First Four brings in record-setting viewership

Miami (Ohio) tops the viewership charts in NCAA First Four

The following article "Miami (Ohio) tops the viewership charts in NCAA First Four" originally appeared on Sports Media Watch. Miami of Ohio showed it can move the needle in its lone win of the NCAA Tournament. Wednesday’s Miami (Ohio)-SMU NCAA men’s basketball tournament “First Four” game averaged 2.8 million viewers on truTV, trailing only UCLA-Michigan State in 2021 (3.15M) — which aired on TBS as part of a COVID-altered schedule — as the most…

First Four brings in record-setting viewership

The Miami (Ohio) debate and intrigue may have sparked a viewership increase for the 2026 First Four. CBS Sports and TNT Sports announced on Friday evening that the NCAA Tournament’s First Four delivered record-setting viewership, grossing 7.5 million viewers on truTV over Tuesday and Wednesday. That tops the 2025 First Four, which resulted in 7.4 million viewers. The Miami-SMU game led the way as the most-watched First Four game ever, averaging …