March Madness is in full swing. The men’s NCAA tournament has reached the Elite 8. This Sunday, we’ve got No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 6 Tennessee and No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UConn.
Just like last year, the two March Madness tournaments (men’s and women’s) are spread across a range of channels, so if you’re looking for how to watch March Madness, Yahoo Sports has you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about watching the men’s NCAA basketball tournament live this weekend, from the first-round games all the way to the championship.
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How to watch men’s March Madness 2026
Dates: March 17 – April 6
TV channels: CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV
Streaming: Paramount+, DirecTV and more
Men’s NCAA tournament Elite 8 schedule:
All times Eastern
Sunday, March 29
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No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 6 Tennessee: 2:15 p.m. (CBS)
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No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UConn: 5:05 p.m. (CBS)
What channel is March Madness on in 2026?
Games in the men’s NCAA tournament will air across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. The women’s NCAA tournament will air across the ESPN suite — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC.
Don’t have cable? Don’t worry. You can stream the men’s games easily with a subscription to Paramount+ Premium and HBO Max Standard, or a live-TV streaming service like DirecTV, Fubo or Sling. The women’s games will be accessible via an ESPN Unlimited subscription (or any live-TV streaming service that includes the ESPN suite).
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How to watch March Madness games live without cable
DirecTV is currently offering its Choice tier (typically $115+/month with fees) for just $80 (after fees) for the first month ($105/month for the following two months).
DirecTV’s Choice tier gives you access to tons of sports channels, including ESPN, the ACC Network, the Big Ten Network, the SEC Network and plenty of local regional sports networks. Plus, you’ll get access to ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox.
Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.
The best part is that you can currently try all this out for free for five days. If you’re interested in trying a live-TV streaming service for the start of March Madness but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.
Paramount+ offers subscribers access to loads of sports, including some March Madness games, the NFL, soccer and more. Plus, you get access to great shows like Survivor, The Challenge and others.
There are two Paramount+ tiers to choose from: the ad-supported Essential plan or its ad-free Premium plan, which also gives you ad-free streaming of on-demand content, live access to your local CBS station and full streaming access to Showtime.
You’ll need the Paramount+ Premium tier to watch March Madness games. Luckily, right now, Paramount+ is running a deal: Get any plan of your choosing for $2.99/month for the first two months. That means you can catch live March Madness games on CBS throughout the tournament for just $6.
When does March Madness end?
The men’s NCAA basketball tournament concludes with the championship game on Monday, April 6, 2026.
2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament key dates
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Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15 on CBS
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First Four: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18
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First round: Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20
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Second round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
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Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27
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Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29
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Final Four: Saturday, April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
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NCAA championship game: Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
