It’s March, and you know what that means: spring is almost here, St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and the March Madness schedule has arrived! You can watch every single NCAA men’s basketball game in March for under $35. We’ve got all the dribbling-passing-dunking details below!
In a hurry? Sign up for both Sling Blue ($40.00/mo) and Paramount+ with SHOWCASE ($11.99) to catch all the NCAA Division I tournament schedule on the cheap. Right now, get your first month of Sling TV for 50%!
Table Of Contents
The conference tournaments are already in full swing. The teams that win their respective conference are automatically in the national tournament – 32 teams will find their bracket spaces that way. The other 36 will be selected, seeded, and bracketed by the NCAA from the best of the remaining teams.
Because the men’s college basketball tournament is single-elimination – meaning you lose a game and you’re out – the initial 68 teams who start the competition will be quickly whittled down to 32 and then just 16.
But the best upsets often come right at the beginning, such as last year’s defeat of #1 seed Purdue by #16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson on the second day – only the second time in history a 16-seed has ever bested a 1-seed. And for only the third time in history, a 15-seed (this time Princeton) beat a 2-seed (Arizona). Princeton went on to reach the Sweet Sixteen, before finally being stopped by Creighton.
The NCAA schedules the men’s basketball tournament games far in advance, so even though we don’t know who will be playing, we know where and when each game will take place. All of them will be televised on a combination of TBS, TNT, truTV, and CBS. Look for the complete schedule further down.
How to Stream March Madness on Sling TV
Sling TV‘s strength is in its customization options. Instead of getting a hundred channels for around $80/mo, you get 30-50 channels for $40.00/mo, with the option to add more. You like ESPN? Go for the Sling Orange plan. You prefer Bravo and FX? Get Sling Blue. Want all of them? Get Orange + Blue for $55.00/mo.
You have kids? Pick up the Kids Extra ($6/mo). You like having lots of news options? Then the News Extra is for you ($6/mo). More sports? Go for the Sports Extra ($11/mo). And we haven’t even talked about the a la carte services like NBA TV, Showtime, and Discovery+.
Which brings us back to March Madness. Sling TV lets you watch the NCAA tournament without even needing to mess with any of the Extras (unless you want to), as the Turner networks are all included in Sling Blue.
If you really want ESPN – maybe you want to watch the Women’s March Madness too? – you can either opt for the Orange + Blue plan mentioned above for $55.00/mo or you can get Sling Orange (which still has TBS and TNT) with the $6/mo Entertainment Extra (to get truTV).
So what about CBS?
What About CBS? Options for Sling TV Subscribers
The subscription prices for some of the bigger TV streaming services are often higher due to the inclusion of local stations. One of the ways Sling TV keeps its price low is by limiting these locals – NBC, Fox, and ABC are included with Sling Blue in select media markets, but (unless you live in a major city) you probably aren’t covered. And CBS and CBS Sports aren’t covered at all.
Slingers have two main alternatives: add Paramount+ or get an antenna.
Sling TV + HD Antenna
Sling TV likes antennas so much they have several deals for antenna and antenna-related products for new users. You can find them all on our Sling TV Local Channels page, but the simplest one is to prepay two months of your Sling plan and receive an antenna for free. It’s that simple.
Indoor HD antennas provide a picture with just as much clarity as cable or streaming – even better, in some cases. You’ll pick up not just CBS but ABC, NBC, Fox, and (depending on where you live) the CW, Univision, PBS, Telemundo, and more. Best of all, every one of these stations is free with an antenna – no subscription is necessary.
Sling TV + Paramount+ Premium
If you can’t or don’t want to use an antenna, your other option is Paramount+ (deal). Paramount+ is CBS’s parent company’s streaming service. It has two plans: Paramount+ Essential and Paramount+ with SHOWCASE. For most live sports, you’ll want Paramount+ with SHOWCASE for $11.99/mo (or $119.99/year, which makes it just $10/mo). This provides access to a live feed of your local CBS station and all its included sports – including March Madness.
The SHOWCASE plan is also commercial-free and includes SHOWTIME content as well as all of Paramount+’s original programming. It also lets you download shows to your mobile devices so you can watch on the go.
We’ve got lots more info in our full Paramount+ review. But honestly, it’s a pretty good deal.
Why You Should Go With Sling for March Madness
So why should you go through the hassle of setting up an antenna or signing up for yet another streaming service when you could just get a provider that includes all four channels? Two words: cash money.
Let’s do the math. Sling TV‘s Blue Plan is at most $40.00/mo (this is $5/mo more if you’re within a market that can receive ABC). Right now they’re running a deal for half-off your first month, making it just 50% for your first 30 days. Paired with a monthly subscription to Paramount+ with SHOWCASE, you’re looking at a total of $31.99 to watch every matchup through to the Championship on April 8. And just $51.99/mo thereafter (cheaper, if you opt to pay for Paramount+ annually).
Or, if you prefer Sling Orange, that would be just $37.99 for all of March Madness and $57.99/mo after.
The next least expensive service that carries the Turner networks is YouTube TV, which is $72.99/mo. And it just goes up from there.
Only you can decide which service is right for you. But if you’re looking for a way to watch for less, you should seriously consider Sling TV. Read our full Sling TV review for more.
What Are the Dates for March Madness 2024?
March Madness 2024 starts March 17 with Selection Sunday on CBS, and it continues until April 8 with the National Championship Game on TBS.
- Sunday, March 17: Selection Sunday (, CBS)
- Tuesday, March 19: First Four ( and , TruTV)
- Wednesday, March 20: First Four ( and , TruTV)
- Thursday, March 21: First Round (Group 1 – 16 games on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV)
- Friday, March 22: First Round (Group 2 – 16 games on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV)
- Saturday, March 23: Second Round (Group 1 – 8 games on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV)
- Sunday, March 24: Second Round (Group 2 – 8 games on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV)
- Thursday, March 28: Sweet 16 (Group 1 – 4 games on CBS and TBS)
- Friday, March 29: Sweet 16 (Group 2 – 4 games on CBS and TBS)
- Saturday, March 30: Elite Eight (Group 1 – 2 games on CBS and TBS)
- Sunday, March 31: Elite Eight (Group 2 – 2 games on CBS and TBS)
- Saturday, April 6: Final Four ( and on TBS)
- Monday, April 8: National Championship Game ( on TBS).
The First Four will be played at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
The first and second rounds will be played at eight different venues around the country:
March 21 & 23
- Spectrum Center, Charlotte
- CHI Health Center, Omaha
- PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
- Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City
March 22 & 24
- Barclays Center, Brooklyn
- Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
- FedExForum, Memphis
- Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane
The regional semifinals (Sweet 16) and finals (Elite Eight) are divided by region:
- West Regionals: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- East Regional: TD Garden, Boston, MA
- Midwest Regional: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
- South Regional: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
We’ll know more after the 68 starting teams are revealed on Selection Sunday. Keep checking back to see how the schedule (and the March Madness brackets!) develop.
Wrapping Up
If you’re looking to shave a few bucks off your TV bill, but you still want to keep your options open to watch any and every game of the NCAA Tournament, then Sling TV is a great choice. Sign up today to get all of March Madness – even the matchups in April – for under $35!
Not enough Madness for you? Check out the Women’s National Championship on April 7!
FAQ
Who are the favorites to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament?
While the 2024 March Madness teams haven’t been announced yet (and won’t until Selection Sunday on March 17), the favorite to win is last year’s champion, the UConn Huskies. The odds then follow with the Houston Cougars, Purdue Boilermakers, and Tennessee Volunteers as the top four favorites.
Where is the NCAA Tournament in 2025?
The 2025 March Madness Championship will take place in San Antonio on April 5 and 7. Host cities have been named until 2030, and are as follows;
- 2024: Phoenix – State Farm Stadium (April 6 and 8)
- 2025: San Antonio – Alamodome (April 5 and 7)
- 2026: Indianapolis – Lucas Oil Stadium (April 4 and 6)
- 2027: Detroit – Ford Field (April 3 and 5)
- 2028: Las Vegas – Allegiant Stadium (April 1 and 3)
- 2029: Indianapolis – Lucas Oil Stadium (March 31 and April 2)
- 2030: North Texas – AT&T Stadium (April 6 and 8)
What do the NCAA basketball rankings look like going into the tournament?
The rankings are dominated, as usual, by the Power Five (see above) and the usual suspects. The men’s tournaments and seeds will be revealed on Selection Sunday, on March 17th.
As of the beginning of March, here are the top ten teams with their respective records:
- Houston Cougars (27-3)
- Connecticut Huskies (UConn) (27-3)
- Purdue Boilermakers (27-3)
- Tennessee Volunteers (24-6)
- Arizona Wildcats (24-6)
- Iowa State Cyclones (24-6)
- North Carolina Tar Heels (24-6)
- Marquette Golden Eagles (22-8)
- Duke Blue Devils (24-6)
- Creighton Bluejays (22-8)
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