How to watch March Madness 2024

Where to watch March Madness

If you want to keep up with all of March Madness in 2024, you’ll need access to at least six different networks. On the men’s side, games will air on TBS, TNT, truTV and CBS. The women’s tournament will be broadcast on ESPN’s networks and ABC. The following table shows your options for finding these channels on the major live TV streaming services.

*local channels available only in select locations

Watch on Sling TV (Our preferred service)

Sling TV offers excellent value for college hoops fans. It’s possible to catch most of the action from both tournaments here for under $60 a month. Sling Orange includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TBS, TNT and (in some markets) ABC for only $40 a month. If you want to add truTV, you can upgrade to Sling Orange & Blue. Unfortunately, Sling doesn’t offer CBS.

Sling doesn’t carry any regional sports networks (RSNs), so that may be a downside if you want to keep up with your local teams. However, you can get quite a bit of national and international coverage on the platform. The Sports Extra add-on includes more than 10 additional sports channels for between $11 and $15 a month. Although Sling doesn’t have a free trial, it typically offers half off your first month.

Watch on DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM is the streaming offshoot of DIRECTV’s satellite service and features similar plans and pricing. It’s one of only three streaming services to offer every network featuring men’s and women’s March Madness, and you can get nearly every game in the basic Entertainment plan. That package includes TBS, TNT, truTV, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and ABC for $79.99 a month. Like all DIRECTV STREAM plans, it comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage.

To truly take advantage of live sports on DIRECTV STREAM, however, we recommend the Choice plan. You’ll pay more — $108.99 a month — but it may be worth it for all the extra sports you get on channels like NFL Network, NBA TV, ACCN, Big Ten Network and ESPNU, not to mention your RSNs. DIRECTV STREAM also offers additional sports networks and premium channels in its top-tier plans, which cost $119.99 to $164.90 a month.

Watch on Fubo

In many cases, Fubo is our top choice for streaming live sports. But, when it comes to March Madness, it leaves a little to be desired. You can’t get TBS, TNT or truTV here, so you can only watch men’s games on CBS. The good news is that Fubo carries ESPN’s networks and ABC, so it’s got you covered for the women’s tournament. 

Outside of the missing Turner networks, Fubo does a top-notch job with live sports. Its basic Pro plan includes over 30 sports channels, from your favorite RSNs to big-name national networks like ESPN, ESPN2, CBS Sports Network, FS1, FS2, NFL Network, the Golf Channel, beIN Sports and Big Ten Network. You get all this for $79.99 a month plus a regional sports fee of up to $14.99 a month, which gives you more sports than any other plan you’ll find for less than $100. All Fubo plans include 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage, and you can add more live sports with add-ons or upgrades. Fubo offers a free trial of up to a week.

Watch on Hulu + Live TV

Like DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV features every channel showing both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments this year. Unlike DIRECTV STREAM, it doesn’t feature many RSNs. But what it lacks in regional sports, it may make up for with tons of on-demand content and exclusive national coverage. 

Hulu + Live TV starts at $76.99 a month, and that gets you over 90 live TV channels (including around a dozen sports networks) and access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. You’ll have tons of pro and college action across networks like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, NFL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT and truTV, then even more events to tune into ESPN Plus. Hulu + Live TV also offers unlimited cloud DVR storage, but there’s no free trial.

Watch on YouTube TV

YouTube TV also gives you full access to every March Madness game for both tournaments, so you can easily keep up with all the action on the court. This platform also offers one of the best all-around channel lineups you can buy. Its base plan offers more than 110 of the top sports, news and entertainment networks for only $72.99 a month.

YouTube TV is also one of our favorites for streaming national and international sports. There aren’t many RSNs here, but the base plan includes mainstays like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, NFL Network, Big Ten Network, TBS, TNT, TruTV, SEC Network and NBA TV. All plans include unlimited cloud DVR storage so you can record any games you have to miss, and there’s a free trial of up to 14 days.

Watch on Max

Although the full live TV streaming services offer the best way to watch every March Madness game, there are now more options than ever to keep up with some of the best moments of the tournament. The first of these is Max’s B/R Sports Add-On, which is currently free with a Max subscription but will soon cost $9.99 a month. 

This optional extra will get you access to some of the top live action from the men’s tournament on TBS, TNT and truTV. B/R Sports also features games from the NHL, MLB, NBA and U.S. Soccer for a nice selection of some of the most popular sports. 

Watch on Paramount Plus

If you’re on a tighter streaming budget or simply want to leave more room to mix and match services, Paramount Plus may be worth a look. The premium plan, Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME, includes access to your local CBS station from anywhere, so you can use it to watch some of the men’s tournaments. For $11.99 a month, you also get ad-free on-demand viewing and access to premium SHOWTIME programming.

Paramount Plus is a bit of a hidden gem for live sports like soccer, golf and college football, too. It’s home to live games and analysis from the UEFA Champions League, the CONCACAF Gold Gup, the National Women’s Soccer League and more. You can also watch The Masters and Big Ten football on top of on-demand content from CBS, Nickelodeon, BET, MTV and more. Paramount Plus offers a one-week free trial.

How to watch on ESPN Plus

ESPN’s over–the–top streaming platform, ESPN Plus, features an extensive selection of live sports and on-demand programming. You can watch many of the top matchups from women’s March Madness here, on top of exclusive coverage and replays.

ESPN Plus starts at $10.99 a month, and it’s an excellent add-on for all kinds of sports fans. You’ll find out-of-market NHL and MLB games, international soccer, UFC fighting, pro golf, college basketball and much more. To watch other ESPN channels like ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS, however, you’ll have to subscribe to another live TV streaming service or bundle ESPN Plus with a Hulu + Live TV plan.

March Madness schedule 2024

Since the college hoops season hasn’t quite wrapped up, the official March Madness 2024 schedule isn’t available yet. The final bracket won’t be decided until after the First Four games for both tournaments on March 20–21. You can follow NCAA.com for updates and keep up with the live bracket once the tournament begins.

FAQ

Is there an app to watch all March Madness games?

You can watch every March Madness game on your mobile device, computer or connected TV with the March Madness Live app. You’ll need to sign in with a subscription to a TV provider that offers every channel featuring games in 2024.

Is March Madness on Paramount Plus?

Paramount Plus will air every March Madness game that’s showing on CBS. To access these games, you’ll need to subscribe to the top-tier plan, Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME.

Does ESPN Plus have college basketball?

ESPN Plus features college basketball games from the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and more. Many games from the women’s NCAA tournament will also stream on the platform.