The Best Way to Watch Every March Madness Game
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IT'S THAT TIME again: the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness, is about to begin, heralding three glorious weeks of nail-biting action as 68 college basketball teams duke it out in a series of single-elimination games to get to the National Championship—with millions of fans watching along on the edge of their seats, hoping that the teams they've chosen in their March Madness bracket will make it through to the next round so they can collect on that bet.
Houston led the Power 36 rankings, followed closely by UConn and Purdue, and when CBS announced the men's bracket on Selection Sunday on March 17, these three teams were the top-seeded, as many commentators predicted.
Some real surprises always wind up making it into the Sweet 16, which will then be whittled down into the Elite 8 by March 30 and the Final Four by April 6, before the championship game on April 8.
NEW AP POLL! 🚨
1. UConn
2. Houston
3. Purdue
4. Iowa State
5. North Carolina
6. Tennessee
7. Auburn
8. Marquette
9. Arizona
10. Illinois— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2024
In addition to the unpredictable, upset-laden nature of each round that makes the tournament so gripping, you could be forgiven for thinking that March Madness gets its name from how confusing, nigh-on-maddening it can be to try and figure out where to watch the live games, with coverage of different rounds fragmented and scattered across networks in various areas.
Here's a simple guide, to make sure you don't miss a moment.
What channel is March Madness on?
CBS is the home of March Madness on live TV, although earlier live games in the tournament will also be airing on various Turner/Viacom networks, including TBS, TruTV, and TNT.
The Women's Tournament, meanwhile, will air on ESPN.
How can I watch March Madness without cable?
If you don't have a cable subscription, you can still catch every March Madness game on streaming.
Hulu + Live TV is currently offering a package which includes TBS, TNT, TruTV and your local CBS affiliate, as well as bundles with ESPN+. Subscriptions to Sling TV and YouTube TV also include every channel airing March Madness—with the latter also giving you the option to watch multiple livestreams at the same time. Alternatively, a premium Paramount+ membership will grant you access to every single game in the tournament.
The NCAA will also be providing highlights, analysis and recaps for free over on their YouTube channel.
And if you happen to be near Las Vegas...
Obviously, the NCAA Tournament games are played live in various venues throughout the country—and if you so wish, you can get some tickets to see those in person.
But the best environment in the nation for watching major sporting events comes in Las Vegas, where the energy is high and the fandom and camaraderie—sometimes varying game by game—is even higher.
Our personal pick would be The Venetian Resort, which already has one of the best Sportsbooks in the country—recently completely redone and renovated—and also offers a special promotion called Brackets at the Stadium, where fans can head to a special venue to watch all the NCAA action on the 100+ TVs (and be treated to a special William Hill Sportsbook along with an open bar, if of interest, along the way).
If you think watching at home with buddies or locking down a couple stools at the local pub is fun, imagine watching in Vegas—with the energy pumped all the way up. You won't regret it.
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