March Madness 2026: How to watch the first round without cable

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The men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments are coming to a close, here’s where you can watch the finals.

Liz Kocan has spent the last 20 years covering television, entertainment and working behind the scenes in digital production. On VH1.com, she won a Webby Award and was nominated for a Shorty Award as a producer. She has also contributed writing to USA Today, Decider, Vulture, and numerous other publications, and has seen every episode of 30 Rock more times than her mind can remember.

When to watch the 2026 NCAA Championship final

• Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET (women)
• Monday 6 at 8:50 p.m. ET (men)

Where to watch

• The NCAA men’s championship game will be broadcast on TNT, TBS and truTV and streamed on HBO Max.
• The NCAA women’s championship game will be broadcast on ABC and streamed on ESPN Unlimited.

It all comes down to this at the NCAA basketball tournament: the men’s and women’s championship finals take place here. Although we cannot predict the winner, we do know that in both tournaments there will be no repeat champion. In the men’s tournament, last year’s winners, the Florida Gators, were eliminated from the competition early, meaning they will not win a second straight title this year. Instead, it will be a battle between No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 UConn on Monday night. In the women’s tournament, defending champion UConn fell to the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks in the Final Four; South Carolina will face No. 1 UCLA in the tournament final on Sunday, April 5.

The men’s championship game will air Monday at 8:50 p.m. ET on TNT, TBS and truTV. It will stream on HBO Max. The women’s final match is Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET, broadcast on ABC and broadcast on ESPN Unlimited.

Here’s a list of every team playing, how to watch the Final Four, and everything you need to know.

When does March Madness 2026 take place?

March Madness started on March 17. The women’s championship final is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The men’s championship game will take place on Monday, April 6 at 8:50 p.m. ET.

Watch the March Madness finals without cable

The women’s championship game is broadcast on ABC and streamed on ESPN Unlimited. The men’s final will be simulcast on TNT, TBS and truTV and streamed on HBO Max.

ESPN Unlimited is ESPN’s full-featured, standalone streaming service. For $30 a month, you can watch every women’s March Madness game in one place. Read our review of ESPN Unlimited.

With HBO Max, you can stream 46 games from the March Madness men’s tournament, including the Final Four and Championship Finals. And with HBO Max’s multi-view experience, you can stream up to three games simultaneously. Live sports are only available on HBO Max’s Standard ($18.50 per month) and Premium ($23 per month) plans.

You’ll be able to watch select matches from the first round to the Elite Eight live on CBS, which streams on Paramount Plus Premium and costs $14 per month.

Watch March Madness with a live TV streaming service

Don’t want to subscribe to multiple streaming services to watch March Madness? It’s understandable. There are a few live TV streaming services where you can watch most or all of the men’s and women’s tournaments in one place. Each of them offers a free trial.

Men’s games will be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV, and women’s games will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews. With a subscription to DirecTV, Hulu Plus Live TV or YouTube TV, you can watch all the channels that broadcast the men’s and women’s tournaments.

Note that Fubo offers major sporting events and even includes access to ESPN Unlimited. It doesn’t broadcast TBS, TNT, or TruTV, making it a less ideal option for watching the men’s final.

YouTube TV costs $83 per month and includes CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV for the men’s tournament as well as the ESPN suite of channels for the women’s tournament. Right now, you can sign up for YouTube TV and get your first two months for $60/month, and there’s a 21-day free trial.

Not all local channels are available in all markets, so you’ll need to make sure the networks showing the 2026 tournament are offered in your area. Plug your zip code into its home page to see what local networks you get.

Read our YouTube TV review.

Hulu with Live TV costs $90 per month and has all the channels you need to watch both March Madness tournaments. On its live news page, you can enter your zip code under “Can I watch local news in my area?” » question at the bottom of the page to see which local channels you receive.

Read our Hulu with Live TV review.

DirecTV’s MySports package costs $70 per month and includes ABC, CBS, ESPN Unlimited, TBS, TNT and TruTV, meaning it’s one of the most comprehensive places to watch every March Madness game. Use the channel finder to see what local channels are available where you live. Read our DirecTV MySports review.

Fubo’s Sports plan costs $46 for your first month after the free trial. Like the main Fubo plans, it offers ABC, CBS, and a subscription to ESPN Unlimited. Fubo’s Pro plan costs $74 per month and includes ABC, CBS, and access to ESPN Unlimited. Fubo is currently offering the first month for $49 on the Pro plan. Click here to see which local channels you receive.
Read our Fubo review.

To learn more, check out our guide to live TV streaming services and our recommendations for the best sports streaming services.

March Madness tournament schedule:

Calendar of the March Madness of Men

• First four: Tuesday-Wednesday
• First round: Thursday-Friday
• Second round: Saturday-Sunday
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final four: April 4
• NCAA Championship Game: April 6, 8:30 p.m. ET (TBS)

Calendar of the Women’s March Madness

• First four: Wednesday-Thursday
• First round: Friday-Saturday
• Second round: Sunday-Monday
• Sweet 16: March 27-28
• Elite Eight: March 29-30
• Final four: April 3 at 7 p.m. ET (the second semi-final begins 30 minutes after the end of the first game.)
• NCAA Championship Game: April 5 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

March Madness men’s individual game schedule:

All times are Eastern.

Championship Final

Monday April 6

• 8:50 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Michigan (TNT, TBS, truTV)

March Madness women’s individual game schedule:

All times are Eastern.

Championship Final

Sunday April 5

• 3:30 p.m. No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 1 UCLA (ABC)

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