How to Watch March Madness 2023

Figuring out how to watch March Madness 2023, including this week’s Sweet Sixteen and Elite 8 matchups is pretty straightforward.

Most games of the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball tournament are available on four out of the five major live TV streaming services. 

• DIRECTV STREAM
• Sling TV
• Hulu Live TV
• YouTube TV

You can also watch games airing on CBS for free through the March Madness app or by using a TV antenna. Paramount+ will live stream all March Madness games airing on CBS.

What channel is March Madness on today?

The games are being broadcast on truTV, TNT, TBS and CBS. All NCAA tournament games are on Eastern Time. The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament schedule is:

Thursday, March 23 (Sweet 16)

No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 7 Michigan State | 6:30 p.m. | TBS
No. 4 UConn vs. No. 8 Arkansas | 7:15 p.m. | CBS
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic | 9 p.m. | TBS
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 Gonzaga | 9:45 p.m. | CBS

Friday, March 24 (Sweet 16)

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 5 San Diego State | 6:30 p.m. | TBS
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Miami | 7:15 p.m. | CBS
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 15 Princeton | 9 p.m. | TBS
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Xavier | 9:45 p.m. | CBS

Saturday, March 25 (Elite 8)

TBD vs. TBD live stream | 6 p.m. | TBS
TBD vs. TBD live stream | 8:30 p.m. | TBS

Sunday, March 26 (Elite 8)

TBD vs. TBD live stream | 2 p.m. | CBS
TBD vs. TBD live stream | 4:55 p.m. | CBS

Saturday, April 1 (Final Four)

TBD vs. TBD live stream| 6 p.m. | CBS
TBD vs. TBD live stream | 8:30 p.m. | CBS

Monday, April 3 (National championship game)

TBD vs. TBD live stream |9 p.m. ET | CBS

How to Watch March Madness without cable

STREAMING SERVICE	All Channels?	Missing?
DIRECTV STREAM	Yes	None
fubo TV	No	TNT, TBS, truTV
Hulu Live TV	Yes	None
Sling TV	No	CBS
YouTube TV	Yes	None

You can start streaming every game of the NCAA tournament live with an internet connection, a streaming device or Smart TV.

The channels you need to watch every March Madness game are CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV.

Cord-cutters can use a number of live TV streaming services to watch games on a variety of TVs or anything with a screen.

A Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire Stick or Apple TV will do the job. Smart TVs by Samsung, Sony Bravia and LG also support most live TV services. Game consoles including XBox and PlayStation also work.

Live TV streaming services have a wide variety of sports channels and regional sports networks.

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, SEC Network, NBA TV, Longhorn Network, MLB Network, and ESPN Deportes cover football, baseball and other professional and college sports.

Subscribers get local broadcast networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX to watch NCAA basketball and other pro sports.

Some of these services have a free trial that lasts a week without any obligation. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends if you decide that the streaming service isn’t for you.

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) has all the channels you need to watch every March Madness game. 

The Entertainment plan has TNT, TBS, truTV and local broadcast channels such as CBS.

The Entertainment plan carries more than 75 channels and costs $74.99 per month. You can sign up for a free 5-day trial without any obligations.

Subscribers can get three months of HBO Max, Showtime, Cinemax and MGM+ for free before the monthly rates kick in.

A&E, History and USA Network are included in the channel lineup. You get unlimited hours of Cloud DVR and 40,000 on-demand movies and shows.

You can watch live TV on unlimited screens within your home. 

DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Android TV, Fire TV devices, Apple TV and smartphones and tablets. Subscriptions run month to month and so you can cancel whenever you want.

You can look over the different channel lineups before deciding whether to sign up.

Sign up for DIRECTV STREAM: 5-day free trial 

Sling TV

Sling TV is the cheapest option to watch March Madness games on TNT, TBS and truTV, but you won’t get a local CBS station. 

You need to sign up for the Sling Blue plan to get truTV, TNT and TBS. The Blue plan carries FS1, NFL Network, CNN and Discovery.

A subscription costs $40 per month. Subscribers get 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage.

To maximize sports channels, you can combine the Sling TV Blue with Sling TV Orange for $55 per month. The Sling TV Orange plan includes 32 channels, including ESPN and entertainment networks like A&E and History.

Sling TV works on just about any streaming device: Roku, Firestick, Apple TV and even an Xbox. It is also supported by Samsung Smart TVs and Smart TVs operating on Android TV or Google TV. Sling TV also supports mobile apps for iOS and Android.

There are no hidden fees or contracts if you decide to keep the service. You can look over the latest offer Sling TV has for new and returning customers.

Sling TV subscribers have two free options to watch games on CBS. You can use the NCAA March Madness Live app to watch tournament games on CBS for free. Those games are only available for free on a mobile device or through a web browser.

The other free CBS option is to use a TV antenna.

Sign up for Sling TV: Get half off 1-month

Hulu Live TV

Hulu Live TV has more than live TV channels, including CBS, truTV, TNT, TBS and CBS Sports Network.  

Hulu with Live TV comes with unlimited Cloud DVR storage so you can record sports, news, movies or whatever else you want. Hulu carries local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC across the U.S.

You can watch live TV on up to two screens at once.

A subscription costs $69.99 per month, and now includes Disney+ and ESPN+. With a Hulu Live TV subscription, you can activate the ESPN app and unlock all live sports on ESPN Plus.

So you’re getting more than just live TV channels to watch.

Hulu’s channel lineup also has local NBC, ABC and FOX stations across the U.S. Hulu no longer offers a free trial for live TV, but you can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to sign up.

Sign up for Hulu Live TV: Get Disney+ and ESPN+ included

YouTube TV

YouTube TV has 128 channels, including Big Ten Network, ESPN and local channels such as ABC and CBS.

A subscription costs $64.99 per month.

The YouTube TV base plan also carries other key sports channels for fans such as TNT, TBS, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNews, FS1, FS2, NFL Network, and MLB Network.  

You’ll also be able to watch CNN, Golf Channel and FX. Unlimited Cloud DVR is included with a subscription. And you can create up to 6 profiles for a household per account.

The service works with Chromecast, Roku, Fire TV, NVIDIA Shield TV, Apple TV and Chromecast. Try out YouTube TV free for a week.

Sign up for YouTube TV: 7-day free trial

Watching March Madness on CBS

There are a few ways to watch the NCAA tournament on CBS. On TV, you can watch these games either free using a TV antenna, or on the cheap with Paramount+. The NCAA March Madness Live app is an option for watching on mobile or PC. 

Where can I watch March Madness on CBS for free?

The NCAA March Madness app does allow you to watch NCAA tournament games airing on CBS for free. But this year, the games are only available on mobile or on the web. To watch on TV, you need a Paramount+ subscription as outlined below. 

Using a TV antenna is a better option to get local CBS stations for free. People living within 30 to 40 miles of local broadcast towers have a good shot at getting CBS with a quality TV antenna. You can use the free tool at AntennasDirect to see whether CBS is available in your area. 

If you are new to TV antennas, here is a list of resources that I have written to get you started.

• How to Choose the Best TV Antenna 
• How to Connect Multiple TVs to One Antenna
• Review: The Best Indoor TV Antennas
• Review: The Best Outdoor TV Antennas

How to Watch March Madness on Paramount Plus

Paramount+ is the cheapest way to watch March Madness games that air on CBS without cable TV or satellite service.

A subscription to the Premium plan costs $9.99 per month.  

Live sports under the Premium plan includes NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, the PGA Tour, Champions League soccer, and SEC Football on CBS.

Paramount+ carries the latest episodes of TV shows on CBS. There are popular TV shows from Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, MTV and Smithsonian Channel.

Paramount+ has a growing library of new movies, including “Top Gun: Maverick” and the latest “Scream” movie in the franchise. Subscribers can stream up two shows at once on different screens. 

Sign up for Paramount+: free trial of Premium plan

Watching March Madness Without Cable FAQs

These are questions readers ask when searching for how to watch March Madness without a TV provider. 

Where can I watch March Madness 2023 today? 

DIRECTV STREAM has a 5-day free trial. The Entertainment plan has the necessary channels for every game, including TBS, TNT, truTV and a local CBS station. A subscription costs $74.99 per month. There is no obligation to keep a subscription. And you can sign up for free trials of premium networks such as HBO Max and Cinemax.

Hulu Live TV does not have a free trial, but has CBS, TBS, truTV and TNT for all March Madness games. A subscription has more than 75 live TV channels for $69.99 per month. Subscribers get access to Disney+ and ESPN+ as part of their subscription. 

Sling TV is the cheapest option to get TBS, TNT and truTV under the Blue plan. But you will need to watch games on CBS elsewhere. A subscription is $40 per month, and Sling is currently offering half off for the first month of service. 

How to watch March Madness on any Smart TV

Smart TV owners can sign up for DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV to watch every game. Sling TV’s Blue plan is a good budget option for games on TBS, TNT and truTV. But you will need to use a TV antenna to get games on CBS, or subscribe to Paramount+. 

How to watch March Madness on Roku

Roku users can sign up for DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV or YouTube to get every live TV channel needed for the NCAA tournament. Roku TV owners can also use a TV antenna to watch games on CBS for free. 

Can I watch March Madness on fubo TV?

fuboTV carries local CBS stations, but doesn’t carry key networks such as TNT, TBS and TruTV for March Madness games.

The Pro channel package has 152 channels, including local ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in most areas of the U.S. Food network, HGTV, and Comedy Central are part of the Pro bundle.

A subscription costs $74.99 per month. fuboTV has a library of on-demand movies, and TV shows. Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and Smart TVs all carry the fuboTV app.

You can try fuboTV free for seven days, or look over the channel lineup for your area.

Can you watch March Madness on Peacock?

No. Peacock only airs live sports that are on NBC. So you won’t find any March Madness games on Peacock. 

Can you watch March Madness on ESPN+?

ESPN Plus does not have any March Madness games. You need a live TV streaming service to watch the NCAA tournament. 

Can you watch March Madness on Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime does not offer live coverage of March Madness games. The best way to live stream games is through DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV.

Can you watch all March Madness games online?

Technically speaking, you can watch March Madness games online by using a live TV streaming service. The NCAA March Madness Live app is also letting fans watch games airing on CBS through their mobile device or on the web. 

When does March Madness start?

The tournament begins Tuesday, March 14 in Dayton, Ohio with two games known as the “First Four.” From there, it’s a brisk schedule for the remainder of the NCAA basketball tournament.

The schedule reaches its conclusion with the Final Four and National Championship at NRG Stadium in Houston on April 1 and April 3. Those final two games air on CBS. 

• First Four: March 14-15
• First round: March 16-17
• Second round: March 18-19
• Sweet 16: March 23-24
• Elite Eight: March 25-26
• Final Four: April 1
• NCAA championship game: April 3

This article was published on March 10, 2022, and has been updated to reflect new game schedule, streaming options and pricing.

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