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Best Streaming, Smart TV Deals for Watching March Madness

David Satin
David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
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David Satin

March Madness is upon us, so strap in for the all-encompassing ride through the most thrilling tournament in all of sports. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament kicks off on Tuesday with the First Four and then begins in earnest on Thursday on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV.

If you’re one of the college basketball fanatics who plans to leave responsibilities and cares behind when the tournament starts, you may be feeling some last-minute panic if you haven’t got a live TV streaming service picked out or need a good deal on a new TV to watch games. Never fear, The Streamable is here to help ensure you’ve got everything you need to watch March Madness no matter your budget.

DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Philo Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Free Trial Free Trial Get $10 Off Sign Up
$79.99 $91.99 $76.99 $25 $40 $40 $72.99
CBS ✓ ✓ ✓ - - - ✓
TBS ✓ - ✓ - ✓ ✓ ✓
TNT ✓ - ✓ - ✓ ✓ ✓
truTV ✓ - ✓ - + $6 ✓ ✓

Best Live TV Streaming Deals

Top Pick: DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM is one of the best live TV services available in any circumstance, thanks to its five-day free trial and a larger selection of major cable channels than any other service. But right now, new users are being offered $10 off per month for the first three months of their subscription, no matter which plan they choose.

All of DIRECTV STREAM’s plans offer the channels you’ll need to see every March Madness game this year, which means you can watch them for as little as $64.99 after your free trial ends. Come for the college basketball, and stay for the huge lineup of other live sports and entertainment offerings your DIRECTV STREAM subscription will grant you access to.

Best Bargain Option: Sling TV with Paramount+

Looking to save a little money that can be put toward your March Madness snack budget? There’s an excellent option available to you if you’re willing to be a bit creative: a combination of Sling TV and Paramount+. Sling is a skinnier cable channel bundle, but its Orange plan will grant you access to TBS, TNT, and truTV. Sling TV’s Orange plan normally costs $40 per month, but the streamer is running a special promotion with which new users can get half off of their first month's subscription.

Unfortunately, Sling does not provide access to CBS, so this is where the creativity comes in. The cheapest way for users to access the broadcast network by itself is via Paramount+ Premium, which runs $9.99 per month and offers access to a 24/7 stream of local CBS affiliates in every market.

But if $30 per month is still a bit rich to see all of this year’s March Madness games, maybe this will sweeten the deal: If you sign up for Paramount+ using promo code ADVANCE, you’ll get a 30-day free trial! That means that for the low price of $20, you can see all of this year’s March Madness, plus get access to live TV on Sling and Paramount+’s entire on-demand library ad-free.

An Entertainment Lover’s Dream: Hulu + Live TV

If you’re looking to Disney-fy your March Madness experience this year, you’ll definitely want to think about a Hulu + Live TV subscription. Plans to Hulu + Live TV start at $69.99 per month and include all the channels you’ll need to watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament in 2023. The real kicker with this service is the fact that you’ll also get the on-demand libraries of Hulu and Disney+, plus thousands of live sports events every year on ESPN+ included in your subscription price.

One More Option: YouTube TV

There’s one final live TV service that offers each linear channel you’ll need to watch 2023’s March Madness tournament: YouTube TV. It’s actually one of the cheaper options available, with plans starting at $64.99 per month, and no add-ons necessary to watch any of the channels carrying March Madness games.

The reason YouTube TV doesn’t warrant a higher place on our list is that it doesn’t offer all users a free trial, nor does it have any extra services included in a subscription price. You can watch select content in 4K on the service, but it’ll cost you an extra $19.99 per month, and none of this year’s March Madness games will be available in 4K anyhow.

TV Deals

If you’re looking for a new TV to become the envy of everyone at your March Madness watch parties, check below! Even though this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament won’t be available in 4K, you’ll definitely enjoy other content that’s available to watch in ultra-high-definition. Here are some of the best TV deals available

David Satin
David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
Read full bio ›
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DIRECTV STREAM Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new DIRECTV STREAM subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • Purchase must be completed on the DIRECTV STREAM website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Sling TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $25 Uber Eats Gift Card when you sign up for Sling TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Sling TV subscribers to Sling Orange, Blue, or Sling Orange + Blue.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Sling TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Hulu Live TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $35 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for Hulu Live TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Hulu Live TV subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Hulu Live TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.