March Madness Sets Records as Most-Watched in History, How Many Viewers in 1st 2 Rounds?

The first two rounds of the 2026 NCAA tournament drew a historic audience.

This year's March Madness averaged 10.1 million viewers through the second round on TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV, becoming the most-watched tournament ever.

The first round averaged 9.5 million viewers per game while the second round averaged 11.0 million viewers per game.

The first two rounds contained several thrilling finishes, such as Kentucky's 89-84 overtime victory over Santa Clara that was highlighted by a game-tying triple from Otega Oweh.

Meanwhile, St. John's advanced to the Sweet 16 due to Dylan Darling's game-winning layup that took down Kansas.

North Carolina was looking to go on a deep tournament run, but the Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead before falling to VCU in the first round.

There were multiple upsets during the opening rounds, as No. 1 seed Florida suffered a 73-72 loss against No. 9 Iowa on Sunday.

No. 11 Texas is currently the lowest-seeded team still alive in March Madness, advancing from the First Four to secure upset wins over BYU and Gonzaga.

The Sweet 16 will begin on Thursday.