Men's Final Four Draws Massive Numbers, Apparently People Like Great Teams

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Sure, the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament didn't feature a true "Cinderella" team, with all #1 seeds reaching the Final Four. Apparently, that doesn't matter to viewers who just want to see the best teams in college basketball battle for the National Championship.

That's what we got this year. Florida, Auburn, Houston and Duke were the four best teams in the sport, and it wasn't all that close. In fact, these four teams were some of the best teams in the past 20 years in college basketball. 

And people tuned in to watch those four heavyweights duke it out in the Final Four (pardon the pun). Based on initial numbers, Saturday saw some of the best Final Four ratings in many years. 

It also helped that both games were incredibly entertaining. Auburn took a double-digit lead in the first half over Florida before the Gators came roaring back in the second half. 

Florida ultimately won by six, but the game was in the balance until the final minute. 

Then, there was the epic comeback that Houston mounted against Duke in the nightcap. The Blue Devils had a 97% win probability with 2:30 left in the game, leading by nine. 

But Houston refused to give up and hit some big shots – and forced huge turnovers – down the stretch to overcome the best team in the country. 

The Men's NCAA Tournament saw massive viewership for the Final Four on Saturday as Florida defeated Auburn and Houston upset Duke.

The Men's NCAA Tournament saw massive viewership for the Final Four on Saturday as Florida defeated Auburn and Houston upset Duke.

(Imagn Images)

The Duke-Houston match peaked with 20 million viewers, likely during the time that Duke was blowing its lead to take itself out of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. 

The question now is whether the National Championship can replicate those big numbers. Florida and Houston are both incredibly talented teams, but there's no question that Duke was the biggest draw – from a casual fan standpoint – left in the tournament. 

Surely, CBS executives would have preferred the Blue Devils to advance rather than the Cougars, regardless of who won the Florida-Auburn Final Four game. 

Still, expect many fans to tune in on Monday night when Houston and Florida meet to crown the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament champion. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.