2025 NCAA Basketball Final Four Ratings Analysis
The NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2025, featuring all top seeds, captivated audiences with two closely contested games, achieving impressive viewer ratings on Saturday.
Men’s Final Four Viewing Statistics
According to fast national ratings from Nielsen, this year’s Final Four games attracted an average of approximately 15.3 million viewers. This marks the highest viewership since 2017 and represents a 19% increase from last year’s average of 12.8 million viewers. The games were broadcast across TBS, TNT, and TRUTV, outpacing CBS’s previous broadcasts by 24%.
Game Highlights
- The first game saw Florida defeat Auburn with a score of 79-73, drawing in 11.4 million viewers—up against 14.6 million from the same window a year prior.
- In a thrilling late matchup, Houston staged a comeback to win over Duke with a score of 70-67, enjoying an incredible average of 16 million viewers, increasing by 13% from the prior year’s late game.
The Duke versus Houston face-off stands out as the most-watched game of this year’s tournament thus far, surpassing all matchups from the 2024 bracket. Finalized viewer statistics for Saturday’s games will be available on Tuesday, and it’s possible these figures will see minor adjustments.
Women’s Final Four Performance
In contrast, the Women’s Final Four experienced a significant drop in viewer numbers. The two games aired on Friday, featuring dominant performances by South Carolina over Texas and Connecticut’s victory against UCLA, averaged only 3.9 million viewers—down 65% from the 11 million average recorded last year. Despite this decrease, it remains the third-highest viewership since ESPN acquired exclusive rights to the women’s tournament in 1995, following only the record-breaking numbers from 2023 and last year.
Comparative Viewer Insights
The shift in viewership highlights a stark contrast between the men’s and women’s tournaments, showcasing the rising popularity and competitiveness of the men’s Final Four while indicating challenges for the women’s games following last year’s peak. The current statistics reflect the evolving landscape of college basketball viewership as audiences engage with thrilling matchups.
Conclusion
Overall, the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four has proven to be a significant event, drawing enthusiastic ratings and showcasing competitive gameplay. As more data becomes available, the focus will turn to understanding the insights behind viewer engagement in both men’s and women’s tournaments moving forward.