It’s the most wonderful time of the year: March Madness! In the coming three weeks, 68 teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions will play a combined 135 games. So get your bracket ready, because that’s a whole lot of action to follow. Luckily, watching March Madness is a lot simpler this year. You can catch all 135 games with just two streaming subscriptions: Paramount+ and (perhaps surprisingly) HBO’s Max. The NCAA action tips off this Tuesday, Mar. 19 with the men’s First Four games on TruTV (streaming live on Max). Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch March Madness, including key dates for the NCAA tournament, how to watch games for free and more.
How to watch March Madness:
Dates: Mar. 19 – Apr. 8
TV Channel: CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV
Streaming: Paramount+, Max
When does March Madness start?
The men’s NCAA tournament tips off with First Four games on Tuesday, Mar. 19. The women’s tournament tips off Wednesday, Mar. 20.
How long is March Madness 2024?
The NCAA basketball tournament runs for roughly three weeks, starting with Selection Sunday (Mar. 17) and ending with the NCAA Championship game on Apr. 8. In that time, 135 games will be played combined between the men’s and women’s divisions.
March Madness channel:
Games for the NCAA tournament will air live across a combination of CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. In the past, that combo has been hard to come by with just one, two or even three streaming services. But this year watching March Madness should be whole lot less… maddening. Many people have access to CBS already free over-the-air. But if you don’t currently get live local channels like CBS on your TV, we recommend looking into an old school TV antenna, or signing up for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, which includes access to live CBS coverage.
For the other channels, HBO’s Max is currently still offering its sports add-on (B/R Sports) free for subscribers of any Max tier. So for $9.99/month, you can catch live March Madness games airing on TNT, TBS and TruTV.
If you only want to add one subscription to your arsenal, some live TV streaming services offer all the channels you’ll need to keep up with March Madness, like Sling, DirecTV and YouTube TV.
How to watch March Madness without cable:
(Paramount)
For streaming March Madness, you’ll need the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME tier for $12. The subscription is ad-free and includes live access to your local CBS channel.
In addition to sporting events like March Madness, Premier League and Champions League games, Paramount+ offers a host of other hit shows, new and classic movies and live sporting events. Unlike a lot of other streaming services these days, Paramount+ still offers a one-week free trial — so new subscribers can sign up to watch Selection Sunday this weekend and check out the rest of the Paramount+ library totally free for seven days.
Try free at Paramount+
(Max)
Max has been “the one to watch” for entertainment fans for quite some time, but now, it’s drawing sports fans in, too. For a limited time, Max subscribers can get the new B/R Sports add-on totally free. That includes live NBA games on TBS, TNT, and truTV.
$9.99/month at Max
(Sling)
Starting at $30 for your first month, Sling TV’s Orange & Blue plan offers CBS, ESPN, TNT, TBS and TruTV — AKA every channel you’ll need to watch March Madness (along with 30+ other channels). A Sling subscription also includes 50 hours of free DVR storage, so if you’re worried about missing any of the NCAA action, you can always record games.
$30 for your first month at Sling
March Madness schedule 2024:
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Sunday, March 17: NCAA Tournament Selection Show
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March 19-20: First Four games in Dayton, Ohio
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March 21-22: First round games at various locations
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March 23-24: Second round games at various locations
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March 28-29: Sweet 16 games at various locations
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March 30-31: Elite Eight games at various locations
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April 6: Final Four games at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
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April 8: NCAA Championship Game at Start Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
