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The Real Winner of March Madness.
March Madness is the biggest financial event for the NCAA.
While the NCAA is a nonprofit organization, how much money does it make off March Madness?
What exactly does it do with the money?
Here’s a financial breakdown of the NCAA’s most popular event.
About 90% of the NCAA’s revenue comes from March Madness through television and marketing rights, as well as championship ticket sales.
One of the most profitable contracts within March Madness is a 14-year, $10.8 billion broadcasting rights deal with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting signed in 2010.
The NCAA extended this deal in April 2016 for an additional $8.8 billion that will keep the tournament on CBS and Turner until 2032.
Of the 90 NCAA championships that are run every year, only five generate as much money as they cost to run: men’s basketball, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, wrestling, and baseball.
The revenue generated from tournaments is redistributed back to NCAA member schools and student-athletes.
