An NCAA tournament absent Cinderellas produces a lot of bellyaching from the viewing public.
But when it delivers a Final Four with No. 1 seeds playing competitive, compelling basketball, those viewers tune right back in. Don't listen if they tell you otherwise. The numbers don't lie.
The ratings have dropped from the weekend's Final Four that consisted solely of No. 1 seeds Duke, Auburn, Houston and eventual champion Florida. It was the most-watched Final Four since 2017.
The numbers
That's according to March Madness Men’s Basketball TV, which shared the numbers on Tuesday.