Knights Set Record for Viewership

The Knights’ NCAA Tournament game against UCLA on March 20th was watched by 2.5 million viewers on TBS, which is the most-watched UCF Basketball game on cable television in the program’s history. 

It is the 3rd most-watched UCF Basketball game ever, behind only the 2019 NCAA Tournament second-round game against No. 1 Duke, which drew 12.8 million viewers. The Knights’ first-ever NCAA Tournament win against VCU in the 1st round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament drew 3.55 million viewers. 

Keep in mind that when UCF made the NCAA Tournament in previous years (‘94, ‘96, ‘04, ‘05), the games were part of regional coverage, so there is no official record for how many people watched those games, as they were split up throughout the country, unlike now, where you can get each game’s viewership numbers. 

The cable number shatters the previous record set during UCF’s run in the NIT in 2017. The Knights’ NIT semifinal game against TCU was watched by 678,000 viewers on ESPN. That was the previous record for most-watched UCF Basketball game on cable television in the program’s history. The Knights’ win over Illinois in the Elite Eight of the NIT l drew 573,000 viewers on ESPN2 that year, and UCF’s Road win at Illinois State in the game before that garnered 597,000 viewers on ESPN. 

Most-Watched  Non NCAA Tournament UCF Basketball Games