How to watch March Madness 2025: Where to watch, how to stream, and what channels you'll need to catch the action

Where to stream and watch the 2025 March Madness tournament

Channels

This year March Madness will be broadcast across 4 major cable networks including CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. 

Streaming

You can access these networks with streaming services like Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, as well as smaller services carrying coverage like Max, Paramount Plus, and ESPN Plus. 

Watch March Madness 2025 on Sling TV with 50% off your first month

Sling TV offers excellent value for college hoops fans and you'll be able to catch all the Madness of 2025. Sling Orange includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TBS, TNT and (in some markets) ABC. If you want to add truTV, you can upgrade to Sling Orange & Blue. Unfortunately, Sling doesn’t offer CBS.

Although Sling doesn’t have a free trial, it typically offers half off your first month subscription.

Watch 2025 March Madness on DIRECTV STREAM with a 5-day free trial

DIRECTV STREAM is the streaming offshoot of DIRECTV’s satellite service and features similar plans and pricing. It’s one of only three streaming services to offer every network featuring men’s and women’s March Madness, and you can get nearly every game in the basic Entertainment plan. Test out the service with a 5-day free trial and access to everything in the plan you select.

Watch March Madness 2025 on Hulu + Live TV with a 3-day free trial

Hulu + Live TV features every channel showing both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments this year. Hulu + Live TV gives you over 95 live TV channels (including around a dozen sports networks) and access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. Hulu + Live TV also offers unlimited cloud DVR storage and a 3-day free trial to let you try out every service in the bundle before committing.

Watch March Madness 2025 on YouTube TV with a 7-day free trial

YouTube TV also gives you full access to every March Madness game for both tournaments, so you can easily keep up with all the action on the court. This platform also offers one of the best all-around channel lineups you can buy. Its base plan offers more than 110 of the top sports, news and entertainment networks.

All plans include unlimited cloud DVR storage so you can record any games you have to miss, and there’s a free trial.

Watch March Madness 2025 on Fubo with a 5-day free trial

In many cases, Fubo is our top choice for streaming live sports. But, when it comes to March Madness, it leaves a little to be desired. You can’t get TBS, TNT or truTV here, so you can only watch men’s games on CBS. The good news is that Fubo carries ESPN’s networks and ABC, so it’s got you covered for the women’s tournament. Fubo offers a free trial of up to one week.

Watch March Madness 2025 on Max — no free trial, but an extended library with excellent streaming content

Although the full live TV streaming services offer the best way to watch every March Madness game, there are now more options than ever to keep up with some of the best moments of the tournament. The first of these is Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. 

This optional extra will get you access to some of the top live action from the men’s tournament on TBS, TNT and truTV. B/R Sports also features games from the NHL, MLB, NBA and U.S. Soccer for a nice selection of some of the most popular sports.

Watch March Madness 2025 on Paramount Plus with a 7-day free trial 

If you’re on a tighter streaming budget or simply want to leave more room to mix and match services, Paramount Plus may be worth a look. The premium plan, Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME, includes access to your local CBS station from anywhere, so you can use it to watch some of the men’s tournaments. For a slightly higher price, you also get ad-free on-demand viewing and access to premium SHOWTIME programming. Paramount Plus offers a one-week free trial.

Watch March Madness 2025 on ESPN Plus — no free trial, but try bundling with Hulu

ESPN’s over–the–top streaming platform, ESPN Plus, features an extensive selection of live sports and on-demand programming. You can watch many of the top matchups from women’s March Madness here, on top of exclusive coverage and replays.

ESPN Plus is an excellent add-on for all kinds of sports fans. You’ll find out-of-market NHL and MLB games, international soccer, UFC fighting, pro golf, college basketball and much more. To watch other ESPN channels like ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS, however, you’ll have to subscribe to another live TV streaming service or bundle ESPN Plus with a Hulu + Live TV plan.

March Madness schedule 2025

Since the college hoops season hasn’t quite wrapped up, the official March Madness 2025 schedule isn’t available yet. The final bracket won’t be decided until after the First Four games for both tournaments on March 18-19. 

You can follow NCAA.com for updates and keep up with the live bracket once the tournament begins.

FAQ

Can I watch March Madness 2025 for free?

There is a strong possibility you haven't used up all your free trial options with the livestreaming sports providers we mention in this post. Sign up for a free trial on March 18th, 2025, and with most providers, you'll get an entire free week of streaming March Madness 2025 before you'll get charged.

Is there an app to watch all March Madness games?

You can watch every March Madness game on your mobile device, computer or connected TV with the March Madness Live app. You’ll need to sign in with a subscription to a TV provider that offers every channel featuring games in 2025.

Is March Madness on Paramount Plus?

Paramount Plus will air every March Madness game that’s showing on CBS. To access these games, you’ll need to subscribe to the top-tier plan, Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME.

Does ESPN Plus have college basketball?

ESPN Plus features college basketball games from the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and more. Many games from the women’s NCAA tournament will also stream on the platform.