Nielsen Report: IU basketball among top 10 “most popular” programs

Photos from IU basketball's 86-69 win against Kansas State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

IU basketball missed the NCAA tournament for a third straight season, but the program is still among the most popular in the nation according to Nielsen.

Citing social media following and viewership, Nielsen released its list of the top 10 most popular college basketball programs on Wednesday, the eve of the start of the first round of the NCAA tournament.

IU was eighth and one of four Big Ten programs included for the 2025-26 season.

The rankings were based on linear TV viewership and social media followers for the period of November 1, 2025, through March 8, 2026.

The social media channels included Facebook and Instagram, while the TV networks included were ABC, CBS, CNBC, CW, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, ION, NBC, TruTV, TNT and USA.

The complete top 10: Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Kansas, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State and Florida.

Nielsen top 10 programs chart.

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