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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Michigan's win over UConn averages 18.3 million for most-watched NCAA men's final since 2019

NCAA UConn Michigan Basketball - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Michigan's 69-63 victory over Connecticut on Monday night averaged 18.3 million viewers on TBS, TNT, truTV and HBO Max, according to Nielsen, making it the most-watched men's NCAA Tournament final since 2019. That year, Virginia defeated Texas Tech in overtime on CBS.

The audience for Michigan's first title since 1989 peaked at 20.4 million for the conclusion between 11-11:15 p.m. EDT. It was a 23% increase from the 2024 final on TNT. CBS and TNT started alternating the Final Four in 2016. This was the fifth time TNT had the final.

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