US Edition
NCAA Tournament has best opening week on record, averaging 10.1 million viewers
Men’s early rounds averaged 10.1 million viewers, a 7% increase from last year, driven by upsets and Nielsen’s new big-data ratings component.
- The men's NCAA Tournament's first two rounds averaged an all-time high of 10.1 million viewers across CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV, a 7 percent increase from last year.
- ESPN's coverage of the women's NCAA Tournament first round saw a 9 percent increase to 401,000 viewers, with viewers spending 1.3 billion minutes watching games, marking the second highest total ever recorded.
- The men's tournament peaked during the first primetime window with 19.7 million viewers, featuring notable upsets and setting the highest first-week window viewership.
- Top women's first-round games, such as UConn versus UT-San Antonio, reached nearly 1 million viewers and ranked among the top all-time first-round games.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Rockdale Citizen & Newton Citizen
NCAA Tournament sets viewership record for first two rounds
March Madness delivered a first-week ratings surge, with the men's NCAA Tournament averaging 10.1 million viewers across CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV, making it the most-watched tournament ever through the first two rounds, according to Nielsen Big Data.
Associated Press News
NCAA Tournament has best opening week on record, averaging 10.1 million viewers
The NCAA Tournament had its best first week on record, averaging 10.1 million viewers through the second round across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
NCAA Tournament TV Ratings Shatter Records, Proving NIL And Portal Didn’t Kill Interest In College Sports
Following a weekend filled with buzzer-beaters and entertaining games across the NCAA Tournament, it's clear, judging by the television ratings, that fans have not checked out.That should not come as a shock to basketball fans, given that there have been plenty of storylines over the past four days that prove the sport is continuing to grow. It's clear that people still enjoy watching college basketball, even though changes over the years with N…
HBCU Sparks Most-Watched NCAA Tournament First Round Ever
The opening day of the 2026 NCAA Tournament didn’t just deliver drama—it delivered history. And an HBCU program played a key role in driving it. According to Nielsen data, first-round coverage across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV averaged 9.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched opening day in tournament history. That figure marked a 6% increase from 2025 and continued a steady rise in March Madness viewership. Within those record numbers sits…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources lean Left
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