CBS Sports kicked off March Madness this past Sunday with the annual Selection Show, which revealed for the first time the full bracket of games for the upcoming men’s college basketball tournament. The annual Sunday telecast once again drew millions of viewers excited to see the unveiling of the bracket. However, according to initial figures, viewership was slightly down from 2024.
According to the Sports Business Journal, CBS Sports drew an average of 5.7 million viewers for Sunday’s telecast. This marks a three percent drop from last year’s broadcast of the bracket unveiling.
This year’s Selection Show, unfortunately, began on a somber note as it honored Greg Gumbel, who passed away last year after hosting the program for 25 years. Adam Lefkoe has stepped into Gumbel’s role for the last two broadcasts, including this past Sunday.
Although the 5.7 million viewers on CBS represented a decline from last year, it still outpaced the two previous years, 2023 and 2022. In fact, this year’s edition of the program saw a twelve percent increase compared to 2023, while the 5.7 million viewers marked a fifteen percent jump from the viewership in 2022.
CBS Sports wasted little time in revealing the teams for the bracket this year, with an estimated time of completion just after 6:35 p.m. EST. In the past, the network has faced criticism regarding the show’s pacing and how long it used to take to reveal the full bracket. Over the years, CBS has consistently positioned the program as must-watch television before making the complete bracket public.
Looking ahead, CBS Sports and TNT Sports will begin their March Madness broadcasts tonight, with the First Four airing exclusively on truTV. The First Four games will take place tonight and tomorrow, officially sealing the field of 64. Then, first-round action kicks off at 12:15 p.m. EST on Thursday, airing live on CBS.
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