It’s the middle of March Madness, with both the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments in full swing.

This year, high viewership demonstrates the enduring popularity of the events, name image likeness (NIL) rights are allowing athletes to take part in brand deals, and the women’s league continues to make a bigger splash than in years past.

Here are five key stats from 2025's March Madness.

Key stat: Viewership through the second round for the men’s tournament was the best since 1993, according to the networks.

• Games through the second round averaged 9.4 million views.
• High viewership indicates NCAA basketball is a good advertising opportunity, both for TV ads and for social media sponsorship opportunities with athletes.

Key stat: March Madness isn’t just for men, as last year’s record-breaking tournament proved.

4.6 million people now watch women’s sports in the US, per our September 2024 forecast.

• The Caitlin Clark effect has faded in the NCAA. This year's women’s tournament first round viewership was down 22% from last year.
• But it’s still up 43% over 2023’s first round, showing an overall trend of increased popularity, per Yahoo Sports.

Key stat: More than two-thirds of NIL social media deals were under $1,000 in 2024, per NCAA data.

• Brands engaging with NCAA athletes don’t need to break the bank for posts that can still drive a big impact.
• Technology brands account for the largest share of NIL deals, at 38.3%, per Opendorse.

Key stat: US digital live sports viewers now outnumber traditional pay TV live sports viewers, per our September 2024 forecast.

• 114.1 million people in the US will watch live sports via digital this year, compared to 82.0 million pay TV viewers.
• Streamers are consequently investing more in sports rights, which means even more people cutting the cord and watching via digital.

Key stat: The annual value of US TV and streaming sports rights will nearly double between 2017 and 2027, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

• At the same time, investment in Los Angeles TV and movie production has decreased, per FilmLA.
• Sporting events like March Madness are more of a sure bet in terms of viewership and engagement than movies and TV shows, which can be a gamble.

This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.