Caitlin Clark Boosted Betting on March Madness Women’s Games by 540%; a Bellwether on Her WNBA Impact: Optimove Insights’ Analysis

Results based on more than 19 million bets during the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament also revealed women’s games had more TV viewers, men’s games received more bets 

Optimove Insights, the analytical and research arm of Optimove, has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament, shedding light on the significant impact of standout player Caitlin Clark on betting behavior in women’s games. The report revealed that she boosted betting on March Madness by an average of 540%, a bellwether on her likely impact to the WNBA.  The report was released at SBC Summit North America.

Results based on 19 Million+ Bets 

Between March 29 and April 9, Optimove Insights analyzed more than 19 million bets placed on the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament, encompassing both men’s and women’s games. The focus of this analysis was to track the betting trends surrounding games featuring Caitlin Clark, a prominent player in women’s college basketball, and the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. 

Women’s Games: The Caitlin Clark Effect 

Optimove Insights tracked the betting activity on women’s NCAA games from the Elite Eight stage through to the Championship game. The comparative baseline game, Oregon State vs. South Carolina, set at 100%, received the fewest bets among the games tracked.

The data revealed the impact of Caitlin Clark on betting activity, with games featuring her, witnessing an average 540% increase in bets compared to the baseline. This suggests a significant influence of individual players on the betting landscape, emphasizing the role of star power in driving fan engagement and betting interest.

Men’s Championship Game More Bets, Women’s Championship Game More Eyeballs.

Of note is that the women’s Championship game had an average of 18.7 million TV viewers compared to the men’s game at 14.8 million viewers, yet the men’s game attracted more than 3X the number of bets. This disparity underscores potential differences in viewer engagement versus betting activity between the two tournaments. 

Men’s Games 

The analysis also encompassed betting behavior in men’s NCAA games. Despite the men’s Championship game showing a 139% increase in bets over the baseline, the percentage increase in betting was notably lower compared to women’s games. 

A likely explanation for this difference lies in the higher baseline of individual bettors in men’s games, resulting in lower percentage increases. Nevertheless, men’s games consistently attracted more bets throughout the tournament. 

According to Rony Vexelman, VP of Marketing at Optimove, “As the WNBA season is about to tip off on May 14, it is doing so, with a generational player. The substantial boost in overall interest in women’s basketball catalyzed by Caitlin Clark is extraordinary.  Her influence on boosting betting, TV viewership and more is already starting to drive a new women’s basketball economy in the trillions.”