How to watch March Madness in 2026: TV schedule, channels, radio

At long last, March Madness is here. Sooner rather than later, we're going to figure out which teams have Cinderella runs in them and which team will cut down the nets in Indianapolis. The entire tournament, from Selection Sunday to the First Four to the Final Four, is must-see TV with all the drama that's going to unfold. With that, here's how everything can be watched and listened to.

How to watch and stream Selection Sunday

Before games can be played, Selection Sunday takes place. Selection Sunday is the event that reveals which 68 teams will be part of the official March Madness tournament. Here's how that can be watched and streamed.

• Date: Sunday, March 15
• Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
• Channel: CBS Sports and Paramount+

The show can be watched exclusively on CBS Sports through your cable provider. If you aren't in front of your TV, you can watch Selection Sunday on the CBS Sports app using your cable login. For those without Cable, a Paramount+ subscription will be required to stream the event.

For those without Cable, a Paramount+ subscription will be required to watch the game.

How to watch March Madness in 2026

Conference championships are set to wrap up on Sunday, and that'll be followed shortly thereafter by Selection Sunday. Here's how that, and the games that'll follow, can be watched.

You'll need access to four different cable channels to watch the entirety of the tournament from start to finish, with CBS and truTV being featured a lot in the beginning of March Madness and the final two rounds taking place exclusively on TBS. For those without cable, there's a rather easy way to watch the games.

How to stream March Madness

For all games on TBS, TNT and truTV, live streams can be found on HBO Max. There are two subscription options that carry March Madness games, and unfortunately, those two options do not include HBO Max's cheapest subscription offer. The standard subscription, which allows you to watch on two devices, is $18.49 per month and $184.99 for a year. The premium subscription, which allows you to watch on four devices, is $22.99 per month and $229.99 for a year. Since the tournament is less than a month, only one month of this subscription is truly needed if watching March Madness is your only motivation.

HBO Max includes three of the four channels broadcasting games, but leaves out CBS, the exclusive home to Selection Sunday and much of the tournament. Games played on CBS can be streamed on Paramount+, with two subscription offers. The Paramount+ Essential plan is $8.99 per month and $89.99 for a year-long subscription. The Paramount+ Premium plan is $13.99 per month and $133.99 per year.

It's very important that if you plan on only using these streaming services for one month, that you cancel the subscription before its expiration date, ensuring you don't get charged for a second month.

How to listen to March Madness on the radio

While watching the games is obviously preferred, not everyone is able to sit in front of their televisions for weeks at the right time. For those looking to catch the games on the go or in the middle of work, the radio is your best bet. Fortunately, there are a couple of easy ways to listen to games.

SiriusXM has the entire tournament available, and its all-access plan, which includes in-car and app capabilities, can be accessed for just $1 for new users. That $1 covers the first three months, which gets you all of March Madness and much more. Of course, cancelling before the three months is important, as if the subscription renews beyond that, it'll set you back $25.99 monthly.

For those looking to spend no money at all, the games can be listened to on the TuneIn App, which carries Westwood One's broadcast, or on your local radio affiliates.

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