Where To Watch March Madness

You can watch select March Madness® men’s college basketball games through the Elite Eight® on CBS and Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Premium plan.

The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament promises to deliver buzzer-beaters, bracket busters, and unforgettable moments. So, if you’re searching for where to watch the action, read on our guide that outlines the TV schedule, and highlights which games will air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Premium plan.

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Where to watch March Madness® live

You can watch March Madness® men’s games live across CBS and Turner Sports networks, including CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Games airing live on CBS can be streamed live on Paramount+ for subscribers with the Paramount+ Premium plan.

Check out the March Madness® schedule 2026 for all announced matchups and tip-off times.

Which March Madness® games air on CBS?

CBS airs March Madness® games from the First Round, Second Round, Sweet 16, and Elite Eight®. All games airing live on CBS can be streamed live on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Premium plan.

Read on for the full list of announced of CBS March Madness® games.

CBS March Madness® games

First Round

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Teams: 8 Ohio State vs. 9 TCU
Time: 12:15 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 1 Duke vs. 16 Siena
Time: 2:50 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 1 Michigan vs. 16 Howard
Time: 7:10 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 8 Georgia vs. 9 Saint Louis
Time: 9:45 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Friday, March 20, 2026

Teams: 7 Kentucky vs. 10 Santa Clara
Time: 12:15 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 2 Iowa State vs. 15 Tennessee State
Time: 2:50 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 5 St. John’s vs. 12 Northern Iowa
Time: 7:10 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 4 Kansas vs. 13 California Baptist
Time: 9:45 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Second Round

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Teams: 1 Michigan vs. 9 Saint Louis
Time: 12:10 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 3 Michigan St. vs. 6 Louisville
Time: 2:45 PM ET
Region: East
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, New York)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 1 Duke vs. 9 TCU
Time: 5:15 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 3 Illinois vs. 11 VCU
Time: 7:50 PM ET
Region: South
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, South Carolina)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Teams: 2 Purdue vs. 7 Miami
Time: 12:10 PM ET
Region: West
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 2 Iowa State vs. 7 Kentucky
Time: 2:45 PM ET
Region: Midwest
Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

Teams: 4 Kansas vs. 5 St. John’s
Time: 5:15 PM ET
Region: East
Location: Viejas Arena (San Diego, California)
Channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (Paramount+ Premium plan only)

In addition to live games, CBS Sports presented Selection Sunday, the annual show where the March Madness® bracket is revealed, on March 15, 2026.

What channel is March Madness® on?

March Madness® men’s games air on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Games aired live on these channels can be watched on your TV or screen by using cable, satellite, or a live-TV streaming service. Games airing on CBS can be watched live using a digital antenna, or via Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Premium plan.

Get the March Madness® schedule 2026 for all announced games, start times, and channels. In general, CBS airs live games from the First Round, Second Round, Sweet 16, and Elite Eight®.

Where to stream March Madness® online

March Madness® men’s games steam online via various platforms, including Paramount+ and HBO Max. Paramount+ is the streaming home March Madness® men’s games aired by CBS (active subscription to Paramount+ Premium plan required); HBO Max will stream games presented by TBS, TNT, TruTV.

How to stream March Madness® on Paramount+

To stream March Madness® live on Paramount+, for starters, you need:

an active Paramount+ subscription to the Paramount+ Premium plan (required for live access to your local CBS TV station feed); and,
a supported device – i.e., smart TV, mobile device, tablet, streaming stick, or computer browser. (Visit the Paramount+ Help Center for a full list of supported devices.)

Once you’re logged into your Paramount+ account, and/or started with your Paramount+ subscription on the Paramount+ Premium plan, then:

navigate to the Live TV hub;
select the feed of your live, local CBS station during March Madness® games presented by CBS Sports.

For more info, read our guide on how to stream live CBS college basketball on Paramount+.

Does Paramount+ have every March Madness® game?

No. Paramount+ does not have every March Madness® game. During the men’s Division I tournament, select games from the First Round, Second Round, Sweet 16, and Elite Eight® air live on CBS, and stream live on Paramount+ with the Paramount+ Premium plan.

Can you watch March Madness® without cable?

Yes. You can watch March Madness® without cable. For games airing live on CBS, you can watch March Madness® by using satellite, live-TV streaming service, digital antenna, or via Paramount+ with a subscription to the Paramount+ Premium plan. For games airing live on TBS, TNT, and truTV, you can watch March Madness® by using a satellite or live-TV streaming service, among other options.

Where to watch the Final Four® and national championship

You can watch the 2026 men’s Final Four® and NCAA national championship games on TBS.

The semifinal games of the Final Four® are Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; the championship game is Monday, April 6, 2026, also at Lucas Oil Stadium.

2026 March Madness® schedule

The 2026 March Madness® schedule for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is below:

Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 15
First Four: Tuesday, March 17-Wednesday, March 18
First Round: Thursday, March 19-Friday, March 20
Second Round: Saturday, March 21-Sunday, March 22
Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26-Friday, March 27
Elite Eight: Saturday, March 28-Sunday, March 29
Final Four: Saturday, April 4
National Championship: Monday, April 6

Get the complete look at the games, including matchups, start times, and channel assignments, in our March Madness® schedule 2026.

What is March Madness®?

March Madness® refers to the annual, season-ending, men’s and women’s NCAA Division 1 college basketball tournaments. The men’s tournament is a 68-team, single-elimination competition. Every game is win-or-go-home. From mid-March through early April, underdogs rise, a top seed wobbles or falls, and, ultimately, a national champion is crowned. The tournament bracket is confirmed on Selection Sunday. From there, the games of March Madness® unfold in seven stages: