March Madness: UConn's win over San Diego State marked least-watched national championship on record
UConn’s win over San Diego State in the national championship game Monday was the least-watched men's NCAA tournament championship game on record.
The game averaged 14.69 million viewers on CBS, according to The Associated Press. The previous low came in 2018, when 15.99 million people watched Villanova beat Michigan on TBS. CBS’s previous low came in 2004, when UConn beat Georgia Tech in a game that averaged 17.09 million. CBS and TBS started alternating Final Four broadcasts in 2016.
While the game Monday didn’t have great numbers, it was still the most-watched thing on television that night and the most-watched basketball game of any kind since last year’s national championship.
In general, the 2023 men's basketball tournament averaged 9.55 million viewers, which was down about 7% from last year. The first round, however, averaged a record 9.2 million the first two days.
UConn rolled to a 76-59 win over San Diego State on Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston. The title marked the fifth in program history and the school’s first under coach Dan Hurley.
The women’s side drew record numbers throughout the NCAA tournament. LSU’s win over Iowa on Sunday in the national championship drew 9.9 million viewers, an all-time best. That was up about 103% from last year. The game, played in front of a sold-out crowd at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, peaked at 12.6 million.
