Men's NCAA title game most-watched since 2019

Field Level Media|published: 04/09/2026, 12:32pm EDT

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May celebrates with the trophy after defeating the UConn Huskies in the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Michigan's victory against Connecticut on Monday night drew an average audience of 18.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched NCAA Tournament final in seven years.

The audience across TBS, TNT, truTV and HBO Max marked a 23% increase over the broadcast on those same outlets in 2024.

The Wolverines' 69-63 win in Indianapolis, their first national championship since 1989, peaked at 20.4 million for the conclusion between 11 and 11:15 p.m. ET.

The numbers were the highest for the NCAA Tournament final since Virginia defeated Texas Tech in Minneapolis in 2019.

The Final Four, which also featured Arizona and Illinois, averaged 14.2 million viewers, an 11% bump from 2024. The entire tournament, which also aired games on CBS, averaged 10.9 million, up 7% from last year and making it the second-most-watched tourney since 1994.

TBS Sports and CBS Sports share coverage of March Madness, with the championship game alternating between the two each year.

--Field Level Media