The Digester

March Madness 2026: How to watch every game

Mar 19th 2026

Men's March Madness runs March 17 to April 6 across CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery networks, and the women's tournament runs March 18 to April 5 across ABC and ESPN; here are the schedules, which networks stream what, and the cheapest ways to watch every game.

  • Men's tournament starts with First Four games March 17 and runs through the championship on April 6.
  • Women's tournament starts First Four March 18 and runs through the championship on April 5.
  • Men's TV rights are split between CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery, with games on CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV and the final rounds on TBS.
  • Women's TV rights are with ESPN, with games across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS, and the championship on ABC.
  • March Madness Live streams non-CBS games with multiview and bracket tools, but CBS games require a separate CBS or Paramount+ login.
  • Cheapest full men’s streaming combo in this guide is HBO Max Basic plus Paramount+ Premium for about $25 per month to cover TNT/TBS/truTV and CBS.
  • ESPN Select at $13 per month covers the women’s tournament streaming needs, while ESPN+ does not carry every game.
  • Some CBS games are free on the March Madness website and apps without a TV login, while women's games are not free unless you use an OTA antenna for ABC.
  • If you want to watch every men’s and women’s game in one place, a live TV service like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV is the simplest but more expensive option.