March Madness 2025 Brought Peak Viewership

​March Madness is a single-elimination tournament involving 68 NCAA Division I basketball teams that compete for a spot in the Final Four, with the winner taking the national championship. Teams gain entry to the Final Four tournament by winning the conference or getting a bid from the NCAA Selection Committee, which is based on the team’s season performance. More than watching the games, the cottage industry related to Selection Sunday, when seeding and bracket selections are posted, the Final Four games, and subsequent potential upsets draws viewers, widespread media coverage, and betting pools among fans and in the workplace, all part of the culture and hype of the tournament.

While March Madness 2025 saw significantly high viewership and attendance, there were no Cinderella teams or upsets in the first few tournament rounds, which usually draw more viewers. The first two elimination-round viewership reached a 32-year high, according to CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV, with 9.4 million viewers tuning in to the second round. Further, the second half of round 32 drew 10.1 million viewers, besting 1993 numbers.

Fan attendance was one of the reasons for the increase in viewership, with Division I Men’s basketball games drawing more than 700,000 to the stadium over the course of the tournament. The Final Four games, played in the Alamodome in San Antonio, drew a sold-out crowd of 68,252 fans spanning 26 countries and all 50 states. Highlights of the game included Florida’s rally in the second half and Walter Clayton Jr.'s game-saving defensive move.

In Tampa, Florida, the Division I Women’s tournament drew attendees from 23 countries and all 50 states. Tournament attendance was at its third-highest, reaching 351,777 people. The Women’s Final Four games, held at Amalie Arena, drew 39,509 fans, the most since 2019. Highlights included UConn’s win over defending champion South Carolina, with Paige Bueckers making 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Azzi Fudd snagging the Most Outstanding Player award after scoring 24 points. Sarah Strong, a freshman, added 24 points to help UConn win its 12th  NCAA championship.

Many other fans watched the televised Division I Men’s and Women’s tournaments. On average, the men’s Final Four semifinal competition averaged 15 million viewers per game across TNT, TBS, and TruTV, a 21-percent increase from 2024. TruTV set a record when the first four games drew 7.4 million viewers. Finally, the national championship game between Florida and Houston, televised on CBS, drew 18.1 million viewers, a 22-percent increase from the previous year’s title game.

The televised Division I women’s games also contributed to the peak in March Madness interest in 2025. Notable games included the Elite Eight, which averaged 2.9 million viewers and was the second-highest on record, according to ESPN data. Across ESPN platforms, the semi-finals averaged 3.9 million viewers. The UCLA-UConn game attracted 4.1 million viewers. The women’s UConn-South Carolina game averaged 8.5 million viewers, peaking at 9.9 million on ABC.

Playing in March Madness enables players to showcase their skill, talent, and flair on the court. In 2025, higher viewership ratings and tournament attendance significantly increased players' visibility.

Andrew Fleming Nashville

Shop