NCAA Tourney Viewership Surges, Women's Ratings Stable

0:00It's April 1st. This is Entertainment and Celebrity News, today, driven by AI, what everyone's talking about. The men's NCAA tournament is pulling in massive crowds this year, averaging 10.3 million viewers through the Elite 8. That's the biggest audience since 1993, and up 9% from last year. Yukon's nail-biter went over Duke in the East Region Final, drew 13.4 million on CBS, spiking to 18.9 million when that. Fans are beating free-pointer, dropped with just 0.4 seconds left. Friday's early games, Duke vs. St. John's on CBS and Michigan against Alabama on TBS and True TV averaged 14.2 million, the highest four. A Friday regional window since 1992. Fans are clearly hooked, showing how these high-stakes matchups keep everyone glued to the screen, even as streaming competes for attention. It's a throwback to the tournament's golden areas when viewership ruled the airwaves.

1:00Meanwhile, the women's side on ESPN Network to ABC is averaging $7,9,000 through the sweet 16, down just 1% from last year. Ratings for Sunday and Monday's regional finals drop Wednesday. With the final four in championship headed to TBS, TNT, and True TV, expect the momentum to build even higher from here.