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There are 63 college basketball games over the next three weeks, and every single one of them will be available to be live streamed online, whether or not you have a cable subscription.
NCAA Tournament games, as in years past, will be broadcast on TNT, TBS, TruTV and CBS. If you can’t get to a TV for any game, here’s a rundown of how to watch it online or on other streaming devices:
Games on TNT, TBS and TruTV
There are multiple options to watch games on these channels: 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 games 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 tournament right in your browser by navigating to TNT, TBS or TruTV.
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 games on the DirecTV app, which is available in the following places:
App Store (or Apple TV)
You can watch DirecTV Now on a connected TV through Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Amaron Fire Stick TV. Android users can also watch via Chromecast, though the app is not yet available for Chromecast on the Apple iOS. You can click here for a list of devices supported by DirecTV Now.
March Madness Live on a Computer
Users with a cable or satellite subscription can be watch all games 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 & Other Devices
If have have a cable or satellite subscription and are looking to watch the games 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.
Games on CBS
March Madness Live, Desktop
Like with the games on TNT, TBS and TruTV, games on CBS can be watched on March Madness Live via NCAA.com. The difference here, though, is that these games don’t require signing in to a cable or satellite provider.
March Madness Live, Mobile & Other Streaming Devices
Users looking to watch CBS games on mobile, tablet or other streaming devices can do so via the NCAA March Madness Live app, which is free to download in the following places:
Note that live CBS games are not available to be streamed on set top boxes, including Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku and Xbox.