Biden criticizes men's college basketball for lower viewership than women's as champions visit White House.
According to Biden, it appears that men's basketball is no longer being watched by anyone.
On Tuesday, the defending national NCAA champions in men's and women's basketball were welcomed by President Biden at the White House. The South Carolina women's team, led by Dawn Staley, and the UConn men's team, led by Dan Hurley, were honored.
Biden joked about the women's game outperforming the men's game in TV ratings during the ceremony celebrating Staley's Gamecocks, referencing the viewership numbers for last season's NCAA finals.
""I don't think anybody's watching men's basketball anymore," Biden said."
Biden mentioned Staley's Philadelphia roots as a reason for South Carolina's recent basketball championships. He also mentioned his own connection to Philadelphia through his wife, Jill Biden, who grew up there.
During the UConn ceremony, Biden did not mention the viewership numbers.
The men's game was jabbed at by Biden during the South Carolina ceremony, which was met with laughter and applause in the East Room of the White House.
The 2021 women's NCAA basketball tournament was the most-watched in history, surpassing the men's final in viewership and setting an all-time attendance record.
The 2016 Women's EuroBasketball Championship was the second most-watched non-Olympic women's sporting event on U.S. television, with an average of 10.9 million viewers on ESPN. This event occurred on a Sunday and was broadcast during primetime on the East Coast.
On average, 14.82 million viewers watched UConn defend its title and defeat Purdue, 75-60, during the men's championship on TBS and TNT.
The rise of women's basketball superstars like Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink coincided with a historic surge in the women's final's viewership, which outperformed the men's.
In the 2023 women's final, Jill Biden suggested that Clark and Iowa visit the White House after losing to Reese and LSU. Despite apologizing for her suggestion, Reese felt "hurt" and did not "accept" the apology during an interview on "The Paper Route Podcast" in April.
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