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It’s that time of year again when brackets are filled out, bets are placed, and college basketball takes center stage. But with games spread across multiple channels and streaming platforms, finding how to watch March Madness 2025 live for free can be challenging—so we’ve simplified it for you.
This year’s tournament features 68 teams battling their way through a single-elimination bracket that begins with the First Four games on March 18 and culminates with the crowning of a champion on April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. From powerhouse programs like Auburn and Duke to spirited underdogs making their tournament debuts, the stage is set for the three bigggest weeks of college basketball.
While the UCLA Bruins still reign supreme with their historic 11 championships, last year’s champions UConn proved their dynasty status by securing their sixth title. Now, a new chapter awaits as fresh contenders emerge and traditional powers reload for their shot at glory.
Whether you’re a diehard fan tracking your alma mater’s journey, a casual viewer hoping to witness a Cinderella story, or someone with a carefully crafted bracket in this year’s office pool, you won’t want to miss a single moment of the action. Read on to discover how to watch March Madness 2025 live for free, from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer in San Antonio.
When is March Madness?
March Madness begins on March 18 and concludes on April 7. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of each phase of the tournament:
- 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: Saturday, April 5
- NCAA championship game: Monday, April 7
How to watch March Madness live for free
March Madness 2025 airs on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. The Final Four and the National Championship will air exclusively on CBS. CBS is available to stream on services like Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Paramount Plus, and Hulu+ With Live TV. TBS and TNT are available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, and Hulu+ With Live TV. TruTV is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Hulu+ With Live TV, Sling TV, and Max.
Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, and starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, and starts at $86.99 per month after the trial ends (with $10 off your first three months). Paramount Plus offers a seven-day free trial and starts at $7.99 per month. While Sling TV and Hulu+ With Live TV don’t have free trials, they’re cheaper per month than some of the other options, with Sling TV starting at $23 for your first month and Hulu+ With Live TV starting at $81.99 per month with plans that include free subscriptions to both Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Best Overall Pick to Watch March Madness 2025: Fubo
Fubo is our best overall pick to watch March Madness live for free for games airing on CBS. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers three plans: Pro, which costs $79.99 per month, Elite, which costs $89.99 per month, and Latino, which costs $32.99 per month. CBS is included in the Pro and Elite plans.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Ultimate includes everything in Pro and Elite, as well as a total of 299 channels, Showtime, and Red Zone NFL Network. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch March Madness with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for CBS and start watching March Madness!
Best Free Trial Pick to Watch March Madness: DirecTV Stream
Direct TV is our best free trial pick to watch March Madness live for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. Direct TV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $86.99 per month; Choice, which costs $114.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $129.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $169.99 per month. CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV are available on all four plans.
As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and Starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch March Madness with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com‘s packages page
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for CBS, TBS, TNT, or truTV and start watching March Madness!
Best Budget Pick to Watch March Madness Live: Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus is our best budget pick to watch March Madness live for free for games airing on CBS. Paramount Plus offers a seven-day free trial and two plans: Paramount Plus Essential, which costs $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year, and Paramount Plus With Showtime, which costs $12.99 per month or $119.99 per year. To watch March Madness live, fans will need Paramount Plus With Showtime.
As for the differences between the plans, Paramount Plus Essential includes limited ads; tens of thousands of TV shows and movies including CBS and Paramount Plus originals; NFL games on CBS; UEFA Champions League matches; and 24/7 live access to CBS News. Paramount Plus With Showtime includes everything in essential, as well as no ads; Showtime original shows and movies; 24/7 live access to your local CBS network; college football; and the ability to download and watch shows on your mobile device. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch March Madness with Paramount Plus’ free trial.
- Visit ParamountPlus.com
- Click “Get It Now”
- Select your plan
- Enter your information and payment method
- Start watching March Madness
Best Upgrade Pick to Watch March Madness 2025: Hulu+ Live TV
Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch March Madness based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $81.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $87.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $95.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV are included in all four plans. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch March Madness with Hulu+ Live TV.
- Visit Hulu.com/liveTV
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for CBS, TBS, TNT, or truTV and start watching March Madness!
March Madness Schedule
Below is the complete March Madness schedule through to the National Championship game. The tournament begins with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, and concludes with the championship showdown in San Antonio, Texas.
Tuesday, March 18 (First Four in Dayton, Ohio)
- (16) Alabama State vs. (16) Saint Francis, 6:40 p.m. | truTV
- (11) San Diego State vs. (11) North Carolina, 9:10 p.m. | truTV
Wednesday, March 19 (First Four in Dayton, Ohio)
- (16) American University vs. (16) Mount St. Mary’s, 6:40 p.m. | truTV
- (11) Texas vs. (11) Xavier, 9:10 p.m. | truTV
Thursday, March 20 (First Round/Round of 64)
- (8) Louisville vs. (9) Creighton, 12:15 p.m. | CBS
- (4) Purdue vs. (13) High Point, 12:40 p.m. | truTV
- (3) Wisconsin vs. (14) Montana, 1:30 p.m. | TNT
- (1) Houston vs. (16) SIU Edwardsville, 2 p.m. | TBS
- (1) Auburn vs. (16) Saint Francis/Alabama St., 2:50 p.m. | CBS
- (5) Clemson vs. (12) McNeese, 3:15 p.m. | truTV
- (6) BYU vs. (11) VCU, 4:05 p.m. | TNT
- (8) Gonzaga vs. (9) Georgia, 4:35 p.m. | TBS
- (2) Tennessee vs. (15) Wofford, 6:50 p.m. | TNT
- (7) Kansas vs. (10) Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. | CBS
- (4) Texas A&M vs. (13) Yale, 7:25 p.m. | TBS
- (6) Missouri vs. (11) Drake, 7:35 p.m. | truTV
- (7) UCLA vs. (10) Utah State, 9:25 p.m. | TNT
- (2) St. John’s vs. (15) Omaha, 9:45 p.m. | CBS
- (5) Michigan vs. (12) UC San Diego, 10 p.m. | TBS
- (3) Texas Tech vs. (14) UNC Wilmington, 10:10 p.m. | truTV
Friday, March 21 (First Round/Round of 64)
- (8) Mississippi State vs. (9) Baylor, 12:15 p.m. | CBS
- (2) Alabama vs. (15) Robert Morris, 12:40 p.m. | truTV
- (3) Iowa State vs. (14) Lipscomb, 1:30 p.m. | TNT
- (5) Memphis vs. (12) Colorado State, 2 p.m. | TBS
- (1) Duke vs. (16) Mount St. Mary’s/American, 2:50 p.m. | CBS
- (7) Saint Mary’s vs. (10) Vanderbilt, 3:15 p.m. | truTV
- (6) Ole Miss vs. (11) North Carolina/San Diego State, 4:05 p.m. | TNT
- (4) Maryland vs. (13) Grand Canyon, 4:35 p.m. | TBS
- (1) Florida vs. (16) Norfolk State, 6:50 p.m. | TNT
- (3) Kentucky vs. (14) Troy, 7:10 p.m. | CBS
- (7) Marquette vs. (10) New Mexico, 7:25 p.m. | TBS
- (4) Arizona vs. (13) Akron, 7:35 p.m. | truTV
- (8) UConn vs. (9) Oklahoma, 9:25 p.m. | TNT
- (6) Illinois vs. (11) Xavier/Texas, 9:45 p.m. | TNT
- (2) Michigan State vs. (15) Bryant, 10 p.m. | TBS
- (5) Oregon vs. (12) Liberty, 10:10 p.m. | truTV
Saturday, March 22 (Second Round/Round of 32) – TBA
Sunday, March 23 (Second Round/Round of 32) – TBA
Thursday, March 27 (Sweet 16) – TBA
Friday, March 28 (Sweet 16) – TBA
Saturday, March 29 (Elite Eight) – TBA
Sunday, March 30 (Elite Eight) – TBA
Saturday, April 5 (Final Four in San Antonio)
- 6:09 p.m. on CBS
- 8:49 p.m. on CBS
Monday, April 7 (National championship game in San Antonio)
March Madness Seed List
Here’s the complete March Madness seed list for the 2025 tournament:
- Auburn (28-5)
- Duke (31-3)
- Houston (30-4)
- Florida (30-4)
- Tennessee (27-7)
- Alabama (25-8)
- Michigan St. (27-6)
- St. John’s (NY) (30-4)
- Texas Tech (25-8)
- Iowa St. (24-9)
- Kentucky (22-11)
- Wisconsin (26-9)
- Texas A&M (22-10)
- Purdue (22-11)
- Maryland (25-8)
- Arizona (22-12)
- Michigan (25-9)
- Clemson (27-6)
- Oregon (24-9)
- Memphis (29-5)
- BYU (24-9)
- Illinois (21-12)
- Missouri (22-11)
- Ole Miss (22-11)
- UCLA (22-10)
- Marquette (23-10)
- Saint Mary’s (CA) (28-5)
- Kansas (21-12)
- Louisville (27-7)
- Gonzaga (25-8)
- UConn (23-10)
- Mississippi St. (21-12)
- Creighton (24-10)
- Georgia (20-12)
- Baylor (19-14)
- Oklahoma (20-13)
- Arkansas (20-13)
- New Mexico (26-7)
- Vanderbilt (20-12)
- Utah St. (26-7)
- Texas (19-15)
- Xavier (21-11)
- San Diego St. (21-9)
- Drake (30-3)
- VCU (28-6)
- North Carolina (22-13)
- UC San Diego (30-4)
- Colorado St. (25-9)
- McNeese (27-6)
- Liberty (28-6)
- Yale (22-7)
- High Point (29-5)
- Akron (28-6)
- Grand Canyon (26-7)
- Lipscomb (25-9)
- Troy (23-10)
- UNCW (27-7)
- Montana (25-9)
- Robert Morris (26-8)
- Wofford (19-15)
- Omaha (22-12)
- Bryant (23-11)
- Norfolk St. (24-10)
- SIUE (22-11)
- American (22-12)
- Mount St. Mary’s (22-12)
- Alabama St. (19-15)
- Saint Francis (16-17)
