It’s time for March Madness! 68 teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions will play a combined 135 games across the next three weeks. The men’s NCAA tournament tips off this Tuesday, Mar. 19 with the First Four games, where Wagner (16-15) and Howard will play for the No. 16 seed in the West Region, and Colorado State (24-10) and Virginia (23-10) will play for the No. 10 seed in the Midwest. Both games will air on truTV (and stream live on HBO’s Max). Is your bracket ready? Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch March Madness, including key dates for the NCAA tournament, how to watch games for free and more.
How to watch the First Four March Madness games:
Dates: Mar. 19-20
TV Channel: TruTV
Streaming: Max, Sling Orange & Blue
When does March Madness start?
The men’s NCAA tournament tips off with First Four games on Tuesday, Mar. 19.
March Madness First Four schedule:
Tuesday, Mar. 19 (First Four in Dayton, Ohio)
(16) Wagner vs. (16) Howard: 6:40 p.m. (truTV)
(10) Colorado State vs. (10) Virginia: 9:10 p.m. (truTV)
Wednesday, Mar. 20 (First Four in Dayton, Ohio)
(16) Grambling vs. (16) Montana State: 6:40 p.m. (truTV)
(10) Colorado vs. (10) Boise State: 9:10 p.m. (truTV)
March Madness channel:
The First Four games of the men’s tournament will air on TruTV (and stream live on Max).
Games for the men’s NCAA March Madness tournament will air live across a combination of CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. In the past, that combo has been hard to come by with just one, two or even three streaming services. But this year watching March Madness should be whole lot less … maddening. Many people have access to CBS already free over the air. But if you don’t currently get live local channels like CBS on your TV, we recommend looking into an old school TV antenna, or signing up for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, which includes access to live CBS coverage.
For the other channels, HBO’s Max is currently still offering its sports add-on (B/R Sports) free for subscribers of any Max tier. So for $9.99/month, you can catch live March Madness games airing on TNT, TBS and TruTV.
If you only want to add one subscription to your arsenal, some live TV streaming services offer all the channels you’ll need to keep up with March Madness, like Sling, DirecTV and YouTube TV.
How to watch March Madness without cable:
(Max)
Max has been “the one to watch” for entertainment fans for quite some time, but now, it’s drawing sports fans in, too. For a limited time, Max subscribers can get the new B/R Sports add-on totally free. That includes live March Madness games on TBS, TNT, and truTV.
Right now, you can also save over 40% on Max when you pay for the entire year up front, cutting down the monthly price of $9.99 to $5.83/month.
(Sling)
Starting at $30 for your first month, Sling TV’s Orange & Blue plan offers TNT, TBS, TruTV, ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 — AKA nearly every channel you’ll need to watch both men’s and women’s March Madness (along with 30+ other channels). A Sling subscription also includes 50 hours of free DVR storage, so if you’re worried about missing any of the NCAA action, you can always record games.
- Watch almost every March Madness game
March Madness schedule 2024:
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March 19-20: First Four games in Dayton, Ohio
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March 21-22: First round games at various locations
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March 23-24: Second round games at various locations
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March 28-29: Sweet 16 games at various locations
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March 30-31: Elite Eight games at various locations
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April 6: Final Four games at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
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April 8: NCAA Championship Game at Start Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
More ways to watch March Madness 2024:
Olivia Martin celebrates the art of living well in her lifestyle articles. She explores topics ranging from travel and fashion to home decor and culinary delights, offering inspiration for readers seeking a balanced and enjoyable lifestyle.
