A thrilling championship game delivered a six-year high in viewership for CBS. Monday’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship between the Florida Gators and the Houston Cougars gathered an impressive average of 18.1 million viewers, marking the most-watched edition since 2019. Florida’s comeback win saw a 22% increase compared to last year’s game between UConn and Purdue, which averaged 14.8 million viewers on TNT Sports, and a 23% increase over the 2023 matchup featuring UConn and San Diego State (14.7 million viewers), the last time the title game aired on CBS.
National Championship between Florida and Houston delivers 18.1 million viewers on CBS, capping off the most-watched Final Four weekend since 2017 pic.twitter.com/3FmBOMDGuF
— March Madness Men’s Basketball TV (@MM_MBB_TV) April 8, 2025
The game, which tipped off at 8:50 p.m. ET—30 minutes earlier than in previous years—was the most-watched men’s basketball title game since Virginia and Texas Tech attracted 19.6 million viewers on CBS in 2019. Viewership peaked at 21.1 million during the conclusion of Monday’s championship. Overall, this year’s tournament viewership across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV increased by 3%, averaging 10.2 million viewers per window. Moreover, the three games leading up to the Final Four on CBS averaged 16.4 million viewers, representing the highest average for the closing three games of the tournament in eight years, up 21% from last year’s average on TNT Sports.
Several factors contributed to the strong ratings for this year’s title game. Firstly, a return to broadcast television significantly aided the numbers. In the current agreement, CBS and TNT Sports alternate airing the Final Four; generally, years when CBS broadcasts attract larger audiences compared to those on TNT Sports, which require pay TV or streaming subscriptions. Secondly, the earlier start time likely helped retain viewers on the East Coast while still accommodating West Coast fans. The 8:50 p.m. ET start may have struck the right balance, allowing West Coast viewers to finish work and East Coast viewers to conclude the game by 11 p.m. ET. Lastly, both Florida and Houston were among the top teams in the country, evidenced by advanced metrics and seeding, as No. 1 seeds typically draw more viewers. With all Final Four participants being No. 1 seeds, fans were assured of watching the best teams compete.
Furthermore, Monday’s game remained tight until the end, as closely contested matches tend to engage viewers fully throughout the broadcast. Given that viewership peaked towards the conclusion, this theory appears to hold true. Unless a compelling NBA Finals matchup emerges, Florida’s win is likely to be the most-watched basketball telecast of the year, with no NBA Finals audience exceeding 14 million viewers since 2019. Interestingly, this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game finished just a few hundred thousand viewers shy of last year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, which achieved a record audience of 18.9 million and was the most-watched basketball game of 2024. With the women’s championship returning to lower numbers this season, the men’s final is poised to take the top spot for 2025.
