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The Best Way to Watch College Basketball Games Without Cable in 2023

Updated on Jason Gurwin
"How to Watch College Basketball Online Without Cable"

How to Stream College Basketball Online

Depending on what sport you watch, the right way how to watch live sports without cable may be different. For college basketball, the majority of major college basketball games will air on local networks or major cable channels, some smaller conference and games will air on the college sports networks or Internet sports channels.

  • Local Networks: CBS, FOX, & ABC
  • Cable Sports Networks: ESPN, FS1, & USA Network
  • Regional Sports Network: Bally Sports RSN, NBC Sports RSN, NESN, MSG, & SNY
  • College Sports Networks: Big 10 Network, SEC Network, etc.
  • Streaming Sports Networks: ESPN3, BTN+, SEC Network+, Stadium, ESPN+, Pluto.TV, & Facebook

We picked the Best Live TV Streaming Service for the college sports fan in general, but also for your Favorite College Basketball Team.

Our Picks

Hulu Live TV

There are many good options for college basketball fans. Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV each offer Big Ten Network, ACC Network, SEC Network, CBS Sports Network, and ESPNU.

For March Madness, they offer CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV.

fuboTV

If you’re a Pac-12 fan though, fuboTV and Sling TV are the only providers who offer Pac-12 Network.

College Basketball Teams

We picked the best live TV streaming services for many NCAA basketball teams. Be sure to check your the schedule for your favorite team before you subscribe.

How to Watch College Basketball on Cable Sports Networks

Most prime time games from major conferences will air on national sports stations. Fortunately, most streaming services include ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and USA Network.

When it comes to the NCAA Tourney, March Madness games will be on CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV.

DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Philo Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Sign Up Free Trial GET $10 OFF Sign Up
$74.99 $85.98 $69.99 $25 $40 $40 $72.99
ESPN - -
ESPN2 - -
FS1 - -
Fox Sports 2 ≥ $109.99 - - ^ $11
TBS - -
TNT - -
USA Network - -

How to Watch College Basketball on Local Networks

If on network TV, most major College Basketball games will air on CBS, with select games on FOX or ABC.

Every Live TV Streaming Service includes local channels in their entry-level package, but not all local channels are available in every market.

Fortunately, most streaming services include CBS, FOX, and ABC in the majority of Top 50 markets.

You can see which locals are available in your area by using our Channel Finder.

DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Philo Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Sign Up Free Trial GET $10 OFF Sign Up
$74.99 $85.98 $69.99 $25 $40 $40 $72.99
CBS - - -
Fox - -
ABC - -

How to Watch College Basketball on College Sports Channels

Some games with lower profile matchups or teams are generally put on college sports networks like Big Ten Network, ACC Network, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and Longhorn Network.

Most of the services include Big Ten Network SEC Network, and CBS Sports Network, but on some of them you may have to upgrade to a higher plan.

fuboTV and Sling TV are the only providers who offer Pac-12 Network.

DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Philo Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Sign Up Free Trial GET $10 OFF Sign Up
$74.99 $85.98 $69.99 $25 $40 $40 $72.99
ACC Network ≥ $99.99 - ^ $11 -
ACC Network Extra - - - ^ $11 -
Big Ten Network ≥ $99.99 - - ^ $11
CBS Sports Network ≥ $109.99 - - -
ESPNU ≥ $99.99 ^ $8 - ^ $11 -
Longhorn Network - - - - ^ $11 - -
Pac-12 Network - ^ $11 - - ^ $11 ^ $11 -
SEC Network ≥ $99.99 - ^ $11 -

How to Watch College Basketball on Streaming-Only Channels

Some smaller games will air on streaming-only networks like BTN+, SEC Network+, ESPN3, ESPN+, Stadium, and Pluto.TV.

In some cases they are available from your streaming service’s interface or in the case of ESPN+ or BTN+, from their owns apps which require a separate subscription.

ESPN3 and SEC Network+ are included if your service carries ESPN or SEC Network, and can be accessed from the ESPN App when authenticated with your TV Everywhere credentials.

DTV STREAM Fubo Hulu Philo Sling TV YouTube
Free Trial Free Trial Sign Up Free Trial GET $10 OFF Sign Up
$74.99 $85.98 $69.99 $25 $40 $40 $72.99
ESPN3 - -
Stadium - ^ $11 - - - - ^ $11
Next Level Sports - - - - - -
beIN Sports - - - ^ $11 ^ $11 ^ $11

How to Watch 2023 Men’s College Basketball Tourney

One of everyone’s favorite college basketball apps for the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament is NCAA March Madness Live. It let’s you track your brackets, follow stats, scores, highlights, and stream all 67 March Madness games.

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 2023 NCAA Tourney.

With March Madness Live, you can watch games airing on CBS on mobile or for three hours on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and other connected TV apps. To watch every game including those on TNT, TBS, and truTV, you will need to authenticate with your TV Everywhere credentials.

Every season the Final Four and Championship alternate between CBS and TBS. During the 2022-23 NCAA Tournament, the Final Four and Championship game will air on CBS.

If you don’t have a cable or Live TV Streaming package, you can sign-up for fuboTV, which offers a 7-day Free Trial, and use your credentials to access the games.

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.

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.

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.