On Saturday, the men’s Final Four returned to CBS with a bang. The games racked up great viewership, breaking almost a decade-long record. These numbers made it very clear that the College Basketball scene is the hottest it has ever been.
CBS Final Four Broadcast Pulls in Record-Breaking Viewerships
The two-game slate averaged 15.3 million viewers, a sharp 19% jump from last year’s Final Four on TNT Sports networks. That’s the highest mark since 2017, when Nielsen last tracked a similar peak without out-of-home viewing data. Viewership hit its peak at 20.4 million during the late game.
Final Four scores 15.3 million viewers on CBS, the most-watched since 2017.
Coverage peaked with 20.4 million viewers.
*Numbers expected to increase when Final data is available on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/sri6P5REyi
— March Madness Men’s Basketball TV (@MM_MBB_TV) April 6, 2025
Houston’s nail-biting 70-67 comeback against Duke pulled in the majority of the audience, averaging 16 million watchers. The game started after 9 p.m. ET and outpaced last year’s UConn-Alabama clash by 13%, which drew 14.12 million on TNT Sports. It also stands as the most-watched game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament so far.
The early matchup wasn’t far behind. Florida’s 79-73 victory over Auburn pulled in 14.6 million viewers. That’s a 27% increase over the 11.45 million who tuned into Purdue-NC State last year.
It also marks the strongest early-window Final Four audience since 2017. These fast national Nielsen figures, which now include out-of-home viewing, are expected to tick up slightly when final numbers drop on Tuesday.
This year’s tournament viewership across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV is up 2% from 2024, averaging 9.9 million per window. Saturday’s gave a clear hint at the fact that top teams deliver top ratings.
Despite early concerns about a lack of Cinderella stories, the data proves fans will show up for quality. The all-No. 1-seed lineup didn’t disappoint, dispelling any talk of college basketball losing its pull.
Both games lived up to the hype. Florida held off Auburn in a tight six-point finish. Houston’s rally past Duke kept viewers glued until the final buzzer. The contrast sets the stage for Monday’s Houston-Florida title game, which is expected to pull in a massive audience.
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Meanwhile, the women’s Final Four on Friday took a hit. ESPN’s broadcast averaged 3.9 million viewers, down 65% from last year’s 11 million record. South Carolina and Connecticut rolled to lopsided wins over Texas and UCLA, respectively.
Still, it ranks as the third-best women’s Final Four audience since ESPN took over in 1995, trailing only 2024 and 2023’s 4.5 million.
CBS executives are likely having a great time. The eight-year high isn’t just a win for CBS. It’s a clear hint that college Basketball shouldn’t be underestimated at any cost. Monday’s championship could push the needle even further.
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