The Money And Momentum Behind Women’s March Madness

As millions ready their brackets, 2025 Women’s March Madness isn’t just another women’s basketball tournament, it’s poised to be a financial victory lap that validates years of steady growth. The momentum surrounding women’s sport hasn’t just continued, it has exploded into a commercial powerhouse that has corporate America opening their checkbooks with enthusiasm. With ESPN announcing a complete sellout of advertising inventory for the championship game months in advance, viewership records broken during the regular season, and ad rates increasing by 175%, the 2025 tournament represents the culmination of a transformative economic shift in women’s sports. As a result, Selection Sunday and March Madness should serve as a representation that women’s sports hasn’t just arrived, it has established itself as a highly valuable property in the overall sports ecosystem.

Women’s March Madness Ad Spending

The numbers behind the scenes tell a remarkable story of financial growth. Total ad spending in women’s sports rose to $244.4 million in 2024, amounting to a 139% increase in spending from the previous year. The surge has positioned the Women’s March Madness advertising value on par with NFL Divisional playoffs and the NBA Finals, with premium placement rates increasing by 250%. As Jim Minnich, SVP of Revenue and Yield Management at Disney Advertising, aptly noted, “The NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Tournament is proof that women’s sports aren’t just having a moment, they’re building a legacy. Selling out the Championship Game is a significant milestone, but selling out months before tipoff shows the impact, and the demand for brands to show up across all rounds is through the roof.” With automotive brands contributing $27.2 million, pharmaceutical companies adding $26.2 million, and telecommunications firms investing $25.6 million in 2024, this isn’t just a sports story, it’s a historic moment in women’s sport advertising history.

What makes this moment particularly significant from a research perspective is the economic multiplier effect taking shape. According to recent reports from Deloitte, there’s been a 300% growth in global revenues from women’s sports from 2021 to 2024, creating a virtuous cycle of investment and returns. The data indicates that we’re not just witnessing increased viewership, but we’re also seeing the formation of a distinct economic ecosystem with different engagement patterns. As Deloitte determined, 99% of brand decision-makers report increasing investments in women’s sports over the past five years, recognizing that women fans “show up differently” than men, with higher propensities to purchase merchandise and share enthusiasm on social media. This creates viral, buzz-worthy approaches to fandom that benefit brands in ways traditional metrics might miss. For companies investing in this tournament, they’re not just buying ad space, instead they’re positioning themselves at the forefront of a fundamental shift in how sports media is valued, consumed, and monetized.

Women’s College Basketball Regular Season Growth

The 2024-25 regular season viewership numbers further highlight this growth. Women’s college basketball delivered its most-watched regular season on ESPN platforms since 2008-09, with an average of 280,000 viewers across 87 games which is up 3% from last season’s historic numbers and a remarkable 41% jump from the 2022-23 season. Even more telling is the 2.9 billion total minutes of live women’s college basketball consumed on ESPN platforms, an all-time record that reflects deepening fan engagement.

The February 16th doubleheader featuring UConn at South Carolina (1.8 million viewers) and LSU at Texas (1.7 million viewers) marked the two most-viewed women’s college basketball regular season games on ESPN platforms since 2010. ABC experienced a staggering 120% year-over-year growth, averaging 1.3 million viewers across just three games, while ESPN saw its audience increase by 13%, averaging 511,000 viewers. Perhaps most significant for advertisers targeting the coveted 18-34 demographic, viewership in this segment increased 27% year-over-year, signaling strong future growth potential.

Women’s College Basketball Economic Multiplier Effect

Recent research also provides important evidence to suggest that sponsors are just as likely to renew sponsorships of women’s events as men’s events. This challenges long-held industry assumptions and biases about sponsorship retention and ROI in women’s sports. It also suggests that the resources sponsors allocate toward women’s sport properties are either met or exceeded by the returns they receive. This retention rate parity is particularly noteworthy considering that in 2020, only 1.75% of global sport sponsorship dollars were allocated to women’s sports.

Importantly, the findings indicate that despite lower initial investment amounts, sponsors may receive comparable or potentially higher returns from women’s sports properties, explaining their equal likelihood to renew these partnerships. With ESPN platforms delivering 15 games with more than 500,000 viewers during the 2024-25 regular season (the most on record in a single season) brands are recognizing the growing value proposition of women’s sports. As companies continue to measure the effectiveness of their investments against these rapidly growing audience metrics, the foundation for continued expansion of sponsorship allocation to women’s sports in 2025 and beyond appears stronger than ever.

March Madness Preview

As attention shifts beyond spending patterns to the tournament itself, six teams emerge as the most likely contenders to hoist the 2025 championship trophy in Tampa. South Carolina (30-3) remains a favorite to reach their fifth consecutive Final Four despite sharing the SEC regular-season title with Texas and suffering an uncharacteristic 29-point home loss to UConn in February. The Gamecocks have reestablished their dominance with a revamped front-court featuring SEC tournament MVP Chloe Kitts, senior Sania Feagin, and elite freshman Joyce Edwards, who collectively average over 31 points and 17 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, UCLA (30-2) could finally break through to its first NCAA Final Four, powered by the unstoppable 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts (19.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG) and a battle-tested guard trio featuring Kiki Rice.

It’s clear that the star power in this tournament will drive both viewership and sponsorship value, with several players poised to further position themselves as household names. UConn’s Paige Bueckers (19.0 PPG) is determined to add an NCAA title to her successful collegiate career, while USC’s JuJu Watkins (24.9 PPG) has reasserted herself as the top national player of the year candidate. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo (24.2 PPG) leads a dynamic backcourt that could propel the Irish back to championship form despite recent struggles. With Texas bringing elite defense (55.9 PPG allowed) and UConn boasting star power throughout their lineup, this tournament offers the potential for intriguing matchups, along with elite individual player skill, that sponsors and viewers crave, which will only serve to further boost the financial evolution of women’s sports.

Selection Sunday takes place tonight, Sunday, March 16, at 8 p.m. ET. The First Four games of the tournament take place March 19-20, and the first round takes place March 21-22. You can find the full bracket and game dates and times via the NCAA.