Anyone who thought of the 2020s women's sports boom as a fad had their speculations put firmly to rest Monday afternoon.

UConn's 82–59 win over South Carolina in the national championship Sunday afternoon drew 8.5 million viewers to ABC, ESPN said in a press release. That's the third-largest television audience in the national championship's three-decade stint under ESPN's stewardship.

While a decline from the bonkers numbers of the last two years—fueled by ex-Iowa guard Caitlin Clark—the figure suggests considerable staying power for an appreciating asset. Both national championship coaches have called for the NCAA to spin the women's tournament off its big-tent TV deal with the network.

ESPN listed the tournament overall as the third-most watched on record, while its 8.5 billion "minutes consumed" ranked as the second-most ever.

More March Madness on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as UConn and South Carolina’s Championship Rematch Produced Huge Viewership.

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