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Looking to watch Butler vs. Winthrop in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday? A free live stream is available, whether or not you have a cable subscription.
The game is scheduled to tip at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TNT. If you can’t get to a TV, here’s a rundown of how to watch it online or on other streaming devices:
If You Don’t Have Cable
There are multiple options to watch the game: Viewers who don’t have a cable subscription will want to watch through Sling TV or DirecTV Now, while viewers with a cable subscription can watch through March Madness live.
For fans without cable: Sling TV and DirecTV Now are both online streaming services that offer access to select channels for a monthly fee. Both services offer a free seven-day trial, and the services are extremely similar. You can click here to launch a free trial for Sling TV and click here to launch one for DirecTV Now. See below for step-by-step instructions on how to sign up for each.
Since both offer a free trial, you can’t really go wrong with either. And if you’re unsure which service will best serve your needs, you may want to launch a free trial with both, then keep whichever you like best, and drop the other.
One key advantage to Sling is that, once the free trial ends, it’s less expensive than DirecTV Now. Sling’s Blue package, which includes TNT, TBS and TruTV, costs $25. DirecTV Now’s Live a Little package, which also includes all three channels, costs $35 per month, and it’s the least expensive package the service offers.
DirecTV Now, though, has one major advantage itself: Users looking to watch on a computer can watch the tournament directly in their Internet browsers. Sling TV users, meanwhile, have to download a desktop app in order to watch. Users on mobile devices have to download an app for either service. Both services have an app for a handful of connected TV devices.
Here’s how to sign up for each service:
Sling TV on a Computer
1) Click here to go to the Sling website
2) Click on “Watch Now 7 Days Free”
3) Create an account
4) Select the channel package or packages you want. The “Sling Orange” base package includes both TNT and TBS, while “Sling Blue” includes TNT, TBS and TruTV.
5) Enter your payment information. Sling Blue costs $25 per month, but if you cancel your subscription within seven days of signing up, you will not be charged
6) Download the app for your computer to start watching
Sling TV, Mobile & Other Streaming Devices
If you have a Sling TV subscription (read above to learn how to start a free trial), you can watch the game on the Sling TV app, which is free to download in the following places:
App Store (or Apple TV)
Amazon App Store (or Amazon Fire TV)
You can click here for a complete list of devices compatible with the Sling TV app.
DirecTV Now on a Computer
1. Click here to go to the DirecTV Now website.
2. Click on “start your free trial now.”
3. Select the package you’re interested in. All four packages include TNT, TBS and TruTV. The least expensive is the Live a Little package, which costs $35 per month after the free trial ends.
4. Enter your payment information. If you cancel the subscription before the free trial ends, you will not be charged.
5. Start watching the game right in your browser by navigating to TNT.
DirecTV Now on Mobile & Other Streaming Devices
If you have a DirecTV Now subscription (read above to learn how to start a free trial), you can watch game on the DirecTV app, which is available in the following places:
App Store (or Apple TV)
You can click here for a list of devices supported by DirecTV Now.
If You Do Have Cable
March Madness Live on a Computer
Users with a cable or satellite subscription can be watch the game on their computer right here via NCAA.com.
Before signing in, you’ll be able to watch for three hours, but for unlimited access to all games throughout the tournament, you’ll need to log in using your pay TV provider username and password.
You can read here for frequently asked questions and more information.
March Madness Live, Mobile
If have have a cable or satellite subscription and are looking to watch the game on mobile, tablet or other streaming devices, you can do so via the NCAA March Madness Live app, which is free to download in the following places:
It’s also compatible on Xbox One. You can click here for a complete list of compatible devices.
As is the case with desktop, you’ll need to log in to your cable provider for unlimited access.