March Madness 2023: How to Watch and Stream Thursday’s Games on CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV – CNET [CNET]

View Article on CNET

March Madness is already here. After a busy round of conference tournaments, the men’s NCAA college basketball tournament — affectionately (and accurately) known as March Madness — is now underway. The first batch of games has already tipped off, with additional contests running all day and well into the night on CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV. 

A wild finish between No. 13 Furman and No. 4 Virginia delivered the tournament’s first big upset — and this was in just the second game of the first round. 

Here’s everything you need to know to get in on the March Madness, from the first round to the Final Four and the National Championship game.

Kansas Jayhawks mascots and fans at a basketball game

The University of Kansas is the defending NCAA men’s basketball champion, and the Jayhawks will enter the 2023 tournament as one of the top seeds.

Ed Zurga/Getty Images

When does March Madness start?

With 68 teams invited to the Big Dance, the NCAA holds four play-in games to get the field down to 64, after which point the math works out to have four regional tournaments of 16 teams each. The winners of the four regional tournaments then advance to the Final Four, held this year in Houston.

March Madness began on Tuesday, March 14, with two play-in games followed by two more play-in games the next night. After these First Four games, the field of 64 is set and the tournament begins in earnest on Thursday, March 16, with a full slate of games that will take place all afternoon and into the night with at least a few moments of madness practically guaranteed.

Which teams are playing in March Madness?

The March Madness bracket and matchups were revealed on Sunday. Alabama, Houston, Kansas and Purdue are the top seeds in their respective regions. 

The full bracket can be found on the NCAA’s website

What is the March Madness schedule?

Here’s the remaining schedule, round by round:

  • First round: March 16-17
  • Second round: March 18-19
  • Sweet 16: March 23-24
  • Elite Eight: March 25-26
  • Final Four: April 1
  • NCAA championship game: April 3 

How can I watch March Madness?

As in past years, the tournament will be shown across four channels: CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Yep, the time has come again to find TruTV on your dial.

What channel is TruTV?

If the last time you watched something on TruTV was last March, then you might need some assistance finding it for this year’s tournament. Here’s a handy guide for some of the major cable or satellite TV providers:

What channel is broadcasting the Final Four?

The Final Four and National Championship game will air on CBS and stream on Paramount Plus. 

Can I stream March Madness for free?

Go to the NCAA’s March Madness Live site or use its March Madness Live app and you’ll be able to watch games for free. You can watch March Madness Live on iOS and Android devices along with Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Xbox One. The app also supports AirPlay and Chromecast.

As with most things that are free, there’s a catch. Without proving you’re a pay-TV subscriber, you get only a three-hour preview, after which point you’ll need to log in to continue watching.

What are my other streaming options?

You can use a live TV streaming service to watch March Madness. Three of the five live TV streaming services offer the four channels needed to watch every tournament game, but keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries CBS in your area.

You can also use Paramount Plus to watch some, but not all, of March Madness. Only the games shown on CBS are available on Paramount Plus.

All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.