An all-time great Final Four featured an all-time great finish, with Florida rallying from 12 points down in the second half to defeat Houston, 65-63, in the title game for the Gators’ first title since 2007.
The riveting action took viewers by storm, too. Monday’s national championship averaged 18.1 million viewers on CBS, up 22% year-over-year and the most-watched title game since 2019, when Virginia beat Texas Tech in overtime.
During a hectic finish between the Gators and Cougars, viewership peaked at 21.1 million.
With Duke and Auburn also making the Final Four, 2025 marked just the second time all four No. 1 seeds made the national semifinals since seeding began in 1979. Those games, too, delivered, with Florida rallying past Auburn in a memorable SEC showdown and Houston pulling off a stunning upset of Duke after trailing by 14 in the second half.
With plenty of star talent on display, led by likely 2025 NBA Draft No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg (Duke), National Player of the Year runner-up Johni Broome (Auburn) and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida), Final Four weekend — including the national championship game — averaged 16.4 million viewers, up 21% year-over-year and the best number since 2017.
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