March Madness is delivering the excitement we all crave, and the NCAA Tournament's TV ratings are proving it. The opening day of the tournament set records, with CBS and TNT Sports pulling in impressive numbers.
On March 19, the Round of 64 games averaged 9.8 million viewers across CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV. That's a 6% increase from last year, setting a new high for an opening day. The prime-time matchups, featuring Michigan-Howard on CBS and North Carolina-VCU on TNT, drew in 12.5 million viewers, marking the most-watched first-round window ever.
The excitement didn't stop there. The day was filled with thrilling upsets, like No. 12 seed High Point taking down No. 5 seed Wisconsin, and No. 11 seed VCU ousting the No. 6 seed Tar Heels. Texas and Texas A&M also pulled off surprises, adding to the day's drama.
As we look ahead, the ratings for March 20's games are highly anticipated, especially since all the favorites came out on top that day.
The buzz around the tournament started early with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, on March 17 and 18. These games attracted 7.5 million viewers on truTV, with Miami of Ohio's win over SMU leading the pack at 2.8 million viewers, the highest for First Four games in Dayton.
Overall, the early tournament viewership is averaging 9.3 million, up 5% from last year. With the Sweet 16 just around the corner, starting March 26, CBS and TBS/truTV are gearing up for more thrilling coverage.
March Madness is truly living up to its name, captivating fans and setting new standards for viewership. Stay tuned as the tournament continues to unfold!