NCAA Tournament Hits 10.3M Avg Viewers, Best Since 1993

The tournament’s average of 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight marks a 9% rise from 2023 and the highest since 1993, according to Nielsen. CBS’s East Region final, featuring UConn’s 73‑72 win over Duke, drew 13.4 million viewers, while the dramatic 0.4‑second 3‑pointer by Braylon Mullins peaked at 18.9 million.

Friday’s early regional window on CBS and TBS/trueTV averaged 14.2 million, the most‑watched Friday regional since 1992. The Final Four and title game will air on TBS, TNT and truTV, while the women’s tournament on ESPN and ABC averaged 789,000 viewers through the Sweet 16, a 1% drop from last year.