March Madness is anticipated to highlight emerging stars like Caitlin Clark while offering brands a platform to adapt to changing viewer habits. Marketers are particularly keen on the NCAA's unique audience composition, attracting non-sports fans through tournament engagement, like office betting pools. While traditional NBA viewership on networks has declined, the NCAA tournament remains pivotal, seeing growth in women's viewership and significant advertising investment, with 2024's ad prices reflecting its prominence in the sporting landscape.
"What pulls it apart from other sporting events is so many non-sports enthusiasts come in and view it, especially in the early rounds," said Matt Larson, vp of media and connection strategy at media agency Collective Measures.
According to Nielsen NBA audiences on ABC and ESPN have largely flatlined this season, down 1% year-on-year, while TNT's are 14% lower - apparently a casualty of dwindling cable usage in the U.S.
Last year's tournament drew an average of 9.07 million viewers across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. The women's finales garnered 14.8 million and 18.9 million viewers respectively, an 89% rise for the latter.
In 2024, a 30-second ad unit for the tournament's final game cost $500,000, according to AdAge, emphasizing the high stakes for advertisers.
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