National Championship Florida-Houston Caps Most-Watched NCAA Tournament in Years
The 2025 NCAA Tournament cemented its status as one of television’s premier sporting events, with the Florida Gators’ dramatic 65-63 championship victory over the Houston Cougars delivering the highest viewership numbers in years. The title game averaged 18.1 million viewers on CBS, marking a 22% increase over last year’s final and becoming the most-watched championship since 2019.
The championship’s intense finish proved particularly compelling, with audience numbers peaking at 21.1 million viewers during the final minutes as Florida completed its comeback from a 12-point deficit. That closing surge reflected a tournament-wide trend of tight contests and compelling storylines driving engagement.
The entire Final Four weekend proved a ratings success, averaging 16.4 million viewers across the three games – the best performance since 2017 and a 21% jump from 2024. The tournament as a whole averaged 10.2 million viewers across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV, representing a 3% year-over-year increase.
Several factors contributed to the tournament’s strong viewership:
Florida’s championship run provided a perfect blend of blueblood program appeal and underdog resilience. The Gators’ four double-digit comebacks during the tournament, including their rally against Houston, created must-watch television moments. Houston’s own compelling story as a program seeking its first national title added to the drama.
The competitive nature of the games proved crucial. All three Final Four contests were decided by single digits, with the semifinals averaging 15.7 million viewers before the championship’s even stronger performance. The close finishes represented a marked improvement from recent years that featured several blowouts in the tournament’s later stages.
Streaming numbers also showed significant growth, with digital viewership up 17% from 2024. The tournament’s social media engagement reached record levels, particularly around Florida’s comeback and Walter Clayton Jr.’s tournament heroics.
Local markets responded strongly, with Houston posting a 38.5 rating and Gainesville delivering a 34.2. These numbers suggest the championship matchup resonated both with traditional college basketball markets and casual fans drawn to the dramatic finish.
The viewership success caps an important year for the NCAA and its television partners. With CBS and Turner Sports in the middle of an $8.8 billion rights agreement running through 2032, the strong numbers provide reassurance about the tournament’s continued value as a television property.
For college basketball, the ratings surge offers proof that despite changes throughout the sport, March Madness remains one of the most reliably compelling events on the sports calendar. The combination of unpredictable outcomes, emotional storylines and high-stakes drama continues to capture the attention of millions of viewers.
