Viewership peaked at 2.3 million viewers, ESPN said. The NHL game drew an average of 2 million viewers, the network said. Last month, the NCAA women’s basketball National Championship matchup between Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks drew 18.9 million viewers, smashing television ratings records. The game was not only the most watched women’s college basketball game in history, but it also surpassed the viewership of any basketball game, including both men’s and professional, since 2019, according to Nielsen. 1 overall pick, drew an average of 2.4 million viewers, shattering viewership records and far surpassing the previous all-time high of 601,000 viewers in 2004.

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Persons: Caitlin Clark, NHL men’s Staley, Clark Organizations: CNN, WNBA, Indiana Fever, Connecticut Sun, ESPN2, ESPN, Sun, Angeles Sparks, Houston Comets, Sports Illustrated, Disney, NHL, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, NCAA, Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes, South Carolina Gamecocks, Nielsen, New York Liberty Locations: Indianapolis