MSU's Thanksgiving Win over UNC Draws Record TV Ratings

America was tuned in to watch 11th-ranked Michigan State's victory over No. 16 North Carolina on Thanksgiving Day.

On Friday, FOX announced that the game between the Spartans and Tar Heels during the Fort Myers Tip-Off drew an average of 5.49 million viewers, making it the most-watched college basketball game in the network's history.

Jeremy Fears Jr — The Michigan State Spartans compete against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division game at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. | Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For some additional context, MSU's win during the Champions Classic over Kentucky averaged just 1.6 million viewers on ESPN. The other big, early-season game against Arkansas, also on FOX, averaged 1.68 million viewers.

Michigan State has lived up to the big stage each time. The Spartans are 7-0 for the first time in 11 seasons and are expected to be ranked in the top 10 of this coming Monday's AP Poll. Next Saturday's showdown with No. 4 Duke --- another FOX game --- will likely get some pretty good ratings, too.

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Nov 25, 2025; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo looks on against the East Carolina Pirates in the first half at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Additionally, FOX reported that the game peaked at a whopping 13.4 million viewers from 4:30-4:45 p.m. ET that day.

While that is a very high number, a good chunk of those people may have been people who didn't turn away from the Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving game against the Green Bay Packers. Those NFL games do big numbers; the viewership hasn't been announced just yet for the Lions game, but last year's Lions Thanksgiving game averaged 37.5 million viewers, according to The Sporting News.

Either way, it was still the most-viewed college hoops game FOX has had for a reason. The network said it was also a 6% increase in viewership from its Thanksgiving Day programming in 2023, which was actually a Michigan State loss to Arizona.

But this is a good look into how MSU and Tom Izzo's program is viewed on a national scale. Even with the gentile transition from the Lions to Spartan hoops, it was still probably just about dinner time for a lot of people around the country. They could have turned it off and gone to get their slice of turkey and serving of stuffing.

Maybe some did a little bit of both and ate while they watched. Either way, lots of people took time out of their holiday to sit down and watch a Michigan State basketball game. Not many programs get chosen to play on these types of stages.

It sure helps that the Spartans won, too. The result only helps the program's national image and prestige.

Jaxon Kohle — The Michigan State Spartans compete against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division game at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. | Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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