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March Madness airs on a combination of CBS and three different Warner Bros. Discovery cable stations. You’ll be able to catch every single one of the 68 teams if you have a WBD-heavy cable package, but the streaming picture is a little more complicated if you’re a cord cutter.
2026 Event Details
First Four: March 17-18
First Round: March 19-20
Second Round: March 21-22
Sweet 16: March 26-27
Elite Eight: March 28-29
Final Four: April 4
Championship: April 6
Final Four/Championship Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
How to Live Stream March Madness Games
If you only want to catch a game or two here or there, you can watch at least some of March Madness on your local CBS station. If you want to watch everything, or at least have the option to, then you’ll need to make sure you have access to CBS and three different Warner Bros. Discovery cable stations.
Visit NCAA.com for up-to-date brackets.
To catch every March Madness game, you’ll need access to the following streams:
CBS is available through Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access), and you can get TBS, TNS, and truTV through cable replacement services like YouTube TV and SlingTV if you choose the right plan.
How to Live Stream March Madness on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV
Since March Madness games are split out between different broadcasters, the streaming picture is pretty complicated. If you want to catch every March Madness game, you have to make sure that you also have access to CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV.
These channels 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 United States. Services that carry CBS, on the other hand, only make it available in specific markets.
Here are your options:
For most people, YouTube TV will represent the best option for streaming March Madness. It includes TBS, TNT, and truTV, and it also offers CBS in most markets. Most of the other options are also viable, but they are less likely to include your local CBS station.
The worst March Madness option, for most people, is fuboTV, since it doesn’t include TBS, TNT, or truTV.
CBS availability is based on your physical location. YouTube TV has the best coverage, but you’ll need to check out each individual service to see if your area is included. If CBS isn’t available where you live from any of these services, then your only option is to subscribe to Paramount+ in addition to a service like YouTube TV.
How to Stream March Madness on Paramount+
Paramount+ is a streaming service that includes live access to CBS in addition to on-demand access to the entire back library of CBS shows, including exclusives like Star Trek Discovery. Paramount+ also offers tons of original content, Paramount movies, streaming shows from channels like Nickelodeon and BET, and more.
If you aren’t able to access CBS through any of the online streaming services due to your location, then Paramount+ is your only option.
There is a monthly fee for this service, but you can get Paramount+ free with a trial or promo code. So if there’s a specific game you absolutely can’t miss, but you don’t want to pay for a subscription, keep that in mind.
Here’s how to stream March Madness on Paramount+:
You’ll need to opt for the Paramount+ “no ads ” subscription option (Paramount+ with SHOWTIME), as the ad-supported, less-expensive option doesn’t carry live local CBS stations.
Navigate to the Paramount+ website, and select Try It FREE.
Select Continue with free trial under the heading Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.
Answer the questions and then select Agree & Continue to create your account. You’ll need to provide your name, an email and password, your birthdate, and other details.
Enter your billing information and any coupon codes or special offers, then select Start Paramount+.
If you don’t cancel your subscription before the trial period ends, Paramount+ will use your payment information to charge you.
Return to Paramount+ when a March Madness game is live on CBS, and you’ll have the option to watch it.
Live Stream March Madness on Your Phone, Tablet, or Streaming Device
Most streaming services offer an app to watch March Madness on your mobile device, set-top box, or game console. For example, Paramount+ and YouTube TV are available on Android, iOS, Amazon devices, Roku, PlayStation, and Xbox.
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