How to Watch March Madness Without Cable

It’s that time of year again. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is about to return.

This tournament is unlike many events in sports. Over the span of several weeks, you get to watch 67 action-packed games.

Thankfully, you don’t need a pricey contract to catch all the action. You can watch March Madness without cable, and our guide shares the best ways to see every game.

What Channel is March Madness 2022 On?

You might think the tournament is on ESPN. That is not the case.

The tournament is jointly carried by the following four channels:

• CBS
• TBS
• TNT
• TruTV

While many no-contract providers let you get ESPN, that’s not the case with the above channels. For example, fuboTV is a top provider for sports fans, but they don’t currently carry Turner networks.

Fortunately, there are several subscription streaming services that carry Turner channels, allowing you to watch the men’s tournament.

Best Streaming Services to Watch March Madness Without Cable

A hefty cable bill is not necessary to get popular sports channels. Here are the top services that cord-cutters can use to stream March Madness without cable and avoid missing any of the games.

Each service works with numerous compatible devices. All the device needs is a screen so that you can watch games.

1. Sling TV

Sling TV is the most affordable live TV streaming service to get the men’s NCAA tournament. The provider has two base packages, including Orange and Blue.

Both cost $35 a month and offer 30 and 45 live TV channels, respectively. The main difference is that Orange carries ESPN, and Blue carries Fox Sports 1 (FS1).

If you want to watch the tournament, select the Blue package. This subscription includes all of the Turner networks you need.

The one drawback to Sling is that it doesn’t include CBS in its list of channels. It carries FOX and NBC in select markets, but not CBS.

You can rectify this shortcoming with an over-the-air antenna, like the Mohu Leaf or a subscription to Paramount+. The latter is reviewed later in this post.

Aside from the minor inconvenience of not having CBS, Sling is a terrific option to watch the tournament. You get three simultaneous screens, a base 50-hour cloud DVR, and a three-day free trial.

If you like an à la carte approach to channel packages, Sling is best for you. Simply use its service optimizer tool to enter the channels you want, and it’ll direct you to which add-on packages you need.

Read our review of the streaming service to learn more.

2. DIRECTV STREAM

If streaming live sports is important to you, DIRECTV STREAM is a good choice. Not only does it carry CBS and all of the Turner networks, but it’s also the only service that carries most of the regional sports networks (RSNs).

DIRECTV STREAM has four channel packages ranging from $69.99 to $149.99 per month.

The base package, Entertainment, has 65+ available channels. This package is sufficient to watch March Madness as it has the four necessary networks.

Only select higher-tier plans if you need premium channels.

DIRECTV STREAM boasts 20 simultaneous streams and a newly added unlimited cloud DVR. The service recently added a five-day free trial to test it out.

Read our review of DIRECTV STREAM here to learn more.

3. Hulu Live

Hulu Live is another excellent choice to get March Madness without a cable provider. The no-contract service carries CBS in addition to the three Turner networks.

This platform matches DIRECTV STREAM in terms of price, charging $69.99 per month. Their recent rate hike folded in Disney+ and ESPN+ into a Hulu Live plan, along with its 80+ live networks.

All of the content on ESPN+ makes Hulu Live an even better choice to watch sports without cable.

Hulu Live recently added an unlimited DVR. It used to only include a 50 hour DVR and didn’t allow you to fast-forward through commercials.

The new upgrade allows users to record as much as they want and skip commercials.

You also only receive two simultaneous streams, and the service doesn’t offer a free trial.

Read our review of Hulu with Live TV here to learn more.

4. YouTube TV

YouTube TV is one of the best live TV streaming services to watch March Madness without cable. The streaming giant offers all of the channels you need to watch the tournament.

Overall, a YouTube TV subscription offers access to nearly 90 popular networks.

The cable alternative costs $64.99 a month, and you can have up to six accounts per household. It also offers 4K streaming for an additional $9.99 per month.

*Related: Are you a basketball fan but want to ditch your expensive contract? Read our guide on ways to watch NBA games without cable here to learn how to net big savings.

YouTube TV has an unlimited DVR. Unlike Hulu Live, the DVR lets you fast-forward through commercials on all recordings. You can also rewind and fast-forward through recordings that are still airing.

The service even offers three simultaneous streams. Better yet, it offers a seven-day free trial.

Read our review of YouTube TV here to learn more.

5. Paramount+

Paramount+ is a perfect complement to Sling TV if you want to watch March Madness. The Paramount platform is a video streaming service that carries on-demand and original content from ViacomCBS channels.

While it does not provide access to Turner networks, it does give you four local CBS stations when you choose its premium plan.

Here are the available plans for Paramount+:

If you pair the premium plan with Sling TV, you only need to pay $45 to watch the entirety of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament.

That’s $20 cheaper than any other choice.

This is one of the more easy-to-use platforms. Like the other streaming services, all you need is a high-speed internet connection to watch content.

Paramount+ offers three simultaneous streams and a seven-day free trial.

Read our review of the Paramount streaming service here to learn more.

When is March Madness 2022?

The NCAA men’s tournament starts on Sunday, March 13, with Selection Sunday, at 6:00 p.m. EST.

Here is the entire schedule:

• Selection Sunday – March 13
• First Four – March 15, starting at 4:00 p.m. EST
• 1^st/2^nd Rounds – Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18, starting at 12:00 p.m. EST
• Sweet 16 – Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25, starting at 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. EST respectively
• Elite Eight – Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27, starting at 12:00 p.m. EST
• Final Four – Saturday, April 2, starting at 5:00 p.m. EST
• National Championship – Monday, April 4, starting at 9:00 p.m. EST

As you can see, it’s nearly three weeks of college basketball at its best.

2022 March Madness TV Channel Schedule

The channel schedule for the men’s tournament is simple to follow.

Here is the channel breakdown for the 2022 games:

• Selection Sunday – CBS
• First Four – truTV, TBS
• First and Second rounds – CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV
• Regional Semifinals and Finals – CBS and TBS
• Final Four and National Championship – TBS

In previous years you could watch the Final Four and National Championship on CBS via an over-the-air antenna. This year you will need a streaming provider that offers TBS to get the games.

How Can I Watch the NCAA Tournament for Free?

It is not possible to watch March Madness online for free. The NCAA offers a live stream from its website, but you need a cable login to access games.

You will need to choose one of the applicable cable alternatives to watch the three weeks of action. Your best bet is to choose a service that offers a free trial to see if you like it before committing to a provider.

Does CBS Stream March Madness?

You can stream the tournament on CBS. It’s possible to do this through either the CBS website or the CBS app.

However, you will need a login from a cable or satellite provider to watch games. If you have a login, you can watch games on your computer or a streaming media player if you have a smart TV.

Can I Watch March Madness on Prime Video?

It is not possible to stream the NCAA men’s tournament on Amazon Prime Video. The platform does not carry the Turner networks or your local CBS station.

While you can access Paramount+ through Prime, it would only get you games on that platform if you subscribe to the premium plan.

Bottom Line

You don’t need an expensive contract to watch March Madness. All of the streaming services mentioned let you watch everything from the selection show to the national championship.

All you need is a streaming device and the ability to stream. Switching to a no-contract service can help you pocket $100 in monthly savings and not sacrifice live sports. That’s nothing but net, baby.

 

What’s one channel that’s keeping you from cutting the cord?