New Format Separating Alumni and Non Alumni Teams Results in 36% Growth in Overall Viewership

Kentucky vs Louisville Alumni Achieves All-time Peak Viewership Record, as 641,000 Watch Game Winning Shot Live on FOX

Average 18-49, M18-34, M18-49, M25-54 Audiences Saw Major Gains Over 2025

The Basketball Tournament announced record TV numbers for its 2026 event, delivering significant growth in viewership for games televised on FOX, FS1, and FS2. Three games were broadcast live on FOX, fourteen games on FS1, and three games on FS2 for this year’s event as part of a new two-year agreement with FOX Sports. 

Format changes resulted in viewership for TBT’s games increasing 71% over 2025. Audiences on each channel saw a significant increase, with FOX’s audience for TBT games growing by 4%, FS1 games growing by 98%, and FS2 games growing by 241% year-over-year. 

In the 13th year of the event, TBT underwent a format change that saw the bracket divided into alumni and non-alumni, with all teams competing in a best-of-three first round. The alumni side of the bracket included eight college basketball programs, with teams representing Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas, Kansas State, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Wichita State, and New Mexico.

The new format provided more historic college basketball matchups in TBT, which contributed to the tournament’s boost in ratings. Game One of the Kentucky-Louisville series was viewed by an average audience of 434,000 on FOX, the second-highest rated game in TBT history. The second round matchup between Kentucky-Syracuse drew an average audience of 375,000 on FOX, the fifth-highest rated game ever in TBT.