Most-watched College Basketball telecasts of 2026
Nielsen average audience, one figure per telecast; a final or revised figure replaces a preliminary one. Composites, peaks, reach and self-reported figures do not chart.
41
eligible telecasts
updated 2026-09-15
Most-watched College Basketball telecasts of 2026
1
UConn Huskies at Michigan Wolverines
18,300,000
2
Michigan Wolverines at Arizona Wildcats
14,290,000
3
Illinois Fighting Illini at UConn Huskies
14,160,000
4
UConn Huskies at Duke Blue Devils
13,400,000
5
St. John's Red Storm at Kansas Jayhawks
10,580,000
6
Purdue Boilermakers at Arizona Wildcats
10,100,000
7
Kentucky Wildcats at Iowa State Cyclones
9,790,000
8
TCU Horned Frogs at Duke Blue Devils
9,550,000
9
St. John's Red Storm at Duke Blue Devils
9,370,000
10
Louisville Cardinals at Michigan State Spartans
8,470,000
11
Siena Saints at Duke Blue Devils
5,430,000
12
Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Wolverines
4,720,000
13
Michigan Wolverines at Duke Blue Devils
4,320,000
14
Virginia Cavaliers at Duke Blue Devils
4,100,000
15
CBB North Carolina–Duke
3,510,000
16
North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils
3,400,000
17
Houston Cougars at Arizona Wildcats
3,100,000
18
CBB Badgers–Wolverines, Michigan vs Wisconsin
2,920,000
19
Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines
2,900,000
20
Maryland Terrapins at UCLA Bruins
2,860,000
21
Michigan Wolverines at Michigan State Spartans
2,800,000
22
CBB Boilermakers–Bruins, Purdue vs UCLA
2,730,000
23
Vanderbilt Commodores at Arkansas Razorbacks
2,600,000
24
Arizona Wildcats at Houston Cougars
2,450,000
25
Kentucky Wildcats at Arkansas Razorbacks
2,390,000
26
Michigan Wolverines at Illinois Fighting Illini
2,160,000
27
Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines
1,900,000
28
CBB Wildcats–Tigers, Auburn vs Kentucky
1,850,000
29
UConn Huskies at St. John's Red Storm
1,770,000
30
UConn Huskies at St. John's Red Storm
1,500,000
31
Prairie View A&M Panthers at Lehigh Mountain Hawks
1,500,000
32
Michigan State Spartans at Wisconsin Badgers
1,480,000
33
Baylor Bears at Kansas Jayhawks
1,340,000
34
CBB Aztecs–Aggies, San Diego State vs Utah State
1,300,000
35
Indiana Hoosiers at Purdue Boilermakers
1,100,000
36
UConn Huskies at Creighton Bluejays
1,010,000
37
Illinois Fighting Illini at UCLA Bruins
1,000,000
38
Duke Blue Devils at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
940,000
39
Ohio Bobcats at Miami (OH) RedHawks
680,000
40
Memphis Tigers at North Texas Mean Green
340,000
41
Dayton Flyers at VCU Rams
250,000
41 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-09-15 11:38 UTC