Men’s NCAA tournament averaging 10.3 million viewers, its most-watched since 1993

Men’s NCAA Tournament TV ratings best in 30-plus years

By Field Level Media As the Final Four approaches, some blocks of the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament ​have been the most watched ‌in more than 30 years, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel numbers released Wednesday. CBS Sports and TNT Sports averaged 10.3 million viewers ‌through ​last weekend’s Elite Eight, ⁠making it the ⁠most watched NCAA Tournament over two weekends since 1993. Those numbers are up 9%. The UConn-Duke thriller in the Elite ​Ei…

Men's NCAA Tournament TV ratings best in 30-plus years

As the Final Four approaches, some blocks of the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament have been the most watched in more than 30 years, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel numbers released Wednesday.

March Madness viewership booms to near 20-year high

Viewership for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament reached record levels this March, driven by several high-profile matchups in the Elite Eight and exploding interest in the games thanks to sports gambling. The NCAA, in conjunction with its media partners at CBS and Turner Sports, said this year’s tournament garnered the largest audience the bracket-style, single-elimination…

Like MLB, College Basketball Is Also Now More Popular Than The NBA

While the rest of the sports world is slowly coming around to the idea that MLB is more popular than the NBA, there could soon be a similar conversation about how college basketball compares to the pros.The 2026 NCAA Tournament is averaging 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight, marking the most-watched tournament since 1993. Notably, UConn’s upset of Duke peaked at 18.9 million viewers on CBS.For context, the NCAA Tournament is averaging…

March Madness TV viewership is the best in 33 years

March Madness is as popular as it has been in decades. Heading into this weekend’s Final Four, the NCAA Tournament is averaging 10.3 million television viewers across the four networks, TNT, TBS, CBS and TruTV, which is a number that’s up nine percent from last year, according to Nielsen.

Men's NCAA tournament averaging 10.3 million viewers, its most-watched since 1993

The men’s NCAA tournament is averaging 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight, its best audience since 1993 and a 9% increase over last year.