March Madness 2026: How To Watch Every Game Of The Ncaa Basketball Tournaments

It’s clip to fastener successful those brackets. The 2026 NCAA hoops tournaments, affectionately known arsenic March Madness, statesman this week. In fact, immoderate of nan action connected nan men’s broadside starts tonight. Both nan men’s and women’s tournaments are disposable to watercourse done various apps and services, but navigating nan web of broadcasters and TV channels tin beryllium confusing. We’ve surgery down erstwhile each nan games are happening, wherever to watch and nan champion options for redeeming immoderate rate doing so.

What does March Madness start?

The men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament originates connected Tuesday, March 17 pinch 2 of nan First Four matchups. These are nan 4 games that are utilized to find nan last 4 teams successful nan main 64-team bracket. To some, they’re known arsenic nan “play-in games” though they’ve officially been portion of nan men's tourney since 2011. The first crippled connected March 17 originates astatine 6:40PM ET pinch different to travel astatine 9:15PM ET. The aforesaid schedule is expected for nan 2nd slate of games connected Wednesday, March 19.

On nan women’s side, everything is offset by a day. The first 2 of nan First Four games return spot connected Wednesday, March 18 astatine 7PM ET and 9PM ET. The 2nd brace of matchups follows connected Thursday, March 19 successful nan aforesaid 2 clip slots.

The 64-team bracket kicks disconnected successful earnest for nan men astatine 12:15PM ET connected Thursday, March 19. For nan women, nan main action originates astatine 11:30AM ET connected Friday, March 20. Here’s nan afloat schedule for each tournament:

2026 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament

• 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 game: April 6

2026 Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament

• First Four: March 18-19

• First round: March 20-21

• Second round: March 22-23

• Sweet 16: March 27-28

• Elite Eight: March 29-30

• Final Four: April 3

• Championship game: April 5

How to watercourse nan 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament

CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery stock nan broadcast authorities to nan men’s tournament, truthful TV sum will beryllium dispersed crossed 4 networks. During nan people of March Madness, games will aerial connected CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV, pinch nan last rounds and title crippled landing connected TBS.

If you already person a paid TV scheme (such arsenic accepted cable), a bully measurement to watch nan men’s tourney is pinch nan March Madness Live app aliases website. There's a large drawback though: CBS games aren't disposable successful nan app. That intends this is really only a bully action done nan Elite Eight. Once you log successful pinch your TV supplier credentials, you tin watch games connected nan different networks successful 1 spot pinch features for illustration multiview (up to 4 games astatine once) and a Fast Break watercourse that covers each nan in-progress games successful 1 spot.

The app besides offers ways to travel your bracket, if you filled it retired connected MarchMadness.com. And erstwhile you’re watching connected desktop, nan important Boss Button will propulsion up a clone activity surface to support your occupation safe. In summation to your laptop aliases phone, March Madness Live is besides disposable connected Amazon devices, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, macOS, Google Play, LG smart TVs, Roku and Xbox consoles.

The astir affordable action to watch each crippled is to really usage 2 services. It’s not ideal, I know, but it will prevention you a batch of money. HBO Max’s Basic plan is $11/month and gives you entree to unrecorded games from TNT, TBS and truTV pinch three-game multiview (46 games total). That includes nan Final Four and National Championship arsenic those 3 games are connected TBS this year. If you splurge for a pricier scheme ($23/month), you tin watercourse games successful Dolby Vision pinch Dolby Atmos situation sound. For nan CBS games, you’ll request a Paramount+ Premium subscription that costs $14/month ($6 for 2 months for caller users). So, pinch this champion value scenario, streaming each of nan men’s tournaments will costs $25 crossed 2 apps.

A live TV service for illustration YouTube TV aliases Hulu + Live TV is complete $80 much per period astatine afloat price, but they would connection you each nan games successful nan men’s tourney successful 1 place. YouTube TV is presently on waste for $60/month for nan first 2 months aft a free 10-day trial. Hulu + Live TV now includes Disney+ and ESPN Select, hence its higher price.

How to watercourse nan 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament

While Warner Brothers Discovery owns nan authorities to nan men’s NCAA Tournament, ESPN has nan women’s bracket locked down. Every crippled of nan women’s tourney will beryllium dispersed crossed ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS, including nan First Four matchups. The Final Four will beryllium connected ESPN, but nan title crippled will aerial connected ABC. All 3 of those culminating games will watercourse connected ESPN+ (and successful nan ESPN app) arsenic MegaCast feeds.

ESPN says nan MegaCasts are disposable successful 2 options. First, Beyond nan Rim provides an aerial camera perspective pinch nan main commentary and replays, positive nan summation of enhanced stats. On nan Rail shows you crippled action nan afloat magnitude of nan floor. This provender will connection “natural” sound and replays.

Since ESPN+ won’t get each game, it’s not an action if you want to watch nan full tournament. However, since past year’s March Madness, Disney debuted standalone offerings for ESPN. The astir affordable action present is ESPN Select which includes women’s assemblage hoops and costs $13/month.

You could besides opt for a live-TV streaming work for illustration Sling, YouTube TV aliases Hulu + Live TV for a broad experience. Sling is nan cheapest of these, pinch nan requisite Orange and Sports Extra plan costing $57 (Sling is presently offering a discount connected nan first period of Orange). YouTube and Hulu unrecorded TV options are some much costly astatine complete $80/month (YouTube TV presently discounted to $60 for nan first 2 months), truthful it’s a matter of which group of contented and features you for illustration best. YouTube TV offers a useful multiview instrumentality truthful you tin watch up to 4 games astatine once, but Hulu + Live TV comes pinch Disney+ and ESPN Select for that cost.

Once you person a TV scheme that includes nan ESPN family of networks, nan ESPN app is nan champion spot to watch nan tournament. The operation of scores and info, on pinch multiview streaming for up to 4 games astatine a clip connected Apple TV and Xbox, make nan app a well-equipped conduit for nan women’s tournament.

The March Madness website only shows scores and news for nan women’s tournament. None of nan women’s games will beryllium disposable for streaming unrecorded connected nan website.

Are immoderate of nan March Madness games disposable to watercourse for free?

Without a TV supplier login, you tin watch each of nan games broadcast connected CBS connected nan March Madness website and mobile apps. Sure, it’s a mini sample of nan tournament, but it’s wholly free and a bully action for casual fans who don’t person a paid TV scheme they tin utilization for much of nan action. It’s besides a bully measurement to watch nan first information astatine work, if your institution hasn’t blocked streaming sites, aliases if you tin discreetly watch connected your phone.

For nan women’s tournament, location aren’t immoderate games disposable for free. Unless you person an old-school OTA antenna, that is, successful which lawsuit you tin watch women’s games connected ABC (and men’s games connected CBS) without immoderate benignant of streaming plan. Of course, arsenic this is simply a streaming guideline published successful 2026, I’d see an antenna an bonzer move.

If you were hoping to usage a free proceedings play to watch March Madness, I’ve sewage bad news. None of them will past agelong capable to screen nan full tournament. Some services don’t connection a free proceedings astatine all, but nan longest is YouTube TV astatine 10 days. Sadly, that won’t moreover get you done nan 2nd weekend.

What if I want to watercourse some nan men’s and women’s tournaments?

If you’re hoping to watercourse each of nan men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments, I dream you ordered Samsung’s eight-TV bundle. In position of streaming services, conscionable jump consecutive to a live-TV action for illustration YouTube TV aliases Hulu + Live TV. I for illustration nan erstwhile because of its multiview feature. At times erstwhile location are aggregate games that you want to watch, particularly during nan first 2 rounds, you’ll want multiview successful bid to support tabs connected each of nan action.