Why do NCAA March Madness Final Four games start at weirdly staggered times?
This year's Final Four is going to be a blockbuster set of affairs.
After what has been a thrilling March Madness so far, the last four teams in this year's NCAA Tournament remain.
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The first game of the Final Four features the Auburn Tigers taking on the Florida Gators.
Following the conclusion of that game, the Houston Cougars will take on the Duke Blue Devils, and presumptive No.1 pick in the NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg.
Why do March Madness Final Four games start at weirdly staggered times?
The Final Four is being played on Saturday, 5 April, 2025, live from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Fans will have noticed that both games tip-off at pretty unconventional times.
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The Florida v Auburn starts at 6:09 p.m. ET, while the Duke vs Houston game gets underway at 8:49 p.m. ET.
Many will be asking why the games start at such specific times, and not at 6 p.m ET and 8 p.m. ET, respectively.
The reason is because of pre-game ceremonies, like the singing of the US national anthem.
These ceremonies start at more conventional times, either on the hour or half past the hour, which has a slight knock-on effect for the game starting.
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Sports are all about maximizing viewership and advertising revenue, and starting a game slightly before or after the hour allows networks to get a known amount of extra advertising in at the beginning of the game, when viewership is highest.
Most fans will automatically tune in on the hour, so having the first Final Four game start at 6:09 p.m. allows for more commercials.
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However, the earlier rounds of March Madness games are usually staggered to maximise the viewing experience for fans.
By doing this, games will end at different times, allowing for people to hop from one game to the next and watch every (hopefully) thrilling end to a game.
In terms of the Final Four, expect each game to last around 2 hours and 25 minutes.
The tip-off time for the second game of the Final Four may be later than scheduled if the first game goes to overtime.
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