March Madness captivates audiences across the country. But which markets have been tuned in all yearlong for the men’s and women’s 2025-26 basketball season?
The Nielsen ratings for this season are out, and Louisville got the spot, which isn’t entirely surprising since it’s basically a Holy Trinity of Hoops with Indiana, Louisville and Kentucky fans. Plus, the Cardinals’ men’s (No. 24) and women’s (No. 12) teams are having decent seasons,
Indianapolis is No. 2 on the list. Purdue began the season ranked No. 1 in the country, but has stumbled down the stretch, and Indiana also has been a rough watch lately. But basketball is king in the Hoosier State.
UConn’s men’s and women’s basketball success puts the Hartford/New Haven market in the top 3. And Ohio is well-represented with three cities from the Buckeye State cracking the top-10.
Here’s a look at this year’s top 10 markets:
Top TV markets for 2025-26 college basketball season
- Louisville
- Indianapolis
- Hartford/New Haven
- Columbus, Ohio
- Detroit
- Milwaukee
- Dayton
- Cincinnati
- Minneapolis/St. Paul
- Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point