March Madness: Tournament ratings up after most-watched Elite Eight Sunday in 5 years
The Elite Eight game between NC State and Duke produced the largest audience for an Easter Sunday telecast on any network in 11 years
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Elite Eight game between NC State and Duke produced the largest audience for an Easter Sunday telecast on any network in 11 years.
The Wolfpack's 76-64 victory over the Blue Devils in the South Region final averaged 15.1 million viewers on CBS, according to Nielsen. The 2013 Elite Eight game between Duke and Louisville averaged 15.6 million.
Overall, the NCAA Tournament is averaging 9.4 million viewers on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV, a 4% increase over last year.
Sunday's first game between Purdue and Tennessee averaged 10.4 million, making it the most-watched early regional final in five years.
Sunday's viewer average of 12.8 million is a 30% increase over last year, and the most-watched Elite Eight doubleheader since 2019.
Thursday and Friday's Sweet 16 games on CBS, TBS and truTV averaged 10.3 million, up 5% from 2023.
Alabama's victory over North Carolina on Thursday night on CBS was the most-watched regional semifinal game, with a 7.8 million viewer average. Duke's win over Houston on Friday night drew 7.3 million on CBS.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness