News

Men’s NCAA tournament averaging 10.3 million viewers, its most-watched since 1993

UConn guard Braylon Mullins (24) reacts with teammates after scoring the winning basket against Duke in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Photo: Associated Press


NEW YORK (AP) — The men’s NCAA tournament is averaging 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight, according to Nielsen. That is the tournament’s best audience since 1993 and a 9% increase over last year.
UConn’s last-second 73-72 victory over Duke in the East Region final averaged 13.4 million on CBS. The audience peaked at 18.9 million when Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left.
Friday’s early window with Duke-St.John’s on CBS and Michigan-Alabama on TBS/truTV averaged 14.2 million, the most-watched Friday regional early window since 1992.
The Final Four and title game will be on TBS, TNT and truTV.
The women’s NCAA tournament on ESPN’s networks and ABC is averaging 789,000 viewers through Saturday’s Sweet 16 games. That is a 1% decrease from last year.
Ratings for Sunday and Monday’s regional finals are expected to be available on Wednesday.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Latest Stories

20 hours ago in Sports

Play is underway in ideal conditions on the opening day of Wimbledon

Among the early matches on the opening day of the grass-court Grand Slam: Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula beat Darja Vidmanova 7-5, 6-3; rising Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, in his Wimbledon debut, beat Felix Gill 6-3, 6-3, 7-5; and French Open finalist Maja Chwalinska, who needed a wild-card entry, was beaten 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 by Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

20 hours ago in Entertainment, Trending

Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce getting married at Madison Square Garden? What we know

Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce really getting married at Madison Square Garden? Frenzied speculation surrounding the superstar singer and football player's upcoming wedding has spiked over the past few days as reports swirl that the two are getting married the first week in July at one of New York's iconic landmarks.

4 days ago in Sports

Last-place Mets fire manager Carlos Mendoza. Owner Steve Cohen says ‘fans deserve better’

From the front office to the field, just about everything has gone wrong for the New York Mets over the past year. And on Friday, manager Carlos Mendoza took the fall.

4 days ago in National

Utah restricts fireworks, declares state of emergency as largest US wildfire grows

Utah restricted fireworks and declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of July Fourth celebrations as the United States' largest wildfire mushroomed in size.

4 days ago in Entertainment

Happy birthday, 2000 Year Old Man. Mel Brooks is turning 100

The 2000 Year Old Man is turning 100. Mel Brooks on Sunday will celebrate his centennial birthday. The comedian and filmmaker has been awaiting the milestone. Earlier this year, Judd Apatow titled his retrospective documentary on him: "Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!"