As March rolls around, so does the excitement of college basketball fans. It's that time of the year when brackets are filled, bets are placed, and college basketball fandom reaches its peak intensity.
Yes, we’re talking about the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
It’s where Cinderellas are made, hearts are broken at the buzzer, and advertisers covet the opportunity of reaching millions of captive eyeballs.
As teams progress further into the tournament, ratings soar beginning with the men’s Sweet 16 through the National Championship game. In 2023, more than one-in-ten households tuned in to catch the action-packed games.
On the women’s side last year, games saw an increase in viewership across the entire tournament. This culminated during the 2023 National Championship game which peaked at 12.6 million viewers during the game, or nearly one-in-ten households, making it the most watched women’s college basketball game ever.
With millions of brackets filled out and billions of dollars wagered each year, this NCAA tournament represents one of the largest and most exciting betting events in the United States. The tournament's unpredictable nature, with its numerous upsets and Cinderella stories, adds to the allure and excitement of sports betting. In 2023, the estimated betting total for the tournament reached a staggering 15.5 billion U.S. dollars, marking a substantial rise from the 3.1 billion U.S. dollars spent in 2022. This signals a significant shift in the scale and scope of sports betting activities on the tournament within the United States.
Segment Ideas: Sports Fans > Fantasy Sports, Sports Fans > Online Gambling
And let's not forget about the crucial role of food delivery services on game days. From catering watch parties to feeding the fans who can’t be bothered to cook during the basketball frenzy, food is expected to be ordered. Of people anticipating watching the tournament, almost 50% said they planned to order food to eat during the games. It's safe to say that food delivery sees a significant uptick during game nights, making March a key month for advertisers in the food or quick service restaurant vertical to capitalize on.
Segment Ideas: Elusive TV Audiences > Underexposed Food Delivery, TV Ad Exposure: GrubHub, DoorDash
Want to make the most out of your advertising during the tournament? Use our NCAA Tournament Men’s or Women’s Basketball Fans audiences or any of our other NCAA basketball segments, including College Basketball Regular Season Fans and NCAA Basketball Finals Viewership, to reach those locked into the tournament. Contact us today for access.