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Florida's NCAA Tournament Title Game Revealed to be Most-Watched Basketball Game of the Year

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alec Musa | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 2:11 AM ET

The Florida Gators basketball program was must-watch TV last season, and the numbers back it up.

Last season, Florida posted a sparkling 36-4 record, winning their final 12 games — nine against ranked opponents — to secure their third national title in program history.

The historic run, alongside the legitimacy of their competition, kept the basketball world enchanted.

According to the College Basketball Report on Twitter, Florida participated in two of the most-viewed basketball games of the 2024-25 season. Notably, Florida's 65-63 win over the Houston Cougars was the most-watched basketball game of the year, garnering 18.1 million views and narrowly surpassing the 16.4 million viewers for Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The fourth most-viewed basketball game of the season also involved the Gators. Their Final Four matchup against the Auburn Tigers drew 14.8 million watchers.

Auburn entered the game with an impeccable 32-5 record while housing SEC Player of the Year Johni Broome. Florida would catch fire late, winning 79-73.

Still, the championship game against Houston captivated the nation, especially since their Big 12 foe had a 35-4 record and was fresh off a massive upset against the Cooper Flagg-led Duke Blue Devils.

The two juggernauts engaged in a tightly contested back-and-forth, but the Gators used elite defense late to emerge victorious. 2025 marked the team's third title bout and their first since winning back-to-back championships under the guidance of head coach Billy Donovan and stars Al Horford and Joakim Noah in the mid-2000s.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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