NEW YORK — For the first time in eleven years, the matchup between North Carolina State and Duke in the Elite Eight garnered the highest audience for an Easter Sunday broadcast on any network.
According to Nielsen, the result of the South Region final between the Wolfpack and the Blue Devils, which the Wolfpack won 76-64, was broadcast on CBS to an average of 15.1 million viewers
The average number of viewers for the Elite Eight game between Duke and Louisville in 2013 was 15.6 million.
According to CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, the NCAA Tournament is now being seen by an average of 9.4 million viewers, which is a 4% increase over the previous year.
As a result of the average viewership of 10.4 million, the first game of the season between Purdue and Tennessee on Sunday became the most watched early regional final in the past five years.
The average number of viewers for Sunday's Elite Eight doubleheader was 12.8 million, which is a thirty percent increase from the previous year and its highest viewership since 2019.
The average number of viewers who watched the Sweet 16 games on CBS, TBS, and truTV was 10.3 million, which is a 5% increase from 2023.
With an average viewership of 7.8 million, the regional semifinal game that was played on Thursday night on CBS and featured Alabama's victory against North Carolina was the most watched game of the season. 7.3 million people tuned in to see Duke's victory over Houston on Friday night on CBS.
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