The historic No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup over the weekend between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers drew massive ratings for ESPN, according to their official viewership announcement.

With an average of 2.8 million viewers and a peak of 3.5 million, the game was ESPN’s most-watched broadcast of the season and the second-most watched college basketball game of the year overall. Illinois against Arkansas on Thanksgiving drew a huge audience of 5.1 million, but it was immediately following an NFL broadcast and likely was the result of holiday families not changing the channel.

Last Saturday's showdown between No. 1 @AuburnMBB-No. 2 @AlabamaMBB was ESPN’s most-watched #NCAAMBB game of the season!

🏀 2.8M viewers
🏀 Peak: 3.5M viewers
🏀 2nd most-watched game of the season across all networks pic.twitter.com/jKs8xsSCtF

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 19, 2025

Dwarfing the other ESPN broadcasts of the day in North Carolina versus Syracuse and Kentucky versus Texas, the game had over one million more viewers than any other broadcast on the network on Saturday.

In an SEC context, the showdown was massive as well. It’s the most watched SEC basketball game in over five years since the 2018-19 season.

Auburn would win the game by a score of 94-85, but the two rivals play once more this season – and potentially in the postseason as well. Alabama travels to The Plains on Saturday, March 8 for part two in the final regular season game of the year.

The Tigers very well may have an SEC title locked up by that point, but if they don’t and the second matchup decides it, look for the ratings to be even bigger the second time around.