Michigan State vs UNC live stream: Can you watch for free?

In a matchup of college basketball bluebloods normally reserved for the Final Four, No. 1 seed North Carolina will take on No. 9 Michigan State in the Round of 32. In the last 10 NCAA tournaments alone, these schools have combined for 11 Sweet 16 appearances. Today, one of them will add to that list.

The game is about to start, at 5:30 p.m. ET, and will be televised on CBS. That gives us a bunch of ways we can watch a live stream of the game–and watch March Madness in general–online for free.

Is There a Free Michigan State vs UNC Live Stream?

YouTube TV on Roku.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

As we just mentioned, there are a whole lot of different ways you can watch this game for free. Which option you choose will ultimately come down to what all you’re looking to get from your streaming service.

With YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream, which both include CBS (live in most markets), TNT, TBS and truTV, you’ll be able to watch every tournament game for as long as you keep the service. Both offer a free five-day trial, meaning if you stagger them correctly, you can watch all of this weekend’s Round of 32 games, and then all of next week’s Sweet 16 and Elite 8 contests.

If you just want to watch UNC vs Michigan State, or you just want to watch the CBS games, Paramount+ is your best option there. The “with SHOWTIME” option, which will get you a live stream of your local CBS channel, comes with a seven-day free trial before moving to just $12 per month.

And if you’ve already used up your free trial, you can also get Paramount+ through Amazon Prime Channels (it’s the same thing, only you’ll watch on Amazon’s app/website instead), which offers a separate seven-day trial.

Fubo‘s “Pro” channel package is another way you can get CBS for free. It doesn’t have TBS, TNT or truTV, so you won’t be able to watch any of those games, but it’s nevertheless another option with a free trial (seven days) that will work for this particular game.

Finally, you can head over to the March Madness Live app or website. Every single game of the tournament is available on these platforms, and you’ll be able to watch unrestricted for three hours before needing to sign in to a cable provider for access.

Buy at YouTube TV Buy at DirectV Buy at Paramount Plus Buy at fuboTV

How to Watch the Michigan State vs UNC Live Stream from Abroad

NordVPN app listing on Apple TV.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

No matter which of those streaming services you have or want to use, you’ll need a virtual private network (VPN) to access them from abroad. If that’s the case, NordVPN will be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s reliable, it doesn’t limit your bandwidth speeds and it’s compatible with all of the aforementioned services.

We’ve also put together lists of the best VPN services and best VPN deals if you want to peruse those for some alternative options.

Buy at NordVPN