How to watch every NCAA March Madness 2023 game this weekend — via streaming or cable
March Madness is going strong. The men's tournament second-round games are taking place this weekend, starting at 12:10pm ET on Saturday, and the women's first-round continues with games beginning at 11:30am ET. But do you know how you're watching the tournament yet? There are many ways to do so, and we've got all the details here— for those with cable and cord cutters alike. So read on: Here's everything you need to know on how to watch all of March Madness, from this weekend's game schedule to all the channels and streaming services that are airing the tournament.
Who is playing in NCAA March Madness 2023?
A total of 68 Division I college teams will be playing in the tournament. You can check out the men’s brackets here and the women’s brackets here.
How do I watch NCAA March Madness 2023?
The men’s games will air on CBS, TBS, TNT or truTV. The women’s games will air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews and ESPNU.
Can I stream March Madness on the NCAA website?
Yes, you can stream all tournaments on NCAA’s March Madness Live site and app. But if you don’t have a TV provider (either through cable or a streaming provider) you will only get a three-hour preview.
What March Madness NCAA men's tournament games are playing this weekend?
Saturday, March 18 (Round of 32. All times Eastern)
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 13 Furman | 12:10 p.m. | CBS
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 10 Penn State | 7:45 p.m. | CBS
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 7 Northwestern | 8:40 p.m. | TNT
Sunday, March 19 (Round of 32. All times Eastern)
No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 11 Pitt | 12:10 p.m. | CBS
No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 6 Kentucky | 2:40 p.m. | CBS
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 7 Michigan State | 5:15 p.m. | CBS
No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 Saint Mary's | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 6 Creighton | 7:10 p.m. | TBS
No. 9 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 16 FDU | 7:45 p.m. | truTV
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5 Miami (Fla.) | 8:40 p.m. | TNT
No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 6 TCU | 9:40 p.m. | TBS
What March Madness NCAA women's tournament games are playing this weekend?
Saturday, March 18 — First round
No. 16 Tennessee Tech vs. No. 1 Indiana | 11:30 a.m. | ESPN2
No. 13 Saint Louis vs. No. 4 Tennessee | 1 p.m. | ABC
No. 14 James Madison vs. No. 3 Ohio State | 1:30 p.m. |ESPN2
No. 9 Miami vs. No. 8 Oklahoma State | 2 p.m. | ESPN
No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 5 Washington State | 2:30 p.m. | ESPNU
No. 15 Vermont vs. No. 2 UConn | 3 p.m.| ABC
No. 12 Toledo vs. No. 5 Iowa State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 11 St. John's vs. No. 6 North Carolina | 4 p.m. | ESPN
No. 13 Cleveland State vs. No. 4 Villanova | 5 p.m. | ESPNU
No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 7 Baylor | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 11 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 6 Colorado | 7 p.m. |ESPNEWS
No. 12 Drake vs. No. 5 Louisville | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 12 Portland vs. No. 5 Oklahoma | 9 p.m. | ESPNU
No. 14 Iona vs. No. 3 Duke | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 13 East Carolina vs. No. 4 Texas | 10 p.m. | ESPN
No. 13 Sacramento State vs. No. 4 UCLA | 11:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Sunday, March 19 — Second round
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 8 South Florida | 1 p.m. | ABC
No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 10 Georgia | 3 p.m. | ABC
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Mississippi State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 1 Virginia Tech vs. No. 9 South Dakota State | 5 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 7 Arizona | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 2 Utah vs. No. 10 Princeton | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 6 Michigan | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
How do I watch March Madness if I don’t have cable?
To watch the games that air on CBS or ABC, you can use an antenna to watch them over-the-air via your local CBS or ABC affiliate. If you don’t feel like doing that, or if you want to watch all the other games too, you’ll want to subscribe to a streaming TV provider. Here are a few suggestions.
Watch March Madness on Sling TV
A particularly cost-effective way to watch March Madness is via a Sling TV subscription. You’ll need Sling TV’s Orange and Blue plan, which gives you access to TBS, TNT, truTV and ESPN. However, you won’t get access to CBS, so you’ll need to find another way to catch those games. It’s typically $60 a month but if you sign up now, you can pay just $30 for the first month.
Watch March Madness on Hulu plus Live TV
If you want access to all March Madness games regardless of where they air, then a subscription to Hulu plus Live TV is a good choice. It offers TBS, TNT, truTV, all the ESPN channels, as well as your local CBS and ABC affiliates. It costs $70 a month but that includes access to both Disney+ and ESPN+, which makes it more of a deal. Unfortunately, Hulu plus Live TV no longer offers free trials.
Watch March Madness on YouTube TV
Another excellent choice is YouTube TV, which starts at $65 a month. It also offers access to all of the March Madness channels. Plus, there’s a seven-day free trial for new subscribers so you can try it out to see if you like it before you pay. You can cancel at any time.
Watch March Madness on DirecTV Stream
Another option is DirecTV Stream, which offers all of the above channels. It starts at $75 a month, but if you want to get ESPNU and ESPNews, you’ll have to upgrade to the $100 a month package. Fortunately, there’s a five-day free trial for new subscribers if you want to try before you buy.
Watch March Madness on FuboTV
While fuboTV is usually recommended for streaming sports, it’s not the best choice for watching March Madness, as it doesn’t offer TBS, TNT or truTV. Its Pro plan, which starts at $75 a month, does offer CBS and ESPN but that’s about it. If you want to watch ESPNews and ESPNU, that will cost $10 extra, bringing it up to $85 a month.
Watch March Madness on Paramount+
If you’re primarily interested in the NCAA men’s tournament and you don’t care about watching all the games, then a Paramount+ subscription might be worth considering. Only the CBS games will be available on this service. That said, it’s a lot more affordable than the other options. An ad-supported tier starts at $5 per month while an ad-free Premium tier is priced at $10 per month. It also has a seven-day free trial period for new subscribers.
Men’s NCAA 2023 Tournament schedule:
First Four: March 14-15, 6:40 p.m. ET, on truTV
First Round: March 16-17 at 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV
Second Round: March 18-19 at 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV
Sweet 16: March 23-24 at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS and TBS
Elite Eight: March 25 at 6:09 p.m. ET and March 26 at 2:20 p.m. ET on CBS and TBS
Final Four: April 1 at 6:09 p.m. ET on CBS
NCAA Championship Game: April 3 at 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS
Women’s NCAA 2023 Tournament schedule:
First Four: March 15-16, 6:40 p.m. ET on ESPNU and ESPN2
First Round: March 17-18
Second Round: March 19-20
Sweet 16: March 24-25 on ESPN
Elite Eight: March 26-27 on ESPN
Final Four: March 31 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
NCAA Championship Game: April 2 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC
