How Influencers and Analysts Drive March Madness Marketing Buzz

Influencer marketing during March Madness has officially evolved from an experimental side channel into the definitive engine for capturing audience attention during the NCAA’s biggest month. Following a historic run over the last two years, during which the tournament shattered viewership records with 18.9 million for the 2024 women’s final and 8.5 billion minutes in 2025, the modern sports fan’s attention has never been more engaged or more valuable.

Watching March Madness is no longer just about the games on the court; it’s now about the conversations happening simultaneously on TikTok, YouTube, and Meta. The cultural phenomenon of the tournament, from bracket upsets to breakout stars, demands agility. Before, a single traditional March Madness ad could carry an entire Q1 strategy. Today, dominating the conversation requires dynamic, social-first March Madness marketing campaigns.

Let’s explore how March Madness trends have shifted, how modern creators shape consumer behavior, and why strategic partnerships are the true key to maximizing your ad spend this season.

March Madness Trends and Advertising Ideas

In 2025, brands invested an estimated $1.3 billion in advertising during the tournament, but the way that money is being allocated has fundamentally changed. We are seeing a massive shift away from passive viewing toward active, dual-screen participation.

Over 80% of viewers report engaging with their smartphones or tablets while the game is on the television. This means that while traditional broadcast ads provide broad reach, the actual conversions and brand recall are being won on social media.

Every year, there’s a need for fresh March Madness advertising ideas that align with these changing behaviors. The modern NCAA bracket is inherently digital. Fans are actively checking scores on mobile apps, watching creator reactions, and engaging in group chats. Here are the core March Madness trends defining how brands should approach advertising:

• With millennials prioritizing online streaming over cable television, brands must meet them with vertical video formats and interactive content.
• Over the past two years, the women’s NCAA March Madness tournament has shattered viewership records, with the 2024 and 2025 championship games posting YoY increases of up to 200% in ad sales.
• Fans are eager to participate. A digital NCAA March Madness bracket allows brands to collect first-party data while keeping audiences engaged across the three-week cycle. Sports betting audiences on social media account for 24% of the total, with 19% from streaming.

The Role of Influencers and Sports Analysts in March Madness Marketing

To truly dominate the March Madness conversation, brands cannot rely on a single type of partnership. Winning the modern ad bracket requires combining two forces: the cultural energy of creators and student-athletes, and the credibility of seasoned sports analysts. Together, they form a dual-engine approach that fuels reach, trust, and measurable performance across March Madness marketing campaigns.

Here’s how leading brands activate both groups to maximize engagement and return.

1. For the Hype: Creators and NIL Athletes

The NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) era has completely revolutionized the athlete-brand dynamic. Athletes are now high-converting media publishers, with if your brand is approved, you can form a partnership with the athlete to better promote your brand. If you are wondering how brands can utilize influencer marketing during March Madness, the answer lies in authenticity and relatable lifestyle content.

• Use influencers to launch highly targeted March Madness sales promotions. By using trackable promo codes and geo-targeted social boosting, a localized creator partnership can scale into a nationwide strategy that drives direct foot traffic.
• Fans tune out corporate messaging during high-stakes games. However, when an apparel brand or quick-service restaurant (QSR) partners with a campus lifestyle creator for a watch-party vlog, the integration feels native.
• Understanding how influencers impact March Madness marketing extends beyond the final buzzer. High-quality user-generated content (UGC) from these creators can be repurposed into whitelisted ads across Meta and TikTok, significantly lowering CPA compared to expensive, studio-produced March Madness ads.

2. Trust Score: Broadcast and Digital Sports Analysts

While student-athletes provide the fresh spark, professional sports analysts bring trust, historical context, and crucially, the rights to the game footage. Because analysts are often affiliated with legacy broadcast networks or premium digital sports outlets, they frequently have access to the actual game highlights that brands can chop up and leverage without fear of copyright issues.

• The role of sports analysts in March Madness advertising is to act as premium macro-influencers. Their audiences are highly engaged, deeply knowledgeable, and primed to make purchasing decisions across sports betting, financial services, and even automotive brands.
• Analysts are the primary catalyst for deep engagement. Their participation, whether through co-branded podcasts, live-streamed halftime shows, or dedicated social breakdowns, legitimizes the brand message and transitions casual viewers into active consumers. One mention or inclusion in an ad break can give you just the exposure you need.
• When mapping out March Madness social media campaigns, integrating an established analyst provides instant legitimacy. Sponsoring an analyst’s bracket breakdown that mentions your brand or includes your promotion can feel like a native extension of the broadcast.

Working Around Social Media Clips and Streaming Rights

Before executing your March Madness promo ideas, we must address a critical structural hurdle: the broadcast rights.

Currently, networks like CBS and Turner Sports hold an $8.8 billion contract on the official broadcasting and digital streaming rights for the March Madness tournament through 2032. This means that independent creators and unpartnered brands generally cannot legally post actual NCAA game footage to their social channels.

So, how do you execute high-performing March Madness campaigns without the ability to show the game itself? Here’s how you can pivot the strategy.

• Because independent creators cannot show the game, brands can pivot to “watch-party” lifestyle content. Buffalo Wild Wings is a prime example; its social strategies focus heavily on in-restaurant watch parties rather than watching from home. They used social conversations through the hashtag #WingWisdom to keep fans talking not only about the games but also about their mentions.
• With platforms like Max offering multiview streaming, fans are glued to digital interfaces. Social media advertising for March Madness must complement these digital streaming environments by strategically utilizing pre-roll and mid-roll ad placements linked to off-platform influencer buzz. Getting to YouTube CTV would be one strategy to get to audiences without disrupting their viewing experience.

By understanding these legal and digital boundaries, brands can better craft March Madness creator marketing strategies that are compliant, creative, and engaging.

FAQs: Mastering March Madness Marketing

Winning the March Madness Bracket this 2026

Today, the brands that secure the win in March Madness marketing are those that understand the intricate dance between broadcast rights, second-screen behavior, and creator authenticity.

To truly capitalize on the tournament, you must start thinking of social media as your main channel for reaching your audiences, more than traditional screens. By blending the localized hype of athletes with the trusted authority of broadcast analysts, your brand can cut through the noise and connect directly with modern fans.

At Strike Social, we specialize in building these exact data-driven frameworks. Let us help you strategize your media plan to ensure your March Madness campaigns achieve maximum efficiency and scale.