# USA beats France in World Cup final with monster ratings

> Women's basketball drew over a million viewers despite competing against NFL and US Open on the same day.
- Title: USA beats France in World Cup final with monster ratings
- Summary: Women's basketball drew over a million viewers despite competing against NFL and US Open on the same day. Women's basketball is growing fast. The USA-France…
- Keywords: caitlin clark, usa basketball, fiba women's world cup, france, women's basketball, ratings, nfl competition, paige bueckers, angel reese, paris 2028 olympics, sports, USA
- Source: Women's Fastbreak On SI — https://si.com/onsi/womens-fastbreak/news/caitlin-clark-usa-france-world-cup-final-gets-strong-ratings-despite-nfl-competition
- Published: 2026-09-16T00:10:53+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: caitlin clark, usa basketball, fiba women's world cup, france, women's basketball, ratings, nfl competition, paige bueckers, angel reese, paris 2028 olympics, sports
## USA wins World Cup final
Team USA defeated France 97-79 in the FIBA Women's World Cup final on Sunday, drawing 1.2 million average viewers across HBO Max, TNT, and truTV.
## Ratings jumped 158% from 2022
The final's 1.2 million viewers marked a 158% increase from the 2022 Women's World Cup final and a 750% jump from 2018.
## Spain semifinal also drew strong numbers
USA's semifinal against Spain on Saturday averaged 938,000 viewers, making it the fourth most-watched FIBA Women's World Cup game ever.
## Group stage games drew bigger crowds
USA's games against Italy and Czechia earlier in the tournament each drew 1.3 million and 1.2 million viewers respectively, outpacing the final.
## NFL Sunday hurt the ratings
The final tipped off during NFL Week 1, and the US Open tennis final with American Ben Shelton was happening simultaneously, splitting viewership.
## College football competed Saturday
The Spain semifinal aired during college football season, which likely had a similar impact on viewership as the NFL did on Sunday.
## Media frustrated by scheduling
Several media members expressed frustration that the World Cup's biggest games were scheduled against major sports events, potentially costing millions of viewers.
## Clark, Bueckers, Reese are stars
Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese are the young superstars driving women's basketball growth and will be key players at the 2028 Paris Olympics.
## Women's basketball is growing fast
Over a million viewers for a women's basketball game during NFL Sunday shows how much the sport has grown and the star power these players command.
## Key takeaway

Women's basketball is growing fast. The USA-France World Cup final pulled 1.2 million viewers even while competing directly with NFL Week 1 and the US Open tennis final.