How to watch Saint Louis vs. Georgia: 2026 NCAA March Madness First Round
In what should be a a thrilling 8-9 matchup, SLU and UGA will close out the night in Buffalo.
The first day of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Buffalo will wrap up with the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs squaring off against the No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens. UGA enters March Madness at 22-10 on the season, coming out of the SEC, while SLU took the Atlantic 10 regular season crown with a 28-5 mark on the campaign. The game will tip off at 9:45 p.m. ET and will air on CBS. If you are looking for a live TV streaming service to watch this game, and all of the tournament, for free, I recommend watching with a 21-day free trial to YouTube TV. You can also check out the game with 77% off a subscription to Paramount+.
How to watch Georgia Bulldogs vs. Saint Louis Billikens
- When: Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 9:45 p.m. ET
- TV: CBS
- Stream: Watch with a 21-day free trial to YouTube TV or a subscription to Paramount+.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to stream Georgia vs. Saint Louis:
Why do we recommend watching Georgia vs. Saint Louis on YouTube TV?
When it comes to checking out the NCAA Tournament on CBS, you are going to have a lot of options, as the channel is carried on many live TV streaming services, not to mention Paramount’s flagship on-demand platform, Paramount+. However, if you are tuning in for this specific game, chances are that you are going to be interested in catching the tournament as well, so I am going to recommend watching with YouTube TV.
Not only does the world’s largest live TV streamer carry CBS, but it is also currently offering a three-week free trial to select users. Now, YouTube TV is known for having different trial offers for users, based on certain criteria, so when you go through the sign-up process, make sure that you are paying attention to what the offer is.
Regardless of how long your free trial ends up being, once it is over, you will be able to get your first two months for just $60 per month. That is a total of $46 off during those two months.
And the final reason to go with YouTube TV during March Madness is the platform’s Multiview feature. Being able to watch up to four tournament games at a time is a game-changer (no pun intended)!
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.
Can you watch Georgia vs. Saint Louis for free?
Other than securing YouTube TV’s three-week free trial, there is no way to legally watch the entire tournament for free. Even going old school with an over-the-air antenna won’t get you every game for free. In addition to the sunk cost of an antenna, you would get the CBS games at no additional cost, but you would still have to pay for the games airing on the cable channels.
While there are a number of live TV streaming services that will be carrying the channels covering the games, none of them, aside from YouTube TV, is offering anything nearly long enough to get from the first round through “One Shining Moment.”
However, if you want to watch today’s game for free, then I would recommend Hulu + Live TV. Not only does it offer a three-day free trial, but it also provides access to all of the channels you need to watch the entirety of the men’s tournament as well as the women’s tournament.
But what really separates Hulu + Live TV from its competitors is the added value it provides that no one else can. In addition to all of the live broadcast and cable channels, the streamer throws in the on-demand Hulu platform, all of Disney+, and ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost. So, for the price of one live streaming service, you get two of the best on-demand streamers and the most popular sports-focused streamer on the market.
Another good option to get a few days for free is DIRECTV STREAM. The streamer has the industry’s longest guaranteed trial at five days, meaning that you can watch all of the first and second rounds for free. Fubo is also a possibility, as the service offers free trials of varying lengths from one to seven days. However, keep in mind that the streamer will not carry TBS, TNT, or truTV, so you will be limited in what tournament games you are able to watch.
If you are looking to watch the game for free, I would recommend YouTube TV, because of the possibility to stream the entire tournament for free.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| CBS | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
What are all of the streamers that will broadcast Georgia vs. Saint Louis?
Fortunately for basketball fans, there are seven different streaming services that will carry some or all of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them. We discussed YouTube TV and all of the free trial options above, but there are others worth discussing.
The cheapest, non-free trial way to stream all of the tournament games on CBS is with a subscription to the premium tier on Paramount’s flagship streaming service Paramount+. The Essential plan runs just $9 per month, but doesn’t get you access to the games, so if you want to stream March Madness on the service, you will need to sign up for Paramount+ Premium, which costs $13 per month.
Not only will this tier get you ad-free streaming on all on-demand titles, but it will also come with a simulcast of your local CBS affiliate, meaning that you will be able to watch every game on the channel.
Additionally, Paramount+ is currently offering a great deal, just in time for the tournament. You can sign up for either the Essential or Premium plan and pay just $3 per month for your first two months before the regular prices kick in. So, if you combine Sling and Paramount+, you will have access to every game of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for just $26, with the option to pay as little as $8 if your team gets bounced early.
And finally, there is always the option of hooking up your TV to an over-the-air antenna. While it will only get you access to the tournament games airing on CBS, aside from the sunk cost of purchasing the antenna, watching the game itself will be free.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
Watch a preview of Georgia vs. Saint Louis
How to watch Georgia vs. Saint Louis from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the tournament as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming like Sling TV in order to stream the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available