Stat: March Madness ad sales for women’s basketball tournament surge

US – Landing an advertising spot during the Women’s March Madness basketball tournament is more competitive than ever, as Disney and ESPN report a staggering 200% year-on-year increase in total ad sales, with an impressive 95% of the 2024–2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament's ad inventory already sold.

Ads for the 6 April championship game sold out more than three months ago, with some slots topping £775,200 ($1m, €926,450) – putting women’s college basketball ad rates on a par with the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals.  

The surge is fuelled by rising viewership. Disney Advertising vice-president of revenue and yield management Jacqueline Dobies told AdWeek: ‘If we would have taken every single dollar and unit we had been offered, we would have sold out before the upfront was even over.’

This year, 45 new brands joined the tournament, while returning advertisers increased spending by 81% on average.  

‘A lot of years ago, the question was: ‘How do we convince brands to buy women’s sports?’ noted Dobies. ‘That’s not the conversation any more. It’s: ‘How do we make space for everybody?’’

For more insights on the future of women’s sports and brand opportunities, read our Game-Changers: The Future of Sports Fandom macrotrend report.