How to Watch March Madness Basketball 2026: Free Streams, TV Channels

By Oscar Hartzog Oscar Hartzog Contact Oscar Hartzog by Email View all posts by Oscar Hartzog March 16, 2026 Ed Zurga/Getty Images If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has arrived. Duke, Arizona, Michigan, and the reigning champions Florida earned the No. 1 seeds in this year’s March Madness, but that’s no guarantee of victory in a tournament defined by upsets. Last year’s Final Four, which was comprised only of top seeds, was an exception. At a Glance: How to Watch March Madness Stream March Madness: DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, HBO Max, Paramount+ March Madness TV channels: CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV Tournament Dates 2026: March 17 – April 6 get free trial at directv As with past tournaments, figuring out how to watch March Madness is a bit tricky this year. Ahead is a quick guide on the best ways to livestream every March Madness game online, including ways to get free March Madness livestreams. How to Watch March Madness Online, Free Streams, TV Channels March Madness games will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Paramount+ will show simulcasts of games on CBS, and HBO Max will have streams of the games shown on TBS, TNT, and truTV. However, if you want to stream all March Madness games in one place, we recommend getting a live TV streaming service that carries all four channels. DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV both carry CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV, making them the two best ways to watch March Madness in 2026. Here’s a breakdown of all these options: DirecTV get free trial DirecTV is the best way to watch every March Madness game online, offering CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV in multiple packages. The most affordable of these plans is the MySports Genre Pack, which carries 20+ key sports channels for $69.99 a month. Best of all, DirecTV offers a five-day free trial on all plans. Hulu + Live TV get free trial Hulu + Live TV is another great way to stream every March Madness game. The service carries CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV in its lineup of 90+ channels and costs $89.99 a month. Get a three-day free trial to start. HBO Max sign up HBO Max will have livestreams of all the March Madness games shown on TBS, TNT, and truTV, but not of the games shown on CBS. The good news: It’s more affordable than the options above. You’ll need HBO Max Standard or Premium to watch March Madness games. These packages start at $18.49 a month, but don’t come with a free trial (see our guide on how to get HBO Max for free here). Paramount+ get free trial All March Madness games shown on CBS will be available to stream on Paramount+. Both Paramount+ plans will get you access to these streams. Pricing starts at $12.99 a month, but both plans begin with a seven-day free trial. March Madness Schedule 2026 The 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament starts on Tuesday, March 17, and ends on Monday, April 6 with the championship game. Here’s the full schedule of key dates and slated matchups (times in ET): First Four: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 Tuesday, March 17(16) UMBC vs. (16) Howard — 6:40 p.m. on truTV(11) Texas vs. (11) North Carolina State — 9:15 p.m. on truTV Wednesday, March 18(16) Prairie View A&M vs. (16) Lehigh — 6:40 p.m. on truTV(11) Miami (Ohio) vs. (11) Southern Methodist — 9:10 p.m. on truTV Thursday, March 19(8) Ohio State vs. (9) TCU — 12:15 p.m. on CBS(4) Nebraska vs. (13) Troy — 12:40 p.m. on truTV(6) Louisville vs. (11) South Florida — 1:30 p.m. on TNT(5) Wisconsin vs. (12) High Point — 1:50 p.m. on TBS(1) Duke vs. (16) Siena — 2:50 p.m. on CBS(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) McNeese — 3:15 p.m. on truTV(3) Michigan State vs. (14) North Dakota State — 4:05 p.m. on TNT(4) Arkansas vs. (13) Hawai’i — 4:25 p.m. on TBS(6) North Carolina vs. (11) VCU — 6:50 p.m. on TNT(1) Michigan vs. (16) UMBC/Howard — 7:10 p.m. on CBS(6) BYU vs. (11) Texas/NC State — 7:25 p.m. on TBS(7) Saint Mary’s vs. (10) Texas A&M — 7:35 p.m. on truTV(3) Illinois vs. (14) Penn — 9:25 p.m. on TNT(8) Georgia vs. (9) Saint Louis — 9:45 p.m. on CBS(3) Gonzaga vs. (14) Kennesaw State — 10 p.m. on TBS(2) Houston vs. (15) Idaho — 10:10 p.m. on truTV Friday, March 20(7) Kentucky vs. (10) Santa Clara — 12:15 p.m. on CBS(5) Texas Tech vs. (12) Akron — 12:40 p.m. on truTV(1) Arizona vs. (16) LIU — 1:35 p.m. on TNT(3) Virginia vs. (14) Wright State — 1:50 p.m. on TBS(2) Iowa State vs. (15) Tennessee State — 2:50 p.m. on CBS(4) Alabama vs. (13) Hofstra — 3:15 p.m. on truTV(8) Villanova vs. (9) Utah State — 4:10 p.m. on TNT(6) Tennessee vs. (11) Miami (Ohio)/SMU — 4:25 p.m. on TBS(8) Clemson vs. (9) Iowa — 6:50 p.m. on TNT(5) St. John’s vs. (12) Northern Iowa — 7:10 p.m. on CBS(7) UCLA vs. (10) Central Florida — 7:25 p.m. on TBS(2) Purdue vs. (15) Queens — 7:35 p.m. on truTV(1) Florida vs. (16) Prairie View A&M/Lehigh — 9:25 p.m. on TNT(4) Kansas vs. (13) Cal Baptist — 9:45 p.m. on CBS(2) UConn vs. (15) Furman — 10 p.m. on TBS(7) Miami vs. (10) Missouri — 10:10 p.m. on truTV Second round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27 Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29 Final Four: Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis NCAA championship game: Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis