Since March Madness games are split out between four different broadcasters, streaming the tournament can get pretty complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing. This year’s March Madness tournament airs on a combination of CBS and three different Turner cable stations. Many of the top matchups including the “Final Four” and championship game will be broadcast on TBS, while other games will be spread across CBS, TNT, and TruTV.
You’ll be able to catch every single one of the 67 games if you subscribe to a streaming service plan that offers CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Or if you simply want to catch a game or two, you can watch at least some of March Madness on your local CBS station.
We recommend Sling TV, which has an affordable plan that offers TBS, TNS, and truTV. You can sign up for a 3-Day Free Trial.
If you want to stream all of CBS’s games from the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you can do it with a Paramount+ Premium Plan.
How to Live Stream March Madness on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
The channels that are broadcasting the game are available through a variety of streaming services. Services that carry TBS, TNT and truTV do so regardless of your location, as long as you’re located in the U.S. On the other hand, services that carry CBS are only available in specific markets.
DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, and YouTube TV have all the channels you need to stream March Madness. Sling TV has three out of the four channels and offers subscribers a free trial. FuboTV only has the CBS channel, but it has a free trial as well.
If you want to watch the tournament games, your best bet is with Sling TV and their Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans. Both the Orange and Blue options are just $35 per month — making it the cheapest way to stream March Madness without cable.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a live TV streaming service that helps users save money with the option of two distinct plans. The $40/month “Sling Orange” plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $40/month “Sling Blue” plan offers about 40 channels, including Fox and NBC local channels.
How to Live Stream March Madness on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, and Android
There are six major streaming providers that offer Live TV Streaming. Five of them allow you to watch March Madness using iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and Web. They are DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Paramount Plus, and Fubo.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get $10 Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| TNT | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TBS | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| truTV | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
How to Stream March Madness on Paramount+
Paramount+ is a streaming service that includes live access to CBS. So if you aren’t able to access CBS through any of the other streaming services due to your location, then Paramount+ is your only option.
There is a monthly fee for this service, however, you can sign up for a 30-Day Free Trial since March Madness is only a couple of weeks long. So if there’s a specific game you absolutely can’t miss, but you don’t want to pay for a subscription, there is an answer.
What Devices Can You Use to Stream Paramount+?
Paramount+ is available to stream on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, iPhone/iPad, Android Phone/Tablet, Mac, Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, and VIZIO Smart TV.
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. The lineup includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, 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.
How to Stream March Madness on March Madness Live App
All 67 NCAA Tournament games are available on March Madness Live, which you can authenticate using your TV Everywhere Credentials.
If you don’t have a TV Streaming package, you can watch CBS games on mobile or on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and other connected TV apps. You can sign-up for Hulu Live TV to get all the games via the March Madness Live App.
In order to see all the games through the app, your provider must offer CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV.
Read about the app's features here.
How to Set Up the March Madness Live App
This is how you set up the NCAA March Madness Live app on an Apple TV but it is similar to what you’ll encounter on any device.
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First, you’ll need to download the app to your streaming device. March Madness Live is available for iPhones, iPads, Android devices, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, and Xbox One. Here's the link to the Apple version, and Google Play Store. You can also download it through the app store on your device.
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Once your app is installed, go to the gear icon on the left side and choose Select TV Provider.
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The app will generate a code and direct you to ncaa.com/activate.
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When you arrive at the site, you’ll select your streaming device.
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Then you’ll enter your activation code from your TV screen.
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Next, choose your TV provider (streaming or cable). If you don’t see your service listed, click “View All TV Providers”
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Once you’ve signed in, you are now free to navigate the app, which features video previews of the various games, a bracket, and all the in-game features.
NCAA March Madness Live
NCAA March Madness Live is a video streaming service that is a one-stop shop for all your men’s college basketball needs and is a must-have for anyone looking to stream the 2024 NCAA Tourney.
March Madness Schedule
The 2022 Selection Sunday will take place on March 13 at 6 PM ET on CBS. This will reveal the selection bracket for the tournament. Two days later is when the action truly begins, with a frantic yet exciting three weeks underway. Here are the dates.
| Date | Event | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| March 15-16 | First Four | TBS, TruTV |
| March 17-18 | First Round | CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV |
| March 19-20 | Second Round | CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV |
| March 24-25 | Sweet 16 | CBS, TBS |
| March 26-27 | Elite Eight | CBS, TBS |
| April 2 | Final Four | TBS |
| April 4 | National Championship | TBS |
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