NCAA men's title game hits ratings low

One day after the women’s tournament finished with a record-high, ratings and viewership hit record-lows for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament final.

Monday’s UConn-San Diego State NCAA men’s basketball national championship averaged a 7.8 rating and 14.69 million viewers on CBS, down 15% in ratings and 14% in viewership from Kansas-North Carolina on TBS, TNT and TruTV last year (9.1, 17.05M) and the lowest rated and least-watched title game on record. The previous lows were last year’s 9.1 and just shy of 16 million for Villanova-Michigan in 2018, which also aired cable.

The previous lows for a title game on CBS were a 9.4 and 17.08 million for Baylor’s rout of Gonzaga two years ago. The past three title games rank among the four least-watched on record.

UConn has played in two of the five least-watched title games overall — its 2004 win over Georgia Tech ranks fifth (17.09M) — making it the only team with multiple games in the bottom five.

Least-watched NCAA men’s national championship games

The Huskies’ ho-hum win still delivered the largest basketball audience of the past year, surpassing last year’s NBA Finals clincher (Warriors-Celtics Game 6: 7.5, 13.99M). As one would expect, it also outdrew Sunday’s record-high audience for the LSU-Iowa women’s title game on ABC (5.2, 9.92M).

Compared to college football’s national championship — a 65-7 Georgia wipeout of TCU in January — the title game was no match for a 8.7 and 17.22 million on the ESPN family of networks.

In the key young adult demographics, the national championship averaged a 3.7 rating in adults 18-49, a 2.9 in 18-34 and a 4.4 in 25-54 — each down from last year’s title game on TBS, TNT and TruTV (4.7, 3.5, 6.0). Among basketball games over the past year, it tied for fourth in 18-49, fifth in 25-54 and ranks seventh in 25-54, trailing NBA Finals games in each.

Largest basketball audiences, past year

As previously reported, viewership declined for the national semifinals on Saturday. UConn’s rout of Miami declined double-digits, wiping out what was a slight gain for San Diego State’s buzzer-beating win over Florida Atlantic.

The complete NCAA men’s basketball tournament averaged a combined 9.55 million viewers per window across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV, down 7% from last year but up 4% from 2021.

(Nielsen estimates from Programming Insider 4.4, ShowBuzz Daily 4.4, network PR)

Men’s Final Four declines, but SDSU-FAU scores bump

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been covering the sports media industry on a daily basis since 2006 as the founder and main writer of Sports Media Watch. You can contact him here or on the social media websites X (Twitter) or Bluesky.

Omaha, NE - June 12, 2026 - Charles Schwab Field: Trophy on the set of the 2026 Men's College World Series.
(Photo by Al Powers / ESPN Images)

The Needle: College sports viewership recap and NBC’s golf-baseball conflict

by Jon Lewis

3 months ago

On the latest edition of "The Needle," a look at 2025-26 college sports viewership and NBC's decision to stay...

News: March Madness expansion, Russell Wilson, Nexstar and more

by Derek Futterman

4 months ago

The NCAA basketball tournaments are officially expanding to 76 teams; Russell Wilson is mulling between playing football and starting...

Michigan celebrates after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

NCAA men’s title game audience up despite move from broadcast to cable

by Jon Lewis

5 months ago

Perhaps it is too early to write the obituaries for championship sporting events on cable. Monday's Michigan-UConn NCAA men's...

From left, UCLA center Lauren Betts (51), South Carolina forward Maryam Dauda (30) and UCLA forward Angela Dugalic (32) battle for a rebound during the first half of the women's National Championship Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament game, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

How will the college hoops national title games fare in the ratings?

by Jon Lewis

5 months ago

Viewership predictions for the NCAA men's and women's national title games.

Comments 20

JEFF says:

3 years ago

When was the highest ever rated Men’s championship game and how many viewers?
- Paulsen says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  Highest rated was Magic v. Bird in 1979 with a 24.1 and 35.1 million viewers.
  - JEJF E HIRSCHJMJ says:
    
    3 years ago
    
    Was the game played at 9:20 pm back then? It was it on NBC?
    - Paulsen says:
      
      3 years ago
      
      Good question. I don’t know what time the game was off the top of my head, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just as late a start.
    - Beaver says:
      
      3 years ago
      
      The championship game has been airing at the 9:10-9:20 timeframe for at least 40 years. It’s not a new thing.
  - JEFF E HIRSCHMAN says:
    
    3 years ago
    
    Is that the highest rated basketball game ever including NBA Finals and the Olympics?
    - Paulsen says:
      
      3 years ago
      
      Indeed it is.
Jeff says:

3 years ago

They would have had a lot more viewers if the game started at 8:20 instead of 9:20 EDT. I went to sleep at halftime!
HD says:

3 years ago

By the way, I didn’t realize that the college football title game doesn’t get a far higher percentage of viewers as the hoops title game. It makes me wonder why college football gets so much more money. I get that it’s more viewers per game, but … College hoops has around triple the number of games per season as football.
- Paulsen says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  Keep in mind the CFB title game was also a record-low — typically it averages well over 20 million.
Nate Johnson says:

3 years ago

Maybe I’m a little late. I simply want to give my last thoughts on the Madness and its coverage.

I found it interesting how Ernie Johnson led the Final Four team, but it was Greg Gumbel that solely hosted the National Championship game. I understand how they want the two prestigious host to have strong roles at that event, however last Madness in 2022, Gumbel didn’t do any of TBS’ Final Four coverage including the National Championship game. It was all Ernie Johnson. I guess my take from this is that have two different studio teams with each hosting it instead of switching in and out or have just one host and one studio team. Those two hosts are too good to be switched in and out of that event!

It was wonderful seeing how much stock CBS has in Jay Wright. Having him on the Selection show was great. I have to give him credit on warning people about Princeton as a 15-seed on that show. Stuff like that is what could and will set him different and apart than many other analysts in his field. I was concerned that him being in Atlanta wouldn’t help him much. However, he did a really good job in Atlanta and probably solidified that team as being worthy to tune into and listen. Seth Davis is great, but I like him more as a storyteller and 3rd opinion taker. Candace Parker works well as the 2nd one to make her takes. However, when you have Jay Wright it doesn’t matter when he gives his insight because whatever he says and whenever that may be it will carry more weight than Parker and Davis. The fact he joined the New York team for the Elite 8 and covered the entire Final Four was great to see. I’ll campaign by saying “One more year!” in the studio before asking if he could become the top color analyst for the Madness.

Coming into the Madness, Stan Van Gundy was probably the biggest question mark since he was debuting on the coverage. I believed he passed with flying colors. He knew the teams real well. He understood every moment especially the crunch-time part of Furman/Virginia and Gonzaga/UCLA. There was times when I asked myself if Jeff was on the call because Stan showed a personality side, on a more time than often, that wasn’t too serious or sticking too much to basketball. Tremendous from him. I’m glad he left ESPN and proud of Turner for welcoming him to their network and allowed him to show how great of an analyst he is.

I already spoke about my suggestions on what changes I believe the announcing teams should be on another post here. Most of it had to do with the first weekend only teams. The second weekend teams pretty much is about who replaces Jim Nantz during that particular weekend. We have 11 months to know who that it is (My choice would be Andrew Catalon, although I won’t be mad whatsoever if it ends up being Brad Nessler). Regardless of who gets it, I hope Steve Lappas gets considered to get promoted to that weekend. It will be hard for that to be possible. That’s just a suggestion though.

Final point. Back at the studio, I noticed how Barkley and Smith were doing highlights of some of the games similar to how analysts from the College Football and NFL on CBS coverage does highlights as well. That was something new and unique and pretty cool for those two to do instead of leaving it to Gumbel and Kellogg alone.

Can’t take nothing for granted with this coverage. It’s definitely one of my favorite ones every single year.
Susan says:

3 years ago

The ridiculously late start impacted the viewership for the men’s game. I wonder what would have happened if you switched the men’s and women’s games.
I love the women bb and I hope they grow even more.
But comparing their popularity by the title games is misleading.
- HD says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  I agree on the late start time. Almost half of the US is in the eastern time zone, and another 29% are in central. I know many people who go to bed between 9 and 10, and I think about 3/4 of people go to sleep between 10 and 11pm. When a tip off is at 9:20pm, it means the game could easily go until 11:30 or 11:40pm. Most people don’t want to start watching a game if they aren’t going to be awake until the end and have the ability to watch to the end if it’s a good game – meaning a reasonably close game. Even a lot of people in the midwest who are casual fans who go to sleep between 9 and 10:15pm wouldn’t want to start watching a game with a 9:20pm ET tip off time.
- Hello Larry says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  Men’s college title games have always had late starts, there’s not as much interest in men’s college games as much as they used to in the past.
RM says:

3 years ago

I also noticed that it’s been happening in the WWE as well where the male wrestlers have traditionally outperformed their female counterparts but it recent years, it’s been the other way around.
Esl says:

3 years ago

Although it’s record low, I can’t imagine CBS is too upset with the numbers, considering the matchup and the lackluster game. Close to 15 million is not bad considering the circumstance.
Chris bove says:

3 years ago

I wonder why Monday night raw was 1 2 3 in the TV ratings last night for the first time vs any national championship game
Do Better says:

3 years ago

why “as one would expect” disclaimer in front of women’s stat… unless it was “as one would expect due the day/time and other contributing factor…
- Paulsen says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  The men’s final traditionally averages more viewers than the women’s final. The disclaimer is there to make clear that the men’s title game outdrawing the women’s is not particularly notable or an indication that the women’s title game did poorly. I would retort that perhaps you should ‘do better’ before making unnecessary implications.
- Samuel says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  Are you serious? The women’s game could’ve been played in the same 9:20 ET on CBS window, feature two undefeated teams, and still trail the men’s game. It has nothing to do with time of day or any other “contributing” factors. The people that should “do better” are the ones that disrespect women’s basketball by mocking it at all times. This tournament proved that the women’s game is an entertaining product and hopefully over the years the numbers go up but nearly 10 million is as good as it gets right now.