Streaming insights from the 2023 NCAA Basketball Tournament

Now that the 2023 NCAA Basketball Tournament has crowned a champion – take a bow, UCONN – we have some key insights on viewership and audiences for marketers interested in engaging this passionate audience. Comparing the 2023 tournament to 2022 resulted in some important takeaways for advertisers.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Linear reach among adults 18+ was flat YoY for the Men’s Tournament but soared for the Women’s Tournament

We estimate that the 2023 Men's NCAA Tournament on traditional linear TV reached 71.3M adults 18 and above, which is flat at -2.6% YoY.

However, the Women's NCAA Tournament saw a rare double-digit rise of 29% YoY, with an estimated 32.7M viewers on traditional linear TV. Interestingly, the highest-growing demo across linear TV viewers of the Women's NCAA Tournament was adult women, whose reach grew by nearly a third since 2022. 

2. 2023 NCAA Tournament streaming growth on Roku outpaced traditional linear TV

On Roku, we estimate a +19% YoY increase in Men's Tournament streaming reach and a 7% increase in Men's Tournament streaming hours.

We also estimate that the Women’s Tournament streaming grew since 2022 by 23% in reach and 34% in hours streamed on Roku.

3. Over 1 in 5 traditional TV viewers shifted their viewing to TV streaming for the 2023 tournament

According to Roku ACR, among Roku households who watched the NCAA Tournament on traditional linear TV last year and are still active on Roku, 22% streamed a channel carrying the broadcast during tournament gameplay instead this year.

4. NCAA Tournament streamers on Roku skewed substantially younger than traditional linear TV viewers¹

Our insights show that compared to households who watched the Men’s Tournament on traditional linear TV via Roku ACR, 2023 NCAA Tournament streamers on Roku were:

Compared to households who watched the Women’s Tournament on traditional linear TV, 2023 NCAA Tournament streamers on Roku were:²

TV streaming is becoming an increasingly popular choice for college basketball fans. Advertisers can leverage sports content on The Roku Channel, such as The Rich Eisen Show to connect and engage with passionate sports fans before and after gametime with innovative ad experiences.

With Roku, advertisers can leverage America’s #1 TV streaming platform to reach a wider audience and create more personalized experiences for viewers.³

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¹ Estimates that are based on data collected from users who consented to the collection of this data. 

² Via Roku ACR

³ By hours streamed, Hypothesis Group, December 2022