TV Ratings: Men's Tourney Attracting More Viewers

Ratings for the first two rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament have risen 4% to an average of 9.4 million viewers across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, according to Nielsen, marking the highest two-round average since 1993. 

Sunday stood out as the stronger day, with viewership up 13% to 10.1 million. The early-evening slot averaged 15.3 million viewers—a 2.6% increase from last year—while later evening games surged 19% to 8.0 million. This year’s figures reflect Nielsen’s full integration of out-of-home viewing across all measured markets, implemented earlier in 2025.

The tournament’s top draw so far was Kentucky’s 84–75 win over Illinois on Sunday, pulling in 15.3 million viewers. Major advertisers fueling the broadcasts include AT&T Wireless, Geico, Capital One, The Home Depot, State Farm, Progressive Insurance, Samsung Galaxy, Nissan, and Invesco Funds Group.

In contrast, the first two rounds of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament saw a sharp 26% drop to 602,000 viewers on ABC and ESPN compared to last year. The 2024 tournament had been buoyed by the record-breaking performances of Caitlin Clark and the University of Iowa, setting a high bar.