March Madness has arrived. The men’s NCAA Tournament concludes with the top four teams, and it’s time for the first round. Today we have Duke vs. Siena, NC State vs. Virginia Commonwealth, Michigan State vs. North Dakota State, and more.
Like last year, the two March Madness tournaments (men’s and women’s) are spread across multiple channels, so if you’re looking for how to watch March Madness, Yahoo Sports has you covered. Here’s everything you need to know to watch this week’s live broadcast of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, from first-round games all the way to the championship.
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How to watch Men’s March Madness 2026
date: March 17 to April 6, 2026
TV channel: CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV
Streaming media: Paramount+, DirecTV and more
Men’s NCAA Tournament First Round Schedule:
Here’s a breakdown of the schedule for each first-round game, including who will be competing and how to watch.
All times Eastern
Thursday, March 19
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12:15pm: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (CBS)
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12:40pm: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy (TruTV)
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1:30 pm: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (TNT)
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1:50 pm: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point (TBS)
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2:50pm: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena (CBS)
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3:15pm: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
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4:05 pm: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (TNT)
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4:25pm: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii (TBS)
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6:50 pm: No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU (TNT)
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7:10pm: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC or Howard (CBS)
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7:25pm: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas or North Carolina (TBS)
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7:35pm: No. 7 Saint Mary’s University vs. No. 10 Texas A&M University (TruTV)
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9:25pm: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn State (TNT)
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9:45pm: No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 St. Louis (CBS)
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10pm: No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (TBS)
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10:10pm: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho (TruTV)
Friday, March 20
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12:15pm: No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara (CBS)
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12:40pm: No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron (TruTV)
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1:35pm: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Liu (TNT)
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1:50 pm: No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State (TBS)
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2:50 pm: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State (CBS)
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3:15pm: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra (TruTV)
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4:10 pm: No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State University (TNT)
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4:25pm: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio State) or SMU (TBS)
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6:50 pm: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa (TNT)
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7:10pm: No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa (CBS)
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7:25pm: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF (TBS)
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7:35pm: No. 2 Purdue University vs. No. 15 Queen’s University (TruTV)
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9:25pm: No. 16 Prairie View A&M or Lehigh vs. No. 1 Florida State (TNT)
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9:45pm: No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 California Baptist (CBS)
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10pm: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman (TBS)
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10:10pm: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 10 Missouri (TruTV)
What channel will March Madness air on in 2026?
Men’s NCAA tournament games will be televised on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. The women’s NCAA tournament will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNNews and ABC.
No cable? Don’t worry. You can easily watch the men’s game by subscribing to Paramount+ Premium and HBO Max Standard or a live TV streaming service like DirecTV, Fubo or Sling. The women’s game can be watched with 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 TV:
DirecTV currently offers its Choice plans (normally $115+/month (including fees)) for just $80 (plus fees) for the first month ($105/month for the next two months).
DirecTV’s Choice tier gives you access to a host of sports channels, including ESPN, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network and a host of local regional sports networks. In addition, you can watch programs from ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox.
No matter which plan you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.
The best part is, you can currently try all of them for free for 5 days. If you’re interested in trying a live TV streaming service when March Madness starts but aren’t quite ready to commit yet, we recommend starting with DirecTV.
Paramount+ offers subscribers access to a ton of sports, including some March Madness games, NFL, football, and more. Plus, you can watch great shows like survivor, challenge and others.
There are two Paramount+ levels to choose from: the ad-supported Essential plan or the ad-free Premium plan, which also gives you ad-free streaming of on-demand content, live access to local CBS stations, and full streaming access to Showtime.
You need the Paramount+ Premium tier to watch March Madness games. Luckily, Paramount+ is running a deal right now: it’s just $2.99 per month for the first two months on any plan of your choice. That means you can watch March Madness games live on CBS throughout the tournament for just $6.
When does March Madness start?
The men’s NCAA tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17 with the Final Four games. The women’s competition begins on Wednesday, March 18.
When does March Madness end?
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament will begin with the championship game on Monday, April 6, 2026.
Key dates for the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship:
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Sunday Selection: Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET on CBS
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Top 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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Top Four: Saturday, April 4, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
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NCAA Championship Game: Monday, April 6, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
