Men's NCAA Tournament Hits 10.3M Avg Viewers, Best Since 1993

The men's NCAA tournament is averaging 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight, the highest since 1993 and a 9 % jump over last year. UConn’s 73‑72 win over Duke in the East Region final drew 13.4 million on CBS, with the game’s climax—Braylon Mullins’ 3‑pointer with 0.4 seconds left—peaking at 18.9 million viewers.

Friday’s early regional window, featuring Duke‑St. John’s on CBS and Michigan‑Alabama on TBS/truTV, averaged 14.2 million, the most‑watched Friday regional since 1992. The Final Four and title game will air on TBS, TNT and truTV. The women’s tournament on ESPN and ABC averaged 789,000 viewers through the Sweet 16, a 1 % drop from last year, with Sunday and Monday finals ratings due Wednesday.