March Madness features the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments. Also known as the “Big Dance,” 68 of the best college basketball teams go head-to-head to be crowned national champion, with UCLA holding the record at 11 title wins. 

So how can you watch March Madness online in 2022 if you don’t have cable? In this article, we’ll cover the best places you can watch the NCAA tournament online. 

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    Where to Stream March Madness Online

    Four different channels host the games for March Madness online live: CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV. To watch every game, you will need a service (or multiple services) that provides access to these streams. 

    CBS access is dependent on your geographic location, so from the list below, double-check that the streaming service offers CBS for you. 

    If CBS isn’t available where you live, your only option is to subscribe to Paramount+ and another service that offers the remaining three live streams. 

    1. YouTube TV

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    A YouTube TV plan includes all four channels you need to watch every game in the national championship. It also provides over 85 other live channels with unlimited recording storage.

    A YouTube TV plan costs $64.99 per month and is supported by AppleTV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon FireTV, and other streaming devices.

    2. Hulu + Live TV

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    The Hulu + Live TV plan covers each required live TV channel (as well as additional bonuses like Disney+ and ESPN+ for additional shows and live sports). Hulu + Live TV offers a 7-day free trial which will cover at least one weekend’s worth of March Madness games. After that, it costs $69.99 per month. It’s also available on Xbox One, PlayStation, Android, and iOS.

    3. DirectTV Stream

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    DirectTV Stream covers every NCAA March Madness men’s basketball game. DirectTV provides over 65 live TV channels and over 40,000 on-demand titles.

    They offer a 5-day free trial and then charge $69.99 per month for a subscription. DirectTV is also supported by most streaming devices.

    Note: AT&T TV has now switched to DirectTV Stream for new users.

    Other Streaming Options

    There are other commonly recommended streaming services, including Paramount+, fuboTV, and Sling TV, but if you’re looking to watch every game in the NCAA March Madness Live, these are worth avoiding since they don’t offer all of the required channels.

    To save being upset on the day of a match when you find out your service isn’t streaming it, you’re better off going with one of the three options listed above.

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    However, depending on your location, it may be cheaper to combine a Paramount+ subscription with one of the services that cover TNT, TBS, and truTV (such as Sling TV, which is the most affordable service in this list at $35 per month and offers a 3-day free trial). Paramount+ (previously CBS All Access) gives access to CBS for only $4.99 per month.

    It’s also possible to alter your location with a VPN to access geo-blocked services. All you have to do is get a 30-day free trial on your chosen VPN and access the streaming service from your location. Just keep in mind that not all VPNs will fix a geo-block issue.

    Watch March Madness Online for Free

    If you’re on a budget, it’s also possible to string together each of the free trials and cover almost all of the tournament games. Here’s the March Madness schedule so you can work out how to watch the tournament for free:

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    • Selection – March 13 on CBS
    • First Four – March 15 and 16 on TBS and truTV
    • Round 1/2 – March 17-20 on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
    • Sweet 16 – March 24 and 25 on CBS and TBS
    • Elite Eight – March 26 and 27 on CBS and TBS
    • Final Four – April 2 on TBS
    • National championship game – April 4 on TBS

    Back to the Dance

    If you’re a cord-cutter, don’t worry; there are plenty of ways that you can still watch each NCAA Division I matchup without a cable TV provider. While each of the streaming services will set you back, if you plan to take each free trial at key points, you’ll be able to watch the tournament for free, starting with the first round.

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