How to Watch the First Round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s March Madness Tournament Live for Free Without Cable
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but don’t get confused — it’s not Christmas, it’s March Madness! Sixty-four teams enter (ok, 68 if we’re being completely accurate), but only one will get to cut down the nets and leave as national champion. Will the Baylor Bears repeat? Will another top seed realize their dream? Or will a Cinderella keep the party going past midnight and shock the world with a victory?
Opening round coverage begins Thursday, March 17 and continues on Friday, March 18 on CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV.
How to Watch the Opening Round of the NCAA Men’s March Madness Tournament Live for Free Without Cable
- When: Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18 starting at 12:15 p.m. ET
- TV: CBS, TNT, TBS, truTV
- Streaming: Watch with a 5-Day Free Trial of DIRECTV STREAM
How to Stream Using March Madness Live
March Madness Live is the official digital platform of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. You can link your TV Anywhere credentials to your March Madness Live app and stream all of the madness from your compatible devices, including Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Xbox, Google Chromecast and select LG Smart TV devices.
Once you have the app downloaded, go to the “Settings” tab, then simply log in using your TV anywhere credentials and enjoy the madness!
How to Stream the NCAA March Madness Tournament on Paramount+
If your TV provider does not include CBS, you can supplement your viewing experience with Paramount+, which offers live feeds of your local CBS affiliate as part of its “Premium” plan. There are also plenty of other great movies, shows, and sports to watch with Paramount+ outside of the March Madness tournament.
Using Amazon Alexa During NCAA March Madness
Just in time for March Madness, Amazon’s Alexa has special features perfect for college basketball fans who want more information. You can ask Alexa the following questions to learn more:
- “Alexa, ask March Madness what games are on right now?”
- “Alexa, ask March Madness for today’s schedule.”
- “Alexa, ask March Madness for today’s tournament news.”
- “Alexa, how is my bracket doing?”
- And more!
NCAA March Madness Opening Round Schedule
Thursday, March 17
| Matchup | Time (ET) | Network |
|---|---|---|
| No. 6 Colorado State vs. No. 11 Michigan | 12:15 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 4 Providence vs. No. 13 South Dakota State | 12:40 p.m. | truTV |
| No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 9 Memphis | 1:45 p.m. | TNT |
| No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Norfolk State | 2 p.m. | TBS |
| No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Longwood | 2:45 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Richmond | 3:10 p.m. | truTV |
| No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 Georgia State | 4:15 p.m. | TNT |
| No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Marquette | 4:30 p.m. | TBS |
| No. 5 UConn vs. No. 12 New Mexico State | 6:50 p.m. | TNT |
| No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s | 7:10 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 5 Saint Mary’s (CA) vs. No. 12 TBD | 7:20 p.m. | TBS |
| No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Creighton | 7:27 p.m. | truTV |
| No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Vermont | 9:20 p.m. | TNT |
| No. 7 Murray State vs. No. 10 San Francisco | 9:40 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Akron | 9:50 p.m. | TBS |
| No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 TBD | 9:57 p.m. | truTV |
Friday, March 18
| Matchup | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|
| No. 6 Colorado State vs. No. 11 Michigan | 12:15 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 4 Providence vs. No. 13 South Dakota State | 12:40 p.m. | truTV |
| No. 8 Boise State vs. No. 9 Memphis | 1:45 p.m. | TNT |
| No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Norfolk State | 2 p.m. | TBS |
| No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Longwood | 2:45 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Richmond | 3:10 p.m. | truTV |
| No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 Georgia State | 4:15 p.m. | TNT |
| No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Marquette | 4:30 p.m. | TBS |
| No. 5 UConn vs. No. 12 New Mexico State | 6:50 p.m. | TNT |
| No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s | 7:10 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 5 Saint Mary’s (CA) vs. No. 12 TBD | 7:20 p.m. | TBS |
| No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Creighton | 7:27 p.m. | truTV |
| No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Vermont | 9:20 p.m. | TNT |
| No. 7 Murray State vs. No. 10 San Francisco | 9:40 p.m. | CBS |
| No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Akron | 9:50 p.m. | TBS |
| No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 TBD | 9:57 p.m. | truTV |
How to Stream the Men’s NCAA March Madness First Round for Free on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, and Android
There are six major streaming providers that offer Live TV Streaming. Four of these providers allow you to watch the Men’s NCAA March Madness First Round live 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.
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