While North Carolina’s inclusion in the NCAA Tournament was controversial, there was no doubt that the Tar Heels would attract a lot of viewers. Now we know what those viewership numbers were.
Front Office Sports shared the totals from North Carolina’s First Four win over San Diego State on Tuesday night.
“UNC-San Diego State averaged 2.2 million viewers—up 26% from last year’s late Tuesday night slot,” the Front Office Sports post on X (formerly Twitter) said. “TruTV’s 3.6 million combined viewers Tuesday total is up 21% from 2024.”
UNC-San Diego State averaged 2.2 million viewers—up 26% from last year’s late Tuesday night slot.
TruTV’s 3.6 million combined viewers Tuesday total is up 21% from 2024. pic.twitter.com/iefr25LpHF
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 20, 2025
For reference, the 2024 game in that spot was also an MWC vs. ACC showdown and also ended in a blowout. In that game, it was the MWC team coming out on top, as Colorado State manhandled Virginia, winning 67-42. In 2025, North Carolina dominated San Diego State, winning 95-68.
One of the concerns raised when the Tar Heels were included was that it was more about brand recognition than merit. While undeniably one of the most popular college basketball teams in the country, North Carolina’s resume — particularly its 1-12 record in Quad 1 — was, to be kind, shaky. The dominant win over the Aztecs quieted the critics, at least for a day.
The Tar Heels will be in action again on Friday afternoon with a South Region first-round game against Ole Miss.
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