How to watch college basketball live in 2024

As we gear up for March Madness, now is the time to make your plan for how to watch NCAA basketball live. There are plenty of ways to watch college basketball as teams round out this season and prepare for the 2024/25 season.

Subscribing to a sports streaming service is one of the easiest ways to start streaming NCAA basketball, thanks to the wide variety of sports channels and how easy it is to take streaming services with you. Whether you’re at home or on the go, you can catch some hoops on your favorite sports channels.

Where to watch college basketball

College basketball games are streamed on several channels throughout the season, namely national channels like CBS, TBS, TNT and ESPN. You can also catch games on conference networks like ACC Network and SEC Network, depending on your chosen streaming network. Some streaming networks also offer regional sports networks (RSNs) at no extra cost, which are channels that broadcast local games not found on national TV.

Note: Due to a carriage dispute, Hearst-owned local channels, including ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MNT and IND have been removed from the DISH lineup in 27 markets. See the notice from DISH for more information.

Sling TV (Our Preferred Service)

Sling TV is one of the most cost-effective live TV streaming services on the market today, with plans ranging from $40-$55 per month—no need to break the bank for college basketball. Sling Orange includes 32 channels and costs $40 per month, Sling Blue includes 41 channels and costs $40 per month, and Sling Orange & Blue includes 46 channels and costs $55 per month.

While Sling TV’s base plans include a lot fewer channels than its competitors, you can purchase additional sports channels for only $11 more per month, including ACC Network, SEC Network and ESPNU. And with a Sling Blue or Sling Orange & Blue plan, you can stream on up to three devices at once. 

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM, brought to you by DIRECTV, gives college basketball fans plenty of options for NCAAB streaming. Choose from four different DIRECTV STREAM plans: Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate and Premier. Entertainment includes more than 75 channels and costs $79.99 per month, Choice includes more than 105 channels and costs $108.99 per month, Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and costs $119.99 per month and Premier includes more than 150 channels and costs $164.99 per month. 

Most of DIRECTV STREAM’s plans include the critical networks you’ll need to catch NCAA basketball. Additionally, with a Choice plan or above, you’ll get access to regional sports networks like Bally Sports, which may stream regional college games that you wouldn’t usually be able to catch on national television. 

Fubo

Fubo provides access to a large assortment of sports channels, including a handful of staples crucial for streaming college basketball. Fubo’s four subscription plans are Pro, Elite, Ultimate and Latino. The Pro plan includes 172 channels and costs $79.99 per month, the Elite plan includes 248 channels and costs $89.99 per month, the Ultimate plan includes 292 channels and costs $99.99 per month and the Latino plan includes 58 channels and costs $32.99 per month. 

Although Fubo’s plans do not currently include Turner Networks, such as TNT or TBS, you can catch college basketball on several other channels, such as CBS and ESPN. Additionally, like DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo plans also include multiple RSNS, which are great for streaming local college basketball games not found on nationwide networks. 

Hulu + Live TV

Not only does Hulu offer subscribers hours of on-demand content, but subscribers can also stream hundreds of hours of college basketball. Hulu + Live TV offers three plans, all of which include over 85 channels. Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV, Disney Plus (With Ads) and ESPN Plus (With Ads) costs $76.99 per month, Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV, Disney Plus (No Ads) and ESPN Plus (With Ads) costs $89.99 per month, and the Live TV Only plan costs $68.99 per month and does not include Hulu’s on-demand library.

One of the best parts of Hulu + Live TV is that you get access to ESPN Plus (and Disney Plus) at no extra cost per month, also known as the Disney Bundle. ESPN Plus streams several smaller colleges’ basketball games right in the ESPN app, which you can easily log into with your Hulu login. You heard that right – three apps, one login!

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is one of the best streaming destinations for sports, offering subscribers over 100 channels to stream across a huge variety of devices. The Base plan, which includes over 100 channels, costs $72.99 per month, the Spanish plan includes over 30 channels and costs $34.99 per month and the standalone networks option lets you build your own channel lineup with a select few networks, which are priced per channel.

Love football as well as basketball? YouTube TV offers subscribers the ability to bundle NFL Sunday Ticket with their Base Plan or purchase it separately. After all, college basketball isn’t on every day of the week. 

College basketball schedule

Regular season starts: Monday, November 6, 2023, across the U.S. 

Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 17, 2024, across the U.S. 

March Madness: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - Monday, April 8, 2024, in Boston, MA.

You can view the entire NCAAM and NCAAW basketball schedules here.

Final thoughts before the buzzer

Finding a solution to where to watch NCAA basketball has never been easier, thanks to the variety of streaming services available today. There’s a streaming service for every college basketball fan, whether you are looking to save money by only subscribing to Sling TV’s essential channels or want to catch as many games as possible with a more comprehensive plan from Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV or DIRECTV STREAM. Give streaming a try before this season’s first tipoff. 

FAQ

How can I watch college basketball for free?

You can watch college basketball for free by taking advantage of a streaming service’s free trial or by checking the NCAA’s live streaming schedule at ncaa.com. Most of the NCAA March Madness tournament is streamed for free on ncaa.com. 

Here are the streaming services that currently offer a free trial:

• DIRECTV STREAM
• Fubo
• YouTube TV

Can you watch college basketball on Amazon Prime?

On Amazon Prime, you can watch old college basketball games on demand, but the streaming service does not currently broadcast college basketball games live. 

Is there an app to watch NCAA basketball?

Several streaming services have a mobile app where you can watch NCAA basketball, including DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. You can also catch games in the ESPN app if you log in with your TV provider or streaming service.