It was nuts. We had 64 vendors and sponsors, then a 'Sweet 16' and then an 'Elite 8' and now......... we have our Final Four (vendors). All of our vendors and sponsors via our partnerships with TD SYNNEX, Ingram Micro and D&H Distributing. 

Now, the 'real' March Madness (the NCAA men's basketball tournament) draws tens of millions of viewers across TV and streaming, making it one of the biggest annual sporting events in the US.

Early rounds (2026 tournament, ongoing as of late March): The first two rounds averaged a record 10.1 million viewers per game/window across CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV — up 7% from 2025 (which was already the best in over 30 years). First round (opening Thursday): Averaged 9.8 million viewers (record high), with primetime windows hitting 12.5 million. Overall early tournament start: Around 9.3–10.1 million average, up 5–7% year-over-year.

2025: Averaged roughly 9.4–10.2 million viewers per game across the main networks through various stages, with the full event often cited around 10 million average TV viewership. Earlier years (e.g., 2024): Similar range, around 9–10 million on average for many windows.

National Championship (2025): 18.1 million average viewers on CBS (peaked at 21.1 million).
Final Four semifinals (2025): 15.5 million average.
Other high-profile windows (e.g., big upsets or primetime slots) can exceed 19 million simultaneously.

Note: These are average viewers per game or "window" (often multiple games airing at once across channels). Total unique viewers across the entire tournament are much higher - likely hundreds of millions cumulatively when including repeats, streaming, and out-of-home viewing but exact cumulative figures aren't typically reported that way. Nielsen ratings focus on averages and peaks.

Viewership has been trending upward, with 2026 early rounds setting multiple records. Factors include parity in the bracket, star players, and improved measurement (Nielsen's "Big Data" updates). Streaming (via platforms like March Madness Live, Paramount+, etc.) adds more audience, though TV linear remains dominant. Women's March Madness also draws strong numbers (millions per game, especially recent years with stars like Caitlin Clark), but "March Madness" usually refers to the men's event.

In short, millions watch daily during the tournament (typically 8–12+ million per early window, spiking for later rounds), with peaks near 20 million for marquee games. The event consistently ranks among the most-watched non-NFL sports spectacles in America. Exact 2026 full-tournament numbers will be finalized after the championship.

The last time we did a 'March Madness' campaign via the NYDLA.org was 2022. It was just... OK. This year, 2026 it was... A winner. Big time. 

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