March Madness: Record-Breaking Viewership and Electric Performances

THREE POINTER:

• March Madness is off to a record-breaking start with millions tuning in and near-capacity crowds attending games.
• Tournament scoring is up from last year, with teams averaging 73.1 points per game.
• The excitement continues with regional semifinal games starting on Thursday.

Record-Breaking Engagement

March Madness has kicked off with a bang, drawing in millions of fans across the country. The Selection Show on CBS pulled in 5.9 million viewers, marking a 16 percent increase from last year and the highest total in five years. The First Four games didn’t disappoint either, attracting a total of 6.2 million viewers, up 14 percent from last year.

First-round games on Thursday and Friday saw an average of 8.53 million viewers tuning in, the third-highest in tournament history. The weekend games were even more popular, with Saturday’s games averaging 10.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched first day of the second round ever.

Unforgettable On-Court Performances

The games have been as exciting as the viewership numbers, with teams delivering unforgettable performances. Tournament scoring is up compared with last year, with five teams topping 100 points, eight scoring at least 90, and a whopping 21 teams putting up 80 or more.

This year’s tournament has already featured five overtime games, including a double-overtime thriller between Creighton and Oregon and a remarkable win by Houston over in-state rival Texas A&M.

Looking Ahead: The Action Continues

The action resumes on Thursday night with regional semifinal games in Boston and Los Angeles. The first game in Boston features UConn facing off against San Diego State, while the Los Angeles doubleheader begins with Arizona taking on Clemson.

The excitement continues into the weekend with the Elite Eight games in Boston and Los Angeles on Saturday, and games in Dallas and Detroit on Sunday.

In the words of JoAn Scott, the NCAA’s vice president for men’s basketball, “March Madness is unlike anything else on the sports calendar, and the next two weeks of the tournament should be special.”

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