Women’s sports are gaining significant traction, attracting larger audiences and generating more interest. This surge in popularity is partly due to the emergence of extraordinary talents like Caitlin Clark and the increasing valuations of women’s sports franchises. Viewership of the women’s Sweet 16 on ESPN hit a record high, marking a 96% increase from the previous year. This growing interest in women’s sports is translating into increased activity in sportsbooks, with record-breaking betting numbers.
Despite this surge in interest, only 26% of bettors are women, according to the American Gaming Association. Sportsbooks are recognizing the enormous opportunity presented by tapping into the growing female fanbase. A recent LSU-Iowa game featuring star players Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, alongside renowned coach Kim Mulkey, emerged as the top betting event on Monday, surpassing popular professional sports leagues like the NBA, MLB, and NHL.
The matchup between the University of Connecticut and the University of Southern California was another highly anticipated game, with star player Paige Bueckers putting up an impressive performance. This game ranked as the third-highest betting event of the day for sportsbooks. Both FanDuel and DraftKings reported significant interest in women’s basketball games, with DraftKings mentioning that the games even rivaled the handle of NFL games from the previous season.
As we head into the women’s Final Four, sportsbooks like FanDuel are already seeing a high level of engagement. Iowa is favored by 2.5 points over UConn while South Carolina has an 11.5 point advantage over NC State. The excitement around women’s sports betting continues to grow, creating a new frontier for sportsbooks and fans alike.
It is clear that more people are recognizing and appreciating women’s talent and skills in various athletic fields beyond just soccer or tennis.
The rise in viewership of women’s basketball games on ESPN marks a significant shift in how society views female athletes’ contributions to sport.
Sportsbooks recognize this trend and have started offering more coverage of men’s events too.
As a result of this growing interest in women’s basketball games on ESPN, it has become increasingly challenging for gamblers to predict outcomes accurately.
Overall, it appears that there is no going back for both men’s and women’s sports when it comes to their increasing popularity among viewers and gamblers alike.
