Rivalry and history matter in sports. If you need proof of that, just look at the ratings for the NCAA Final Four. More people tuned in for the semi-final matchup between Duke and North Carolina than did for the National Championship game on Monday night.
An audience of 18.1 million tuned in to see Kansas comeback from the largest deficit in National Championship game history and beat North Carolina on Monday night. On Saturday night, 18.5 million people watched the Tar Heels defeat Duke.
The semi-final matchup had a lot of external factors that added intrigue. First, the rivalry between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels is the biggest in college basketball and amongst the biggest in all of American sports. It was the first time the two had ever met in the NCAA Tournament. There was also the added element of history. The loss made it the last game of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career.
Overall, the NCAA and its broadcast partners have a lot to be happy about regarding the Tournament. The National Championship game saw ratings climb by 4% over Baylor’s victory in 2021. On average, the tournament’s audience grew by 13% across all 67 games in 2022.
