What does 68 Division 1 NCAA teams duking it out against each other with nothing else but a pair of good sneakers, one basketball, sweat, grit, and sheer determination look like? It looks like March Madness, where in a timespan just shy of a month, conference teams compete for one invitation — an invitation to the big show: the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. This is a show worth watching, and cable shouldn’t hold you back, especially if you consider yourself among the millions of college basketball fans. Follow along to find out where and when to watch March Madness 100 percent free of cable.
Table of Contents
- When Is March Madness? What Channels Show March Madness?
- March Madness Streaming Schedule
- How to Watch March Madness Without Cable
- Devices for Streaming March Madness
- More College Basketball Streaming Recommendations
When Is March Madness? What Channels Show March Madness?
March Madness is just getting started, and we have a massive slate of games in front of us for the rest of the month. Don't miss a single game by following our schedule below:
March Madness Schedule
| Round | Teams | Date | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Four | Texas A&M CC (16) defeated SE Missouri State (16) 75-71 | 6:30 p.m. ET on 3/14 | truTV |
| First Four | Pitt (11) defeated Mississippi State (11) 60-59 | 9 p.m. ET on 3/14 | truTV |
| First Four | Farleigh Dickinson (16) defeated Texas Southern (16) 84-61 | 6:30 p.m. ET on 3/15 | truTV |
| First Four | Arizona State (11) defeated Nevada (11) 98-73 | 9 p.m. ET on 3/15 | truTV |
| First Round | Maryland (8) defeated West Virginia (9) 67-65 | 12 p.m. ET on 3/16 | CBS |
| First Round | Furman (13) defeated Virginia (4) 68-67 | 12:30 p.m. ET on 3/16 | truTV |
| First Round | Missouri (7) defeated Utah State (10) 76-65 | 1:20 p.m. ET on 3/16 | TNT |
| First Round | Kansas (1) defeated Howard (16) 96-68 | 1:50 p.m. ET on 3/16 | TBS |
| First Round | Alabama (1) defeated Texas A&M-CC 96-75 | 2:30 p.m. ET on 3/16 | CBS |
| First Round | San Diego State (5) defeated College of Charleston (12) 63-57 | 3 p.m. ET on 3/16 | truTV |
| First Round | Princeton (15) defeated Arizona (2) 59-55 | 3:50 p.m. ET on 3/16 | TNT |
| First Round | Arkansas (8) defeated Illinois (9) 73-63 | 4:20 p.m. ET on 3/16 | TBS |
| First Round | Auburn (9) defeated Iowa (8) 83-75 | 6:45 p.m. ET on 3/16 | TNT |
| First Round | Duke (5) defeated Oral Roberts (12) 74-51 | 7 p.m. ET on 3/16 | CBS |
| First Round | Texas (2) defeated Colgate (15) 81-61 | 7:15 p.m. ET on 3/16 | TBS |
| First Round | Northwestern (7) defeated Boise State (10) 75-67 | 7:25 p.m. ET on 3/16 | truTV |
| First Round | Houston (1) defeated Northern Kentucky (16) 63-52 | 9:15 p.m. ET on 3/16 | TNT |
| First Round | Tennessee (4) defeated Louisiana (13) 58-55 | 9:30 p.m. ET on 3/16 | CBS |
| First Round | Penn State (10) defeated Texas A&M (7) 76-59 | 9:45 p.m. ET on 3/16 | TBS |
| First Round | UCLA (2) defeated UNC Asheville (15) 86-53 | 9:55 p.m. ET on 3/16 | truTV |
| First Round | Michigan State (7) defeated USC (10) 72-62 | 12 p.m. ET on 3/17 | CBS |
| First Round | Xavier (3) defeated Kennesaw State (14) 72-67 | 12:30 p.m. ET on 3/17 | truTV |
| First Round | Baylor (3) defeated UC Santa Barbra (14) 74-56 | 1:20 p.m. ET on 3/17 | TNT |
| First Round | Saint Mary's (5) defeated VCU (12) 63-51 | 1:50 p.m. ET on 3/17 | TBS |
| First Round | Marquette (2) defeated Vermont (15) 78-61 | 2:30 p.m. ET on 3/17 | CBS |
| First Round | Pitt (11) defeated Iowa State (6) 59-41 | 3 p.m. ET on 3/17 | truTV |
| First Round | Creighton (6) defeated NC State (11) 72-63 | 3:50 p.m. ET on 3/17 | TNT |
| First Round | UConn (4) defeated Iona (13) 87-63 | 4:20 p.m. ET on 3/17 | TBS |
| First Round | FDU (16) defeated Purdue (1) 63-58 | 6:45 p.m. ET on 3/18 | TNT |
| First Round | Kentucky (6) defeated Providence (11) 61-53 | 7 p.m. ET on 3/17 | CBS |
| First Round | Miami (5) defeated Drake (12) 63-56 | 7:15 p.m. ET on 3/17 | TBS |
| First Round | Gonzaga (3) defeated Grand Canyon (14) 82-70 | 7:25 p.m. ET on 3/17 | truTV |
| First Round | Florida Atlantic (9) defeated Memphis (8) 66-65 | 9:15 p.m. ET on 3/17 | TNT |
| First Round | Kansas State (3) defeated Montana State (14) 77-65 | 9:30 p.m. ET on 3/17 | CBS |
| First Round | Indiana (4) defeated Kent State (13) 71-60 | 9:45 p.m. ET on 3/17 | TBS |
| First Round | TCU (6) defeated Arizona State 72-70 | 9:55 p.m. ET on 3/17 | truTV |
| Second Round | San Diego State (5) defeated Furman (13) 75-52 | 12 p.m. ET on 3/18 | CBS |
| Second Round | Tennessee (4) defeated Duke (5) 65-52 | 2:30 p.m. ET on 3/18 | CBS |
| Second Round | Arkansas (8) defeated Kansas (1) 72-71 | 5 p.m. ET on 3/18 | CBS |
| Second Round | Princeton (15) defeated Missouri (7) 78-63 | 6 p.m. ET on 3/18 | TNT |
| Second Round | Houston (1) defeated Auburn (9) 81-64 | 7 p.m. ET on 3/18 | TBS |
| Second Round | Texas (2) defeated Penn State (10) 71-66 | 7:30 p.m. ET on 3/18 | CBS |
| Second Round | UCLA (2) defeated Northwestern (7) 68-63 | 8:30 p.m. ET on 3/18 | TNT |
| Second Round | Alabama (1) defeated Maryland (8) 73-51 | 9:30 p.m. ET on 3/18 | TBS |
| Second Round | Xavier (3) defeated Pitt (11) 84-73 | 12 p.m. ET on 3/19 | CBS |
| Second Round | Kansas State (3) defeated Kentucky (6) 75-69 | 2:30 p.m. ET on 3/19 | CBS |
| Second Round | Michigan State (7) defeated Marquette (2) 69-60 | 5 p.m. ET on 3/19 | CBS |
| Second Round | UConn (4) defeated St. Mary's CA (5) 70-55 | 6 p.m. ET on 3/19 | TNT |
| Second Round | Creighton (6) defeated Baylor (3) 85-76 | 7 p.m. ET on 3/19 | TBS |
| Second Round | FL Atlantic (9) defeated FDU (16) 78-70 | 7:30 p.m. ET on 3/19 | truTV |
| Second Round | Miami FL (5) defeated Indiana (4) 85-69 | 8:30 p.m. ET on 3/19 | TNT |
| Second Round | Gonzaga (3) defeated TCU (6) 84-81 | 9:30 p.m. ET on 3/19 | TBS |
| Sweet 16 | FL Atlanta (9) vs. Tennessee (4) | 6:15 p.m. ET on 3/23 | TBS |
| Sweet 16 | Michigan State (7) vs. Kansas State (3) | 7 p.m. ET on 3/23 | CBS |
| Sweet 16 | Gonzaga (3) vs. UCLA (2) | 8:45 p.m. ET on 3/23 | TBS |
| Sweet 16 | Arkansas (8) vs. UConn (4) | 9:30 p.m. ET on 3/23 | CBS |
| Sweet 16 | Miami FL (5) vs. Houston (1) | 6:15 p.m. ET on 3/24 | TBS |
| Sweet 16 | San Diego State (5) vs. Alabama (1) | 7 p.m. ET on 3/24 | CBS |
| Sweet 16 | Princeton (15) vs. Creighton (6) | 8:45 p.m. ET on 3/24 | TBS |
| Sweet 16 | Xavier (3) vs. Texas (2) | 9:30 p.m. ET on 3/24 | CBS |
| Elite Eight | TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. ET on 3/25 | TBS |
| Elite Eight | TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. ET on 3/25 | TBS |
| Elite Eight | TBD vs. TBD | 2 p.m. ET on 3/26 | CBS |
| Elite Eight | TBD vs. TBD | 4:55 p.m. on 3/26 | CBS |
| Final Four | TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m. ET on 4/1 | CBS |
| Final Four | TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. ET on 4/1 | CBS |
| Championship | TBD vs. TBD | 9 p.m. ET on 4/3 | CBS |
How to Watch March Madness Online Without Cable
Like many big sporting events, March Madness gives us lots of ways to watch online. The best-known option is the NCAA March Madness Live app, as well as the ESPN Tournament Challenge and the CBS Sports apps. Otherwise, you can stream all the March Madness games on TBS, TNT, CBS, or TruTV (depending on the matchup) using these streaming services: Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Paramount Plus, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV STREAM.
Hulu + Live TV got high marks from us in our Hulu + Live TV review primarily due to its competitive pricing and a vast selection of both live TV and on-demand programming. With Hulu + Live TV, basketball fans will have access to CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV — all of the channels carrying March Madness games this year. When you subscribe to Hulu, you’ll have three options from which to choose. To watch live TV programming, be sure to select the Hulu + Live TV option.
Sling TV is the longest-tenured live TV streaming service on the market, and it's been a favorite of ours since the very first edition of our much-updated Sling TV review. These days, Sling TV has a bit of an issue with major networks — a couple are missing from the Sling TV channel list, and CBS is among those that are MIA. The good news is that TBS, TNT, and TruTV are all available through Sling TV, so you'll still have plenty to watch. Just be sure to pair Sling TV with another solution, like Paramount Plus or an over-the-air antenna, to ensure that you can catch all of the games.
Did you know Paramount Plus is offering coverage of March Madness this year? All you have to do is log into the app to stream the games shown on CBS. Plus, after March Madness is over, you'll still have access to the amazing selection of Paramount Plus content.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service that offers a cable-like bundle of live TV channels. It competes with the likes of Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV, and it does a pretty good job of holding its own. YouTube TV is a strong option for March Madness because it includes CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV — meaning you can catch every game of the tournament on this service.
DIRECTV STREAM
With DIRECTV, you no longer have to have a bulky satellite to get great content. That's because DIRECTV STREAM has access to all the channels showing March Madness, including CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV. So, stream with confidence without worrying about missing a game.
March Madness Live
Some streaming apps demand that users sign in with pay-TV information. We don't usually include these in our “How to Watch” lists because they aren't “stand-alone” solutions — you still need to pay for cable, satellite, or another form of pay TV (streaming services like Hulu + Live TV can often activate these apps as well).
The March Madness Live app is a little different, though, and we really like it. You can stream three hours on this app for free, no cable login required. That's a far cry from unlimited free NCAA Tournament streaming, but it's also nothing to sneeze at — that will net you a game or two, and can be especially helpful if you have CBS via an antenna or Paramount Plus and just want to grab a little bit of TBS, TNT, or TruTV action on the side.
Can I Watch March Madness on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Chromecast?
Great news: our favorite streaming options for March Madness work really well with our favorite streaming devices and platforms. It's a breeze to set up live TV streaming options like Hulu + Live TV on devices like the Roku Ultra. Let's take a closer look at the full compatibility chart!
| Roku | Fire TV | Apple TV | Chromecast | iOS | Android | Web browser | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DIRECTV STREAM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sling TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
You don’t need to pin yourself to a TV to watch March Madness events. Take it on the go with you on most smartphones, tablets, or other smart devices.
More College Basketball Streaming Recommendations
Madness is a state of mind, so don't limit yourself to streaming just the big games. If you're looking for news, recaps, and coverage, we recommend streaming ESPN or FS1 network. ESPN Plus is a robust streaming choice for die-hard sports fans, as it will augment your regular sports diet with even more live sports, news and analysis, event replays, and on-demand sports documentaries and specials.
Don't forget that the women's NCAA tournament is in March, too. That tournament's home is the ESPN family of networks. And when all is said and done, get ready for next year by checking out our complete guide to watching college basketball without cable, from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer of the championship game.
You can watch all the games on the Internet. Use an incognito window of Chrome so you don’t get timed out.
What site
What about the women’s games? Always left out!
the last paragraph mentions the women’s being on ESPN