Monday, March 16, 2026
The 98th Academy Awards dominated search with Sinners making history through 16 nominations and wins for Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler, while Selection Sunday drove March Madness bracket searches to peak levels and Team USA's World Baseball Classic semifinal victory over the Dominican Republic generated 1 million queries.
Visualizations(4)
Regional Divide: Where Michael B. Jordan Beat Timothee Chalamet
Michael B. Jordan dominated search interest in Southern states (Georgia 56%, Alabama 64%, Louisiana 57%) while Timothee Chalamet led in Northeast (Vermont 72%, Massachusetts 66%) and West Coast (California 62%). This geographic split reflects different demographic preferences in Academy Awards viewing.
The Triple Crown: Oscars, March Madness, and Baseball Dominate Search
The 98th Academy Awards (Oscar winners 2026) peaked at 100 on March 16 with 2M searches, narrowly edging NCAA bracket (83) for top entertainment story. USA vs Dominican Republic baseball semifinal reached 40, showing sports and entertainment commanded equal attention on Selection Sunday/Oscars night.
Michael B. Jordan's Oscar Victory: From Underdog to 100
Michael B. Jordan's search interest exploded to 100 after winning Best Actor for Sinners, doubling Timothee Chalamet (51) who was the frontrunner. Ryan Coogler also peaked at 36 after winning Best Director. Sinners movie reached 38 as the film won multiple awards including Best Original Screenplay.
March Madness vs NIT: The Tournament Hierarchy
March Madness reached 100 on Selection Sunday, with NCAA bracket at 64. The NIT bracket peaked at just 7, showing the secondary tournament draws less than 11% of main tournament interest. All three terms saw dramatic spikes on March 15-16 after months of near-zero baseline interest.