The 2016 Houston Final Four festivities downtown and at NRG Park left an indelible mark on the city and its place as a leading U.S. travel destination. From record-breaking event attendance to millions of dollars spent locally, Houston's Final Four was a slam dunk. Let’s do the numbers:
149,845
The two-session Final Four attendance was the second-highest attendance in Men’s Final Four history.
74,340
The championship game attendance was also the second-highest in championship game history.
70,000
Estimated out-of-town basketball fans in Houston for the Final Four.
1,672
Credentials issued to members of the media for the 2016 Final Four.
$150 million
Estimated direct spending of Final Four fans in Houston.
17.8 million
TV viewers that tuned in to Houston’s Final Four.
9 million
People engaged on Final Four Houston social media over the 3 days
2.9 million
Impressions generated by Visit Houston social media accounts
165,000
Fans that attended the three-day March Madness Music Festival at Discovery Green. It ranks as the second-most-attended Music Festival in Final Four history.
255,700
METRORail boardings over the Final Four weekend, 50 percent more than usual
3,500
Volunteers involved during Final Four week
66,259
Fans in attendance at the Tip-Off Tailgate parties outside NRG Park before each game.
2,200
Houstonians and out-of-town guests broke the Final Four 4 Miler fun run attendance record
55,486
Fans that attended the star-studded Final Four Fan Fest at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
.4
Seconds left on the clock as Villanova's Kris Jenkins shot a game-winning three-pointer in the championship game.
