Michigan Edges UConn in Men's Final, Draws 18.3M Viewers—Highest Since 2019

Michigan 72, UConn 65. The Wolverines claimed their first men’s national championship in program history with a hard-fought win over UConn in the NCAA title game. The game averaged 18.3 million viewers across TBS, TNT, truTV, and HBO Max, making it the most-watched men’s championship since 2019. The victory capped a dominant run for Michigan, who outscored opponents by an average of 20 points per game during the tournament.

UConn, a No. 1 seed and Final Four favorite, was led by Tristen Newton with 18 points and six rebounds. But the Huskies struggled offensively in the second half and were unable to overcome a slow start. Michigan’s J.J. Redick Jr. came through with a career-high 24 points, including two clutch three-pointers in the final minutes. The Wolverines shot 48% from the field and held UConn to just 38%.

The overall NCAA tournament averaged 10.9 million viewers, a 7% increase over last year. The Final Four games drew 14.2 million viewers on average, up 11% from 2022. The men’s tournament also saw the most-watched first and second rounds since 1993, a sign of growing interest in college basketball.

In the women’s title game, South Carolina defeated UCLA 67-63 to secure their third national championship in four years. The game averaged 9.9 million viewers, a 15% increase from last season and the third-highest women’s championship on ESPN. South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso led all scorers with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Gamecocks outrebounded the Bruins 42-29, a key factor in their victory.

The women’s semifinals averaged 5.2 million viewers, the second-highest since ESPN took over the broadcast in 1996. South Carolina improved to 38-1 on the season, while UCLA finished 32-8.

With the 2023 NCAA tournaments in the books, attention now turns to the NBA Draft, which will be held on June 22 in New York. Both men’s and women’s college basketball will return in November as teams prepare for another season of March Madness.