Through the 2025-26 season, college basketball continued to see its TV ratings surge. On3 is tracking the Top 10 most-watched men’s games of the year.

As of mid-February, viewership was up across all networks. ESPN, in particular, saw a 25% increase as of Feb. 13 and is on track for its best season in 11 years. But CBS and FOX have the most-watched games of the regular season, fueled by NFL lead-ins on Thanksgiving.

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On3 is tracking TV ratings for the most-watched men’s college basketball games of the year. Here is the full Top 10 as of Feb. 24, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel data. Note: This story will be updated throughout the 2025-26 regular season.

Duke vs. Arkansas

Date/Time: Nov. 27, 8:15 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Viewers: 6.8 million

One of two college basketball games to capitalize on Black Friday, Duke’s win over Arkansas is the most-watched matchup of the 2025-26 season to date. An average of 6.8 million people tuned in for the Blue Devils’ victory, which came immediately after the record-setting NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.

Michigan State vs. North Carolina

Date/Time: Nov. 27, 4:30 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Viewers: 6.5 million

Close behind Duke-Arkansas, Michigan State’s victory over North Carolina is the second-most watched men’s college basketball game to date with 6.5 million viewers on FOX. It followed the Green Bay Packers’ Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions, which averaged 47.7 million viewers and provided a strong lead-in.

Duke vs. Michigan

Date/Time: Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 4.3 million

The matchup between the No. 1 and No. 3-ranked teams did not disappoint Feb. 21. Duke’s neutral-site win over Michigan averaged 4.3 million viewers in ESPN’s most-watched game to date.

Duke vs. North Carolina

Date/Time: Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 3.5 million

In their first showdown of the year, North Carolina took down Duke in a big TV ratings win for ESPN. An average of 3.5 million viewers tuned in as Seth Trimble’s last-second shot sent the Tar Heels to the victory, which marked the network’s best game in four years.

Maryland vs. UCLA

Date/Time: Jan. 10, 8 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Viewers: 2.9 million

At 2.9 million viewers, UCLA’s win over Maryland also followed an NFL game – the NFC Wild Card Round game between the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers on FOX, which averaged 28 million. As a result, the Bruins’ victory became one of the most-watched men’s college basketball games of the season.

Michigan vs. Michigan State

Date/Time: Jan. 30, 8 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Viewers: 2.8 million

The rivalry tilt between Michigan and Michigan State became FOX’s most-watched College Basketball Friday game ever, the network said. An average of 2.8 million viewers tuned in for the storyline-filled showdown, which saw the Wolverines get the win in East Lansing.

Arizona vs. Houston

Date/Time: Feb. 21, 3 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Viewers: 2.4 million

Part of a monster day of college basketball, No. 2 Houston welcomed No. 4 Arizona in a pivotal Big 12 showdown. The Wildcats ultimately came out on top in front of an average of 2.4 million viewers on ABC.

Kentucky vs. Arkansas

Date/Time: Jan. 31, 6:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 2.39 million

After John Calipari took down his former team last year, Kentucky repaid the favor Jan. 31. The Wildcats beat Arkansas in Fayetteville as 2.4 million people watched on average, sitting just outside the Top 5 most-watched men’s college basketball games of the year to date.

BYU vs. Kansas

Date/Time: Jan. 31, 4:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Viewers: 2.1 million

The high-profile showdown between AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson delivered strong TV ratings for ESPN’s loaded college basketball slate Jan. 31. Ultimately, Peterson and Kansas got the better of Dybantsa and BYU, who made things interesting down the stretch at Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

Wisconsin vs. Michigan

Date/Time: Jan. 10, 1 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS
Viewers: 2.0 million

At the time, Wisconsin’s upset victory over Michigan became the most-watched college basketball game without an NFL lead-in. An average of 2.0 million viewers watched the Badgers hand the Wolverines their first loss of the season in a big ratings win for CBS.

More most-watched men’s basketball games

Indiana vs. Kentucky (Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) – 1.96 million
Illinois vs. Michigan State (Feb. 7, 8 p.m. ET, FOX) – 1.95 million
Ohio State vs. Michigan (Jan. 23, 8 p.m. ET, FOX) – 1.90 million
Kansas vs. Duke (Nov. 18, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN) – 1.87 million
Arizona vs. Kansas (Feb. 9, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN) – 1.82 million
Florida vs. Kentucky (Feb. 14, 3 p.m. ET, ABC) – 1.8 million
Tennessee vs. Kentucky (Feb. 7, 8:50 p.m. ET, ESPN) – 1.79 million
Duke vs. Michigan State (Dec. 6, Noon ET, FOX) – 1.782 million
Arizona vs. Kansas (Feb. 9, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN) – 1.780 million
Florida vs. Duke (Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) – 1.75 million
Louisville vs. Duke (Jan. 26, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN) – 1.698 million
Illinois vs. Purdue (Jan. 24, 3 p.m. ET, FOX) – 1.685 million

The college basketball regular season continues through March 8. From there, conference tournaments begin, and Selection Sunday is March 15.

Saturday evening, the No. 1 and No. 3-ranked teams in the country faced off in a late non-conference showdown. It became ESPN’s most-watched game of the 2025-26 men’s basketball season to date with strong TV ratings.

No. 3 Duke’s thrilling victory over No. 1 Michigan averaged 4.3 million viewers, the network announced Tuesday. That not only made it ESPN’s top game of the season so far, but it also is now the third-most watched game of the year, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel data compiled by On3.

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Saturday’s game – a 68-63 Duke win – marked ESPN’s most-watched game in seven years and the network’s seventh-most watched game on record. It was part of a monster day of men’s college basketball for the network, which also got a TV ratings win on ABC.

No. 4-ranked Arizona took down No. 2 Houston 73-66 on Saturday with 2.4 million viewers tuning to ABC, ESPN said. The game peaked at 3.2 million in ABC’s most-watched game since 2002.

All told, ESPN’s family of networks aired nine of the Top 10 games of the week from Feb. 16-22, ESPN said. A full breakdown of TV ratings data for the week was not available as of time of publication.

Duke, Michigan remain big TV ratings draws

With Saturday’s game, Duke has now played in three of the four most-watched men’s college basketball games of the season, according to TV ratings data compiled by On3. That includes the most-watched game of the year, which came on Thanksgiving in a victory over Arkansas on CBS.

Michigan, meanwhile, has also been a big draw this year. The Wolverines also played in front of 2.8 million viewers on Jan. 30 in a thrilling win over Michigan State in FOX’s primetime window, and their Jan. 10 upset loss to Wisconsin averaged 2.0 million viewers on CBS.

In addition, the two teams are also among the most-watched teams in college basketball, according to Nielsen. Duke sat atop the rankings as of the last update Feb. 8, and Michigan sat at No. 7.

Both Duke and Michigan are also in line to be No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, according to the selection committee. The Wolverines headed into Saturday’s matchup as the top overall seed while the Blue Devils were the No. 2 overall seed. As a result, both players are projected No. 1 seeds heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.