Arizona Bettors Drive Rise In Popularity Of NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

Written By Hill Kerby on April 4, 2025
Arizona bettors lead way in betting on NCAA Women's Tournament

In terms of popularity and sports gambling, the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament was the largest in university basketball history. LSU defeated Iowa in the championship activity and reduced the traps after the dust settled.

ESPN, which broadcasts all championship games, reports that viewership for earlier-round activities increased by 42 % starting in 2022. Elite 8 matches this season averaged 2.2 million visitors across four games.

Arizona sportsbooks keep breaking records and will play a significant role in setting records for women’s sports betting. According to Christian Cipollini of BetMGM via email, the state produced the most handles of any state for the women’s basketball tournament over the first two rounds of the opening weekend & rsquo.

Arizona, Massachusetts, Tennessee, New York, and Illinois were the best five states.

Women & rsquo’s competition moves closer to equity

Arizona sports bettingis supported by 18 virtual casinos, as well as a number of physical book stores, some of which are located at ethnic casinos in the state. Arizona’s lone March Madness staff, No. Arizona Wildcats, who had 7 seeds, advanced to the next round and fell to No. 2 cum Maryland

The final game between UConn and South Carolina last year andrsquo averaged 4.85 million people, the highest number since 2004, and the most bet-on-women’s activity ever on the BetMGM Sportsbook.

The 2022 tournament averaged 634,000 viewers per game across all rounds, a 16% YoY increase. Still, its popularity wasn’t enough for sports outlets such as CBS to offer bracket pool challenges as it has done for decades with the men’s tournament.

While CBS fixed the issue this time, other websites, like Action News, which is known for its find tracking and betting information, continue to have no content on women’s college basketball.

As a result of ESPN’s interest in women and rsquo, more competition activities are being played.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, it & rsquo.

The Tournament Challenge has been around for years, and according to Mike White, the EVP of customer encounters and platforms for Walt Disney Company, it increased by 67 % last year and by four times life.

Last season, ESPN even moved its women’s variety show from Monday to Sunday. The average number of viewers for this year’s show was 1.27 million, off 18 % YoY and the most since 2005. White claimed that bigger numbers are influencing choices.

We do it because that’s where our fans are, & ldquo. We & rsquo is re seeing real success there due to the growth and the numbers. As you are aware, we do have the[ TV ] rights, but we would still invest in it. & rdquo,

ESPN fully sold out its commercial slots for the entire tournament two days after the selection show.

Six games are available on ABC for this year’s event for people.

The broadcasting of the women’s NCAA Tournament by ESPN & rsquo dates back to 2003. The Final Four were broadcast on ESPN2 as of 2019, and ESPN also aired the regional finals.

While ESPN broadcast the Final Four and National Championship in 2021, ABC participated in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 sessions. Dan Ochs, who oversees women’s basketball programming for ESPN, said that a year later, in 2022 & rsquo, the network moved the national title to ABC due to an increase in viewership of 16 % YoY and 4.85 million average viewers.

& ldquo, putting it on ABC, and we & rsquo are giving it the best chance possible to succeed. This competition keeps expanding and providing for us. & rdquo,

However, the game hasn’t really expanded for( or because of ) ESPN and ABC.

The caliber of baseball played on the jury is what causes it to grow. It & rsquo, s March Madness, regardless of whether men or women are on the court. The drama and upsets in & nbsp, And March Madness highlight the highest level of athletic competition in college sports. Because of this, it has become so well-liked that it deserves a place on national television.

Even so, the sport had even higher ceilings thanks to the six games that were broadcast on ABC, including Tuesday & rsquo’s national championship game.

All women’s hockey teams are seeing an increase in viewers.

Not just for March Madness, the excitement surrounding NCAA women’s hockey has been evident all year.

More data from ESPN revealed that it averaged 199,000 viewers for the 83 games it aired across its networks (+11% YoY), the best since 2014-15. February’s matchup between South Carolina and LSU – two Final Four teams – averaged 1.5 million viewers, the most on ESPN since 2010.

The Big Ten Network also revealed the season’s history popularity. Also, it stated that this year’s Big Ten Tournament received the most viewers, with Iowa-Md.C. receiving 380,000 average viewers for a single game in network history.

Photo taken by Tony Gutierrez for AP Photo
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Kerby Hill

Kerby Hill is a proponent of safe, legal betting, and is grateful to be able to contribute to growing the industry. He has a background in poker, sports, and psychology, all of which he incorporates into his writing.

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