There is no rite of spring quite as satisfying as watching March Madness, no matter how aggressively human resources departments may claim otherwise.
The big dance begins March 19, with the top four playing in Phoenix, Arizona until the NCAA Championship on April 8. It’s a time of office pools, broken brackets and Cinderella stories. It’s also a time when lunches tend to last longer and are often scheduled at sports bars for the next few weeks (hence the HR complaints).
The NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. And if you don’t have a TV in your home office (or, if you’re back at work and want to secretly play games without the boss knowing), you have plenty of options.
Here’s when and where the games will air and how to watch them for free, without a cable subscription.
When and where does March Madness air?
The 2024 NCAA Tournament will be played in several segments. Here’s when and where you can watch the games this year.
The first four
March 19-20 – Stakes games pit the four lowest-seeded automatic bids against the four lowest-seeded at-large bids and are split across two nights. They will air on TruTV this year.
Tuesday 19 March
Wagner vs. Howard, 6:40pm ET on TruTV
Colorado State vs. Virginia, 9:10pm ET on TruTv
Wednesday 20 March
Grambling vs. Montana State, 6:40 PM ET on TruTV
Colorado vs. Boise State, 9:10pm ET on TruTv
First round/round of 32
March 21-22 – The first set of games for the 2024 NCAA Tournament will begin airing at 12:15 pm ET on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV (and various streaming networks, see below).
Thursday 21 March
Mississippi State vs. Michigan State, 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS
BYU vs. Duquesne, 12:40 p.m. ET on TruTV
Creighton vs. Akron, 1:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Arizona vs. Long Beach State, 2pm ET on TBS
North Carolina vs. (Howard/Wagner game winner), 2:45 pm ET on CBS
Illinois vs. Morehead State, 3:10 p.m. ET on TruTV
South Carolina vs. Oregon, 4pm ET on TNT
Dayton vs. Nevada, 4:30 PM ET on TBS
Texas vs. (Colorado State/Virginia game winner), 6:50pm ET on TNT
Kentucky vs. Oakland, 7.10pm on CBS
Gonzaga vs. McNeese, 7:25 pm ET on TBS
Iowa State vs. South Dakota State, 7:35pm ET on TruTV
Tennessee vs. Saint Peters, 9:20pm ET on TNT
Texas Tech vs. NC State, 9:40 pm ET on CBS
Kansas vs. Samford, 9:55pm ET on TBS
Washington State vs. Drake, 10:05 pm ET on TruTV
Friday 22 March
Florida Atlantic vs. Northwestern, 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS
Baylor vs. Colgate, 12:40 p.m. ET on TruTV
San Diego State vs. UAB, 1:45 p.m. ET on TNT
Marquette vs. Western Kentucky, 2pm ET on TBS
UConn vs. Stetson, 2:45 pm ET on CBS
Clemson vs. New Mexico, 3:10pm ET on TruTV
Auburn vs. Yale, 4:15pm on TNT
Florida vs. (Colorado/Boise State game winner), 4:30pm ET on TBS
Nebraska vs. Texas A&M, 6:50 PM ET on TNT
Duke vs. Vermont, 7:10 pm on CBS
Purdue vs. (Grambling/Montana State game winner), 7:25pm ET on TBS
Alabama vs. College of Charleston, 7:35pm ET on TruTV
Houston-Longwood, 9.20pm on TNT
Wisconsin vs. James Madison, 9:40 pm ET on CBS
Utah State vs. TCU, 9:55pm ET on TBS
Saint Mary’s vs. Grand Canyon, 10:05 pm ET on TruTV
Second round/round of 32
March 23-24 – The second set of games in this year’s tournament will also air on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV and will begin at 12:10 pm ET.
Sweet 16
March 28-29 – The semifinals begin airing Thursday, March 28 on CBS and TBS.
Elite 8
March 30-31 – Little rest for the winners of the Sweet 16. The regional championships will begin on Saturday, March 30
Final Four
April 6 – The penultimate games will air on CBS.
NCAA championship game
April 8 – The champion will be decided Monday at 9:20pm ET on CBS.
How can I watch March Madness games for free?
The best way to watch any type of network programming for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. You won’t be able to watch the entire NCAA tournament over the air, but CBS is hosting the Final Four and this year’s NCAA championship game, meaning you’ll be able to catch the final act. (Other games will air on TBS, TNT and truTV.) To ensure you’re getting the most reliable signal for CBS-broadcast games, we recommend testing your antenna in multiple locations in your home.
Can I watch March Madness online?
Decidedly. There are tons of online options for watching the 2024 NCAA Tournament games, some completely free and others with free trial periods. If you’re not near a TV, you can access TBS.com, TNTdrama.com, and truTV.com (or the TBS, TNT, or truTV apps). However, you will need to log in with your cable or satellite provider’s username and password. And both CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery will stream the games on their respective streaming services.
Fundamental+
CBS’ streaming service will give you access to games airing on that network. You can get a one-week free trial, followed by a monthly charge of $6 or $12. All March Madness games airing on CBS will stream simultaneously with Paramount+ with a Showtime-level subscription.
Maximum
The former HBO-Max added live ports programming last year, and March Madness is one of its crown jewels. You’ll be able to stream select games for free (for now…eventually, live sports will come with an additional $10 monthly fee). Subscriptions start at $10 per month.
Disney+
Disney’s bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you’ll have to pay $15 a month for all three combined (or $25 a month for no ads on Hulu).
Including live TV in the package bumps the price to $77 per month ($90 without ads).
Hulu with live TV
The free trial of this service is also no longer offered. It will now cost you $77 per month.
YouTube TV
After a trial period of up to two weeks, you can expect monthly charges of $73. YouTube is now also home to Sunday Ticket. Prices for that service currently range from $300 to $439 for the season, with current discounts.
Shoulder television
Dish Network’s lower-tier Sling “Orange” plan will cost you $40 per month. Adding the more comprehensive “Blue” plan increases the cost to $55 per month. The seven-day free trial is gone, but the cord-cutting service is offering a 50% discount on your first month’s bill.
Stream DirecTV
Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow, and AT&T TV, this oft-rebranded streaming service will cost you $75 a month and up after the free trial option.
FuboTV
This sports-focused cord-cutting service carries broadcast networks in most markets. A seven-day free trial is available, followed by monthly charges of $75 and up, depending on the channels you choose.
Does the NCAA offer any services to allow me to watch the game I want?
It does. March Madness Live will stream all games on the NCAA website, as well as on Apple, Android, Amazon and Roku devices. You will need to log in with your TV provider username and password.
Can I watch March Madness games on Amazon?
No. NCAA tournament games are not streamed on Amazon.
Which team is favored to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament?
The UConn Huskies, who won last year’s tournament, are the favorites to win again in 2024. Houston, Purdue, Arizona and North Carolina are also in the running, according to Bet MGM.
Huskies UConn – +400
Houston Cougars – +600
Purdue Boilermakers – +650
Arizona Bobcats – +1100
North Carolina Tar Heels – +1300