March Madness 2026: How to Watch Selection Sunday Without Cable

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Teams have been selected for the 2026 Men’s and Women’s March Madness Tournament, so it’s time for the games to begin! With so many events broadcast across multiple channels and streaming services, we’re here to help you find the best ways to watch them all. March madnessand luckily there are a few that don’t require you to shell out for every streaming service.

Whether you want to watch with an antenna, through a live TV streaming service, or on the NCAA website or app, you can watch games daily without subscribing to a bunch of different, often expensive, services. Here’s what you need to know to tune in to March Madness this year without breaking the bank.

When does March Madness 2026 start?

March Madness 2026 officially begins on March 17 with the first four men’s games. The women’s First Four will begin on March 18. The entire tournament will end in early April.

How to watch March Madness 2026 for free

The NCAA’s March Madness Live site and the March Madness Live app are great options for watching games for free. You can watch games on iOS and Android devices as well as Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Xbox, but you’ll need to sign in with a valid TV provider ID.

You can also connect a indoor antenna on your TV and watch games broadcast on ABC and CBS. Our expert comparison of best antennas can help you find the right one for you, and our top pick comes in at $40. Want to watch March Madness with no strings attached? Try a free trial of a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV, which comes with a free trial.

How to watch March Madness live without cable

Women’s March Madness games will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews. The women’s championship final will be broadcast on ABC and broadcast on ESPN Unlimited. The men’s games will be broadcast on TruTV, CBS, TNT and TBS.

ESPN Unlimited is ESPN’s complete 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.

You’ll be able to watch select matches from the first round at Elite Eight live on CBS, streaming on Paramount Plus Premium for $14 per month.

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

Watch March Madness for Free with a Live TV Streaming Service

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, and many of them offer a generous free trial that will give you access to much, if not all, of the March Madness 2026 tournament.

If you’re a new YouTube TV subscriber, you can try their service for 21 days before committing or paying a cent, which will give you access to the entire 2026 tournament. Both DirecTV and Hulu Plus Live TV offer all the channels you need to watch live broadcasts of the men’s and women’s tournaments, although their trials are much shorter: five days and three days, respectively.

Although Fubo streams tons of major sporting events and even includes access to ESPN Unlimited, it doesn’t offer TBS, TNT, or TruTV, making it a less ideal option for watching the men’s tournament. If you want to watch the women’s tournament, free trials last 5-7 days.

YouTube TV costs $83 per month and includes TBS, TNT, TruTV and CBS for the men’s tournament and the ESPN suite of channels for the women’s tournament. You can sign up for YouTube TV and get your first two months for $60 per month, and there is 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 Plus Live TV’s basic package 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. You can get a three-day free trial of Hulu Plus Live TV before signing up. Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review.

The DirecTV MySports package costs $70 per month. It includes ABC, CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV and ESPN Unlimited, one of the most comprehensive places to watch every March Madness game. Use the channel finder to see which local channels are available where you live and get five days free with no strings attached before you subscribe. Read our DirecTV MySports review.

The Fubo Pro plan costs $74 per month and includes ABC, CBS, and access to ESPN Unlimited. Fubo is offering the first month for $49 after its free trial. Its cheaper Fubo Sports plan costs $46 for the first month after the free trial and also gives you access to CBS, ABC, and ESPN Unlimited. Click here to see which local channels you receive. While Fubo is a great option for watching the women’s tournament, the service doesn’t offer TBS, TNT, or truTV, which you’ll need to watch most men’s games. 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

Here are the full schedules for the men’s and women’s tournaments:

Men’s March Madness Tournament Schedule

• First four: March 17-18
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final four: April 4
• NCAA Championship Game: Monday, April 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET (TBS)

March Madness women’s tournament schedule

• First four: March 18-19
• First round: March 20-21
• Second round: March 22-23
• 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: Sunday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

March Madness men’s individual game schedule

All times are Eastern.

First four:

Tuesday March 17

• 6:40 p.m.: No. 16 UMBC vs. No. 16 Howard (TruTV)
• 9:10 p.m.: No. 11 Texas vs. No. 11 NC State (TruTV)

Wednesday March 18

• 6:40 p.m.: No. 16 Prairie View A&M vs. No. 16 Lehigh (TruTV)
• 9:10 p.m.: No. 11 Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 11 SMU (TruTV)

First round:

Thursday March 19

• 12:15 p.m.: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (CBS)
• 12:40 p.m.: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Troy (TruTV)
• 1:30 p.m.: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (TNT)
• 1:50 p.m.: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 High Point (TBS)
• 2:50 p.m.: Duke No. 1 against Siena No. 16 (CBS)
• 3:15 p.m.: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 McNeese (TruTV)
• 4:05 p.m.: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State
• 4:25 p.m.: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Hawaii (TBS)
• 6:50 p.m.: No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU (TNT)
• 7:10 p.m.: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC or Howard (CBS)
• 7:25 p.m.: No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas or NC State (TBS)
• 7:35 p.m.: No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Texas A&M (TruTV)
• 9:25 p.m.: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Penn (TNT)
• 9:45 p.m.: No. 8 Georgia against No. 9 Saint Louis (CBS)
• 10 p.m.: No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 14 Kennesaw State (TBS)
• 10:10 p.m.: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 15 Idaho (TruTV)

Friday March 20

• 12:15 p.m.: No. 7 Kentucky against No. 10 Santa Clara (CBS)
• 12:40 p.m.: No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron (TruTV)
• 1:35 p.m.: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 LIU (TNT)
• 1:50 p.m.: No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State (TBS)
• 2:50 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State (CBS)
• 3:15 p.m.: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra (TruTV)
• 4:10 p.m.: No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State (TNT)
• 4:25 p.m.: No. 6 Tennessee against No. 11 Miami (Ohio) or SMU (TBS)
• 6:50 p.m.: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa (TNT)
• 7:10 p.m.: No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa (CBS)
• 7:25 p.m.: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF (TBS)
• 7:35 p.m.: No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Queens (TruTV)
• 9:25 p.m.: No. 16 Prairie View A&M or Lehigh against No. 1 Florida (TNT)
• 9:45 p.m.: No. 4 Kansas against No. 13 Cal Baptist (CBS)
• 10 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman (TBS)
• 10:10 p.m.: No. 7 Miami vs. No. 10 Missouri (TruTV)

March Madness women’s individual game schedule

All times are Eastern.

First four:

Wednesday March 18

Thursday March 19

First round:

Friday March 20

• 11:30 a.m.: Duke No. 3 against Charleston No. 14 (ESPN2)
• 12:00 p.m.: No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego (ESPN)
• 1:30 p.m. ET: No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech (ESPN2)
• 2 p.m.: No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska/Richmond (ESPN)
• 2:30 p.m.: No. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota State (ESPN News)
• 3:00 p.m.: No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray State (ESPNU)
• 3:30 p.m.: No. 5 Ole Miss against No. 12 Gonzaga (ESPN2)
• 4:00 p.m.: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Stephen F. Austin/Missouri State (ESPN)
• 5:30 p.m.: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross (ESPN2)
• 5:30 p.m.: No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois (ESPN News)
• 6:00 p.m.: No. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville (ESPN)
• 6:00 p.m.: No. 4 Minnesota against No. 13 Green Bay (ESPNU)
• 7:30 p.m.: No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado State (ESPN News)
• 8:00 p.m.: No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee (ESPN)
• 8:30 p.m.: No. 7 Texas Tech against No. 10 Villanova (ESPNU)
• 10:00 p.m.: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Idaho (ESPN)

Saturday March 21

• 11:30 p.m.: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard (ESPN2)
• 12:00 p.m.: No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Vermont (ESPN)
• 1:00 p.m.: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Samford/Southern (ABC)
• 1:30 p.m.: Georgia No. 7 vs. Virginia State/Arizona No. 10 (ESPN2)
• 2:00 p.m.: No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield (ESPN)
• 2:30 p.m.: No. 5 Kentucky against No. 12 James Madison (ESPNU)
• 2:30 p.m.: No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode Island (ESPN News)
• 3:00 p.m.: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA (ABC)
• 3:30 p.m.: No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC (ESPN2)
• 4:00 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson (ESPN)
• 5:00 p.m.: No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (Ohio) (ESPNU)
• 5:30 p.m.: No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse (ESPN2)
• 7 p.m.: No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point (ESPN News)
• 7:30 p.m.: No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton (ESPN2)
• 9:30 p.m.: No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado (ESPN2)
• 10:00 p.m.: No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 California Baptist (ESPN)