How to stream March Madness 2025 on Paramount+: Cost, availability and more

The bracket is set, everyone's upset picks are in and 64 teams have dreams of a national title dancing through their heads. Now that the First Four has come and gone, the 2025 men's NCAA Tournament can begin in earnest, with first-round action beginning on Thursday afternoon.

The first couple days of March Madness are always an overwhelming viewing experience, with 16 games apiece on Thursday and Friday and then eight more on both Saturday and Sunday. That puts stress on even the most experienced of spectators; how can you possibly make sure you're not missing a moment of tourney action?

Paramount+ is an integral part of any college hoops fan's arsenal this time of year, especially for those without a cable subscription. Here's everything to know about the streaming service and how to use it for the NCAA Tournament.

Can you watch March Madness on Paramount+?

Yes, you can stream NCAA Tournament games on Paramount+ — although not all of them.

Broadcast rights to the tourney are split between CBS Sports and TNT Sports, with games carried by all of CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV. But only games presented by CBS will be available for streaming on Paramount+.

The good news is that games will be aired on CBS throughout the tournament, from the first round through the Final Four and national championship game. And you can stream all of those games on Paramount+. For games on TNT, TBS and TruTV, however, you'll have to explore other streaming options. (You can view the full NCAA Tournament broadcast schedule here.)

Paramount+ plans and pricing for March Madness

Paramount+ is currently offering a seven-day free trial for new users, meaning that you can sign up now and at least catch the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. (Although be sure to set reminders to cancel before you're charged once those seven days are up.)

After the free trial, Paramount+ offers two different subscription tiers. There's Paramount+ Essential, which costs $7.99 per month or $59.99 for a full year but does not come with live TV access to your local CBS station. That means that your Essential subscriptoin will not allow you to access March Madness games airing on CBS.

Instead, you'll need Paramount+ with Showtime in order to access CBS for the NCAA Tournament. Again, there is a seven-day free trial, after which you'll haev to pay either $12.99 per month or $119.99 for a full year.

Can you watch March Madness on Paramount+ for free?

Yes, as long as you're a new customer (or offer a unique email address when signing up). A seven-day free trial is available for Paramount+ with Showtime, but just make sure you remember to cancel before being charged if you don't want to be on the hook for $12.99 a month.

How Paramount+ compares to other March Madness streaming options

Paramount+ offers a relatively limited variety of March Madness games. You will get most of the most important action, and the free trial certainly is a nice option. But if you're looking for wall-to-wall tournament games, you might want to look elsewhere.

YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream provide users with all of TBS, TNT, TruTV and CBS. So while those options are more expensive, they give access to every second of March Madness.