first and second rounds in NCAA women's basketball tournament history.
Trailing only the Caitlin Clark-fueled 2024 postseason, this season's tournament is already topping 2025's historic viewership numbers.
According to ESPN, this year's bracket logged the second most-consumed first round on record, with overall No. 1-seed UConn's victory over No. 16 UTSA and No. 1 South Carolina's win over No. 16 Southern U clocking in as the sixth and seventh most-watched tournament openers in history.
Also snagging a major viewership mark was No. 7 NC State's opening win over No. 10 Tennessee, with drew an average of 767,000 fans to become the No. 1 weekday first-round clash on record.
This year's second round secured similar records, with a 1 million viewership average making the Round of 32 the second most-watched in women's March Madness history.
The Gamecocks' second-round win over No. 9 USC led the weekend with an average of 1.8 million fans tuning in, followed by the Huskies' ousting of No. 9 Syracuse with a 1.5 million viewership average.
Second-round upsets also proved compelling, as No. 6 Notre Dame's win over No. 3 Ohio State drew an average of 1.5 million viewers, while No. 10 Virginia's toppling of No. 2 Iowa attracted 1.4 million.
All four of those tilts clocked into the Top 10 for the most-watched second round clashes in history.
The 2026 NCAA women's basketball tournament has already amassed 3.3 billion total minutes, giving it the second most-consumed first two rounds on record.
How to watch the 2026 March Madness tournament
Be a part of this year's historic viewership by tuning into March Madness when the Sweet 16 takes the court this weekend.
The action tips off at 2:30 PM ET on Friday, with eight games airing live across the two-day round.
