The calendar has turned to March, which suggests the insanity is coming. The males’s NCAA school basketball event — affectionately (and precisely) often called March Madness — will get underway subsequent week. And for the next three weeks, school basketball followers might be handled to small-school Cinderella runs and bracket-busting buzzer-beaters.
Here’s all the things you might want to know to prepare for March Madness, from Selection Sunday to the Final Four and the National Championship sport.
When does March Madness begin?
With 68 groups invited to the massive dance, the NCAA holds 4 play-in video games to get the sphere right down to 64, after which level the mathematics works out to have 4 regional tournaments of 16 groups every. The winners of the 4 regional tournaments then advance to the Final Four, held this yr in Houston.
March Madness begins on Tuesday, March 14, with two play-in video games adopted by two extra play-in video games the subsequent evening. After these First Four video games, the sphere of 64 is ready and the event begins in earnest on Thursday, March 16, with a full slate of video games that can happen all afternoon and into the evening with not less than just a few moments of insanity virtually assured.
Which groups are taking part in in March Madness?
The March Madness bracket and matchups might be revealed this Sunday, March 12. Selection Sunday begins at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT) on CBS.
What is the March Madness schedule?
Here’s the schedule, spherical by spherical:
- First Four: March 14-15
- First spherical: March 16-17
- Second spherical: March 18-19
- Sweet 16: March 23-24
- Elite Eight: March 25-26
- Final Four: April 1
- NCAA championship sport: April 3
How can I watch March Madness?
As in previous years, the event might be proven throughout 4 channels: CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Yep, the time has come once more to search out TruTV in your dial.
If final time you watched one thing of TruTV was final March, then you definately may want some help discovering it for this yr’s event. Here’s a helpful information for cable or satellite tv for pc TV suppliers:
Can I stream March Madness without spending a dime?
Go to the NCAA’s March Madness Live website or use its March Madness Live app and you can watch video games without spending a dime. You can watch March Madness Live on iOS and Android gadgets together with Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Xbox One. The app additionally helps AirPlay and Chromecast.
As with most issues which might be free, there is a catch. Without proving you are a pay-TV subscriber, you get solely a three-hour preview, after which level you will must log in to proceed watching.
What are my different streaming choices?
You can use a reside TV streaming service to look at March Madness. Three of the 5 reside TV streaming providers provide the 4 channels wanted to look at each event sport, however understand that not each service carries each native community, so verify each utilizing the hyperlinks under to ensure it carries CBS in your space.
You can even use Paramount Plus to look at some, however not all, of March Madness. Only the video games proven on CBS can be found on Paramount Plus.
Sarah Tew/CNET
YouTube TV prices $65 a month and contains CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome web page to see which native networks can be found in your space. Read our YouTube TV assessment.
Hulu
Hulu with Live TV prices $70 a month and contains CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Click the “View channels in your space” hyperlink on its welcome web page to see which native channels are provided in your ZIP code. Read our Hulu with Live TV assessment.
Paramount Plus prices $10 a month for its Premium plan and can present March Madness video games broadcast on CBS. You cannot, nevertheless, watch the remainder of the event proven on TBS, TNT or TruTV with Paramount Plus. Read our Paramount Plus assessment.
Fubo TV
FuboTV’s primary plan prices $75 a month and contains CBS however not TBS, TNT or TruTV. It’s not your best option for March Madness however will allow you to watch some early-round video games, the Final Four and championship sport. Click right here to see which native channels you get. Read our FuboTV assessment.
Sling/CNET
Sling TV’s $40-a-month Blue plan contains TBS, TNT and TruTV. None of its plans embody CBS, which suggests you’ll be able to’t watch the fruits of March Madness on Sling. Read our Sling TV assessment.
All of the reside TV streaming providers above provide free trials, let you cancel anytime and require a strong web connection. Looking for extra data? Check out our live-TV streaming providers information.