How to watch the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments

March Madness has officially begun!

The men’s NCAA basketball tournament tips off on Tuesday, March 19 and the women’s NCAA basketball tournament begins on Wednesday, March 20.

Even if you’re not a diehard sports fan, something about the NCAA basketball tournament gets everyone excited. People in offices, schools and homes around the country fill in their tournament brackets, starting with 68 teams and narrowing it down to the team they hope will take the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball championship.

MORE: How to make your March Madness bracket picks

But, following along with so many games can be just as challenging as picking the final four. Where can you find all of the games to watch?

Read our guide to which channels and services are broadcasting the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments to help maximize your March Madness experience.

MORE: Get tickets to the NCAA basketball tournament

How to Watch March Madness Without Cable

If you’re an old-school sports fan without cable or streaming services, your only option to watch the NCAA men’s tournament is on CBS starting on Thursday, March 21 after the “First Four” games are played to set the top 64 teams.

From March 21 through the Elite Eight matchups on Sunday, March 31, CBS will broadcast 21 NCAA tournament men’s games.

Unfortunately, fans of NCAA women’s basketball will not be able to watch the tournament on free network television.

How to Watch March Madness on Cable TV

Cable TV subscribers have the best access to the NCAA tournament games.

ESPN and its family of channels (including ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ABC), is the exclusive host of the 2024 women’s NCAA tournament.

March Madness women’s coverage begins at 7 p.m. EST, Wednesday, March 20 on ESPNU and ESPN2 with the First Four games to finalize the field of 64 teams that will play for the championship.

You can check ESPN’s full coverage schedule of the women’s NCAA tournament to make sure you’re catching the games you want to see.

As for the men’s NCAA tournament games, if you have a cable subscription, you can watch the March Madness tournament on the following networks:

• CBS
• TBS
• TNT
• TruTV

All of these networks fall under the TBS family, and you can get the full details on March Madness scheduling on the official TBS website.

How to Watch the NCAA Tournament on Streaming Services

Streaming services offer the most flexibility for watching the 2024 NCAA games.

The following streaming services offer extensive NCAA tournament coverage:

• Hulu Live TV
• Sling with the Sports Extra Add-On
• ESPN+
• DirecTV
• Max
• Paramount+ (only the CBS broadcasts available)
• YouTube TV (which is offering a free 10-day trial right now)

There is also the official NCAA March Madness Live app to download. However, you do need a streaming or cable subscription to access the games on the app.

Where Can You Find the Full Men’s NCAA Tournament Broadcast Schedule?

The official NCAA website has a full list of every men’s game scheduled for TV. There, you’ll find the date and time of each game, the network airing it and who will announce the game.

The NCAA site also has a full list of the women’s games and times on ESPN+.

So, grab your bracket and your TV schedule and get ready for all the madness that ensues on the basketball court!