Brands bet on sustained enthusiasm for women’s basketball ahead of March Madness

The climax of the college basketball season is almost upon us. Most know it as March Madness.

Basketball observers are hoping the next Caitlin Clark will emerge during this year’s March Madness tourney. For the media world, it’s another chance to see how brands like Experian, State Farm, Priceline and longtime sponsor Powerade adapt to shifting viewer habits like the years-long migration from linear to streaming viewership, and mass audiences’ embrace of the women’s game.

According to Nielsen NBA audiences on ABC and ESPN have largely flatlined this season, down 1% year-on-year, while TNT’s are 14% lower — apparently a casualty of dwindling cable usage in the U.S — collectively, NBA audiences are down 5%. But the NCAA’s spring tournament typically attracts significant numbers of casual viewers over its three-week run, thanks in part to thousands of office betting pools around the tournament that draws their attention.

Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.