March Madness Ratings Dip After Record Start: Will Final Four Deliver?

March Madness TV ratings have cooled off from what was a 32-year high after the men’s opening rounds.

The Elite Eight games averaged 9 million viewers across CBS, TBS, and truTV, as all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. That’s down 10% from last year, when the Elite Eight concluded on Easter Sunday. This year’s ratings are up 4% from 2023.

With no teams seeded lower than No. 10, Sweet 16 games averaged 9.8 million viewers, which is down 6% compared to 2024 and flat with 2023.

The men’s NCAA tournament to date is averaging 9.4 million viewers across CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV, which is even with last year and up 3% compared to the same point through the 2023 tournament.

Final Act

CBS will broadcast Saturday’s Final Four matchups and next Monday night’s national championship game as the four top seeds face off for the first time since 2008.

Duke and consensus No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg beating Houston to reach the title game would no doubt create the highest viewership for this tournament’s finale.

Last year was the first time the women’s title game drew a larger TV audience than the men’s, as 18.9 million watched South Carolina–Iowa on ABC and ESPN, compared to 14.8 million for UConn-Purdue on TNT, TBS, and truTV.