March Madness could potentially cost US economy up to $20 billion due to 'lost productivity,' survey finds

March Insanity is among the most widely known sporting occasions in the United States. However it is likewise possibly accountable for billions of dollars lost in the U.S. economy, according to a current study.

A current report from the Action Network– a leading sports wagering and media brand name that boasts almost 400,000 cumulative social networks fans– surveyed 3,000 college basketball fans who work full-time in between February 20 and February 26, 2025. The research study discovered that March Insanity might trigger the U.S. economy to lose around $20 billion in ‘lost performance.’

The preliminary of the males’s competition holds video games in the afternoon on Thursdays and Fridays, developing a diversion for fans attempting to enjoy the video games unfold. The study revealed that 40% of the individuals confessed to contacting ill to enjoy a March Insanity video game.

In addition, they invest 2.4 hours each day usually doing various activities associated with the huge occasion, from examining ratings and brackets to live-streaming video games on gadgets.

An eye-popping 23% of the working fans balanced 4 or more hours a day participating the males’s hoops action.

Today, it’s even much easier for fans to tune into the occasion due to the March Insanity app. The service enables audiences to enjoy several video games at the same time on almost any mobile phone, indicating employees can slip in time to take a peek at the insanity without much effort.

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According to Bureau of Labor information acquired by Action Network, the typical employee seeing March Insanity costs the U.S. economy an approximated $1,801.30. Factoring in the millions upon countless employees in America, and the large variety of college basketball fans, that number amounts to the approximated $20 billion lost in performance.

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The 2025 NCAA Department I males’s basketball competition starts on March 18, and concludes in San Antonio for the championship game video game on April 7. The ladies’s competition begins March 19 and concerns an end on April 6.

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