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ESPN's advertising inventory for the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship game, managed by Disney, has completely sold out — marking a historic early sellout months before the tournament.
Disney’s Advertising Sales PR team confirmed a remarkable surge in ad rates; year-on-year unit and premium placement rates increased by 175% and 250% respectively.
As a result, the Women’s Basketball Championship game’s advertising value is now on par with the NFL Divisional playoffs and the NBA Finals — surpassing even the College Football Playoff championships.
Week 9 @AP_Top25 Poll Rankings. #NCAAWBBpic.twitter.com/W3XAu5zVdz
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) December 30, 2024
According to Forbes, the overall pricing evolution signals that NCAA Women’s Basketball is now premium-graded content — translating to major audience engagement.
Jim Minnich, SVP of Revenue and Yield Management at Disney Advertising told Forbes that the NCAA DI Women's Basketball Tournament isn'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.
We are all witnessing the incredible 'overnight success' story of women's sports that has been 27 years in the making.”
Record Ratings Drive Women's Basketball Sellout
The NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship garnered significant viewership on ESPN and ABC in 2024.
The contest, featuring Kamilla Cardoso’s South Carolina Gamecocks and Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes attracted 18.7 million viewers, and according to a Walt Disney Company statement, the numbers are only expected to grow.
Between 2023 and 2024, viewership numbers increased 89% — a total 285% jump since 2022.
The company confirmed that the championship is the most-watched basketball game since the 2019 Men’s NCAA Championship, even across all networks since Game 7 of the 2019 World Series (excluding football and the Olympics).
-content.jpg "The NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship Garnered Significant Viewership on ESPN and ABC This Year | Source: Walt Disney Company")
Women's sports advertising has been gaining traction for a while now.
Earlier this year, GroupM, a leading media investment group under creative agency WPP, increased its focus on the sector with the launch of a dedicated women's sports marketplace that offers first-look and first-to-market opportunities.
The strategy aims to boost brand impact and optimize business outcomes for advertisers by leveraging the growing viewership and rising interest in women’s sports.
