Basketball Fans Not Happy Caitlin Clark’s Record-Breaking Game Is Airing Only On Peacock

Much like when the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs playoff game aired exclusively on Peacock, college basketball fans are not happy that Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking game will only be shown on the streaming service Thursday night.

The Iowa Hawkeyes star enters Thursday’s game against Michigan just eight points shy of the all-time scoring record for women’s basketball.

Clark has been selling out arenas all winter and raking in huge viewership numbers every time her games are broadcast.

And yet, despite NBCUniversal having the power to bring one of the biggest moments in women’s college basketball history to the masses, they are instead choosing to stick with keeping the Iowa vs. Michigan game on Peacock.

Not only is Peacock the only place fans can watch the game, NBCUniversal is creating an alternate feed which will follow Clark throughout the contest called the “Caitlin Cast,” thus proving they have the ability to make changes on the fly based on the enormity of the situation.

So the folks at NBCUniversal are going to use Clark’s and women’s college basketball’s big moment to prop up their streaming service rather than continue to grow the sport of women’s basketball, which, based on their contract with the Big Ten, could actually make Peacock stronger in the long run.

According to Front Office Sports, the Jan. 21 Iowa game against Ohio State drew an average audience of 1.93 million – the largest regular-season viewership for women’s college basketball on any network since 2010.

Caitlin Clark’s Thursday night game against the Wolverines would surely have broken that record if it aired on NBC.

Instead, what Peacock is doing is amplifying the animosity that was already built up over the NFL playoff game exclusive.

But hey, at least by keeping Caitlin Clark’s game on Peacock, NBCUniversal can still air three straight reruns of their Law & Order franchise on NBC.

Can’t wait for NBCUniveral and Peacock try to brag about “making history” again on Friday after Clark breaks the record.

“Congrats to her and the 6 people that will be able to watch it,” one fan wrote on X. “SHAME on you, NBC. Clark totally deserves a national stage and you’re hiding her deep under your crappy feathers.”

“Put this game on NBC so everyone can watch. Guarantee it’ll be the most televised game in women’s college history,” read another comment.

“I bet if it were a male athlete it would be nationally televised,” another fan wrote.

“Putting, what could easily be the most important W in female sports in a long time behind this IDIOTIC paywall, puts the sport back 20 years and hurts Clark monetarily,” another angry fan commented.