ESPN announces huge ratings for SEC, ACC, Big 12 title games
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Conference championship season is in the books, which means March Madness is underway. It started on Tuesday with the First Four, with the tournament proper beginning on Thursday.
For ESPN, it was a strong last few weeks on the ratings front for its annual Champ Week coverage. The network on Tuesday announced the numbers for the three Power 4 championship games it has the rights to: the ACC, Big 12, and SEC.
The Big 12, specifically, found itself in record territory for Saturday’s title tilt between Arizona and Houston, a 79-74 Wildcats win in Kansas City. Per ESPN, 3.1 million viewers tuned in, making it the conference’s most-watched title game on record.
The ACC Tournament final between Duke and Virginia, which saw the Blue Devils defeat the Cavaliers 74-70 in Charlotte, brought in its second-highest audience on record. That one was watched by 4.1 million viewers.
The SEC Tournament final in Nashville featured Arkansas topping Vanderbilt 86-75 for the Razorbacks’ first conference tournament crown since 2000. The 2.6 million viewers for that game make it the second-highest-rated SEC title game since 2017.
All told, ESPN’s cumulative Champ Week coverage saw a 11% ratings lift over 2025. It also brought in its highest viewership since 2019.
Will Arizona, Arkansas, and Duke end up in the Sweet 16? Here are the latest percentages from Kalshi:
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
