March Madness Season Approaches – How Popular Is It in Europe vs. the Rest of the World?

NCAA basketball has it all – high quality play, future superstars, rabid fan bases, long-standing rivalries… However, one things stands above it all – a gargantuan single-elimination tournament featuring 68 best college teams in the USA that takes place over several weekends in the early spring.

This tournament is nicknamed ‘March Madness’ and is characterized by unpredictable results and epic showdowns that often come down to the last shot. As such, it is extremely exciting and in some parts of the world followed as fervently as professional basketball. Here is a breakdown of the popularity of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament around the world.

What Makes March Madness Unique?

Before we focus on the geographical distribution of March Madness fans, we need to discuss why this sports event enjoys such lofty reputation worldwide. The first factor that draws attention of the viewers is the sheer size of the field – large number of participating teams means a lot of different fan bases have a reason to tune in. The format that gives underdogs a fighting chance to knock out high-profile college basketball programs is another big difference maker, since fans simply love a rags-to-riches story. Historical record also contributes to the tournament’s standing, with the first one played way back in 1939. Finally, March Madness serves as the proving ground for highly touted NBA prospects and fans can get a preview of their greatness in a less commercialised setting.

Is the NCAA Basketball Tournament Watched in Europe?

Apart from the USA, Europe is the most basketball-crazed region in the entire world. Not only has the continent raised some of the best players in the sport, but numerous countries located on it have a well-educated and quite dedicated populations of fans. Most of those fans are focused primarily on local leagues and the EuroLeague, although elite American basketball is watched despite the time zone difference. However, college ball is not really dominating the hearts and minds of Euro fans even during March Madness since the NBA is far more popular in these parts. Presence of European-born players on good college teams helps with maintaining some interest, so there is hope that March Madness could grow its profile in the future.

How Popular Is March Madness in North America?

In the United States and (to a lesser extent) Canada, college basketball is immensely popular while March Madness is a veritable social phenomenon that transcends sports. The arenas are full for virtually all games with fans often traveling hundreds of miles to attend, and TV coverage is wall-to-wall. On top of that, there is a long history of March Madness betting in Canada and the US where entire offices fill out brackets and compete for the prize pool. A lot of North Americans consider themselves fans of specific universities, which may or may not be their Alma mater. College basketball merchandise sells much better here than in Europe, so it’s fair to say that America accounts for most of the revenues for the NCAA. This trend shows no signs of fading, and March Madness fandom is effectively a ritual that is passed to the next generation of basketball fans with all the tension and fanfare that are typically associated with this tournament.

What is the Global Footprint of College Basketball?

Basketball is a truly globalised sport and more and more countries are joining the frenzy. Since the best basketball is still played in the US and NCAA acts as a magnet for international talent, the attention of newly minted fans is directed that way. Aside from the NBA Finals and the Olympics, March Madness is probably the most prestigious basketball competition in the world so it’s logical that it represents the first point of contact with the sport for many people. In effect, fans from Africa to Australia are watching the finale of the college basketball season with a lot of enthusiasm and developing a lasting attachment to March Madness and some of the participating teams. That’s great news not only for the NCAA and its members, but also for basketball in general.