March Madness is upon us to close out the NCAA men’s college basketball season. To keep up with every game, you’ll need a few TV channels: TBS, TNT, TruTV and CBS. And keep your cable to watch the chaos with the March Madness Live app.
When does March Madness start?
The 2020 March Madness bracket will be released on March 15, games begin a couple days later, and April 6 is the National Championship that ends it all.
| March 15 | Selection Sunday | TBA |
| March 17, 18 | First Four | Dayton, Ohio |
| March 19, 21 | 1st and 2nd rounds | Albany, New York |
| March 19, 21 | 1st and 2nd rounds | Spokane, Washington |
| March 19, 21 | 1st and 2nd rounds | St. Louis, Missouri |
| March 19, 21 | 1st and 2nd rounds | Tampa, Florida |
| March 20, 22 | 1st and 2nd rounds | Greensboro, North Carolina |
| March 20, 22 | 1st and 2nd rounds | Omaha, Nebraska |
| March 20, 22 | 1st and 2nd rounds | Sacramento, California |
| March 20, 22 | 1st and 2nd rounds | Cleveland, Ohio |
| March 26, 28 | Midwest Regional | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| March 26, 28 | West Regional | Los Angeles, California |
| March 27, 29 | South Regional | Houston, Texas |
| March 27, 29 | East Regional | New York, New York |
| April 4, 6 | Final Four | Atlanta, Georgia |
How to watch 2020 March Madness online: Paid and free options
Option 1: How to watch 2020 March Madness with Hulu + Live TV
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- Cost: $54.99 monthly
- Setup time Less than five minutes, no installation required.
With more than 65 channels, a Hulu + Live TV subscription includes TNT, TBS, TruTV and CBS: the March Madness holy grail. Unlike Sling TV and FuboTV, a Hulu + Live TV plan gives you access to both live and on-demand content.
It’s compatible with an impressive selection of devices: Nintendo Switch, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Chromecast and Xbox as well as iOS and Android mobile devices. For March Madness in particular, Hulu sends push Game-time notifications before your anticipated games start.
A 7-day free trial is available.
How to watch 2020 March Madness with FuboTV
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- Cost: $59.99 monthly
- Setup time Less than five minutes, no installation required.
FuboTV subscription gives you access to every channel you need for March Madness 2020. Watch them live or use the cloud DVR to record them for later. Bracket previews, breakdowns and additional NCAA coverage is also available with a subscription. However, CBS could give you trouble with blackouts in specific areas.
Enjoy a 7-day free trial, streaming from as many as 2 devices at the same time.
Option 3: How to watch 2020 March Madness with Sling TV
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- Cost: $30 monthly
- Setup time Possibly ten minutes, depending whether you opt for the free antenna and how quickly you can set it up.
A Sling TV Blue subscription gives you access to most of the channels you need to watch March Madness. To add local channels like CBS, ask for a free antenna from Sling TV.
In addition to a 3-day free trial, Sling TV sweetens the pot with $10 off your first month. Compatible with various mobile, desktop and streaming devices, watch a slew of other popular channels once the madness is over.
What do I do if CBS isn’t available with my subscription or isn’t available in my market?
If you can’t access CBS with Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV or FuboTV, each streaming platform explains other ways to watch:
| Sling TV | If you don’t want to set up an antenna, watch CBS broadcasted games with the March Madness Live app while you use Sling TV to watch TNT, TruTV and TBS broadcasted games. |
| FuboTV | Use your FuboTV login information to access the TV Everywhere app provided by CBS for CBS or CBS Sports. |
| Hulu + Live TV | Use your Hulu + Live TV login information to access the March Madness Live app, with access to every game rather than those broadcasted from CBS. |
Bottom line
With a working device and a strong Internet connection, streaming March Madness is within reach. Hulu + Live TV offers a few features that cater to the NCAA superfan, but Sling TV is the least expensive option. While any one of these streaming services works, consider what you’re looking for in a streaming service.
