The men's NCAA D1 basketball tournament gets the money, the promotion, the game distribution, the publicity, get to play on network television. flashier facilities and courts, and promoted as the only college game in town in March. So, of course, their following is larger than the women's tournament. The NCAA for years has worked to make sure the men are the stars, and the women are the far behind afterthought.
This year however has brought encouraging statistics to the game of college basketball.
ESPN said the women’s championship game on Sunday averaged 4 million viewers and is the most-watched women’s title game since 2014.
The 2021 NCAA men’s basketball championship averaged 16.9 million viewers, the least viewed title game for CBS since it started broadcasting them in 1982, although it beat ratings for the 2018 title game broadcast on Turner.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/06/ncaa-2021-final-four-championship-ratings-mens-down-14percent-womens-up.html
