2025 Final Four Has Highest Viewership Since 2017

The 2025 Final Four was the most-watched version of the event since 2017, and the millions of viewers who were tuned in were treated to two classic games on Saturday afternoon.

Final Four Sees Highest Viewership Numbers Since 2017

According to the early returns of the Nielson ratings, the games that featured Auburn vs Florida and Houston vs Duke averaged roughly 15.3 million viewers. That is a figure that increased by 19% this season, up from the 12.8 million average from 2024, and 24% higher than when CBS last had the broadcast rights in 2023.

It is the most-viewed Final Four since 2017, which featured North Carolina and Gonzaga winning their matchups in order to advance to the National Championship.

Those millions of viewers saw a pair of entertaining basketball games. The first matchup saw a back-and-forth battle between SEC opponents, as Florida took down Auburn after facing a 9-point second-half deficit. In the night cap, tournament-favorite Duke blew a 7 point lead in less than 90 seconds, allowing Houston to clinch their first National Championship appearance since 1984.

The men’s Final Four average 15.3 million viewers, peaking at 20.4 million, per CBS/Warner Bros Discovery. It’s the most since 2017.

Total viewership is average 9.9 million viewers, up 2%.

— Amanda Christovich (@achristovichh) April 6, 2025

The excitement-filled evening was just the Final Four that this tournament needed. This year’s version of March Madness was somewhat lackluster when it came to upsets or late-game heroics, and all four no.1 seeds qualified for the final weekend for just the second time since 1979. Social media was buzzing after the conclusion of the final game that featured Duke’s collapse, and the viewership numbers reflected the hype.

Florida vs Auburn saw an average of 14.6 million viewers, while Houston vs Duke saw a figure of 16 million.

The Final Four viewership numbers that were released on Sunday are known as the “fast” national numbers, and are subject to change. The official data will be made available on Tuesday, and it is likely that they’ll see a small boost to the early reported numbers.

Monday night’s National Championship between Houston and Florida will be played in San Antonio, Texas and is scheduled to tip off at 8.50PM Eastern.