The 2026 NCAA March Madness tournaments saw significant viewership success, with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) benefiting from strong ratings. The women's final, where UCLA defeated South Carolina, attracted an average of 9.88 million viewers, marking the third-highest viewership for a women's final, while the men's final garnered 18.3 million viewers, indicating a rebound for the men's tournament after previous declines. This sustained interest in both tournaments underscores the value of recent broadcasting agreements, particularly Disney's $920 million deal for women's basketball rights.
Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), NCAA, UCLA, South Carolina, Michigan, UCONN, Paramount
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Disney: Disney is a multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that owns ABC and ESPN, which broadcast the NCAA Women's National Basketball Championship.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD): Warner Bros. Discovery is a media company that operates networks such as TNT and TruTV, which broadcast the NCAA Men's National Basketball Championship.
NCAA: The NCAA is the governing body for college athletics in the United States, overseeing the organization of the March Madness basketball tournaments.
UCLA: UCLA is a collegiate sports team that won the NCAA Women's National Basketball Championship, marking its first title in this tournament.
South Carolina: South Carolina is a collegiate sports team that competed in the NCAA Women's National Basketball Championship final against UCLA.
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