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Final Four ratings up; 5.2 million streams

Oregon v North Carolina

GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 01: A general view as the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Oregon Ducks during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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The Final Four received a notable increase in viewership than it did a season ago, the NCAA announced on Sunday afternoon.

The NCAA announced that Saturday night’s doubleheader was up 37 percent from the national semifinals in 2016. Last year, Villanova steamrolled Oklahoma by 44 points while North Carolina followed with a double-digit win over Syracuse. In 2017, both games were decided by a combined five points, with both contests coming down to the final seconds.

The live streams also increased. More than five million people streamed the Final Four games on Saturday night, which the NCAA notes as an 84 percent spike.

This was the highest rated Final Four since 2005. The national semifinalists were the Tar Heels, Illinois, Louisville and Michigan State.