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.
Articles
- March Madness 2026: How to watch every game of the NCAA basketball tournaments www.engadget.com
- The math of March Madness brackets www.scientificamerican.com
- Bloomberg’s 2026 March Madness Brackets for a Cause www.bloomberg.com