With the remaining field comprised largely of traditional powers, perhaps the only thing left that could trip up ratings for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is lopsided games.
Thursday’s Duke-Arizona NCAA men’s basketball regional semifinal averaged a 3.5 rating and 6.57 million viewers on CBS, down 16% in both measures from Alabama-North Carolina last year (4.2, 7.80M), but flat and up 7% respectively from Gonzaga-UCLA in 2023 (3.5, 6.13M).
The Blue Devils’ blowout win was their least-watched appearance in the Sweet 16 since a 2016 matchup against Oregon that aired on TBS (4.03M). Their appearance in the round last year — a Friday night matchup against Houston on CBS — averaged a 3.8 and 7.33 million.
Earlier in the night, Alabama’s blowout of BYU averaged a 3.0 and 5.80 million — down 17 and 11 percent respectively from Clemson-Arizona last year (3.6, 6.53M). The game aired opposite a Florida-Maryland matchup on TBS and truTV that combined for a 1.9 and 3.87 million, up a third and 37 percent respectively from UConn-San Diego State a year ago (1.4, 2.83M).
The increase on cable more than made up for the shortfall on broadcast, with the full window combining for a 5.0 and 9.67 million — flat and up 3% respectively from last year (5.0, 9.36M).
Figures for the night’s lone close game — Texas Tech’s overtime comeback win over John Calipari’s Arkansas — will be added if and when they become available.
It is generally the case that the familiar programs and power conferences tend to draw better late in the tournament than the Cinderellas for which March Madness is best known. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the last mid-major double-digit seed to make it this far — Princeton two years ago — averaged 4.4 million (on cable) for their loss to Creighton. The prior year, Saint Peter’s attracted an audience of ten million for their Sweet 16 win over Purdue on TBS.
