One thing that happens during March Madness annually is that college basketball fans find themselves searching for the TV channel for the games that they want to watch. Sure, you probably know where to find CBS given its numerous sports offerings, but it's far less likely that you're frequently tuning into TBS or TNT or even TruTV.
That's not to disparage those channels by any stretch of the imagination, but TBS and TNT are often more involved with TV shows and re-runs of movies than they are with sports broadcasts. Still, they do a phenomenal job with their March Madness coverage and fans always want to watch as much of the tourney action as possible.
So if you're a fan searching for TBS during March Madness, we've got you covered with everything you're looking for.
What channel is TBS? Channel number for DirecTV, Xfinity, Spectrum and more
TV Provider | TBS Channel Number |
|---|---|
DirecTV | 247 |
Xfinity | |
DISH | 139 |
Verizon Fios | 52/552 |
U-Verse | 112/1112(HD) |
Spectrum |
Xfinity and Spectrum subscribers won't be able to just look at national listings to find TBS with their provider. Instead, you'll have to check the websites for both services and enter either you full address or just your zip code in order to get the local listings for TBS and other channels. DirecTV, DISH, Verizon Fios and U-Verse, however, have national channel lineups that will be the same for all subscribers, which makes things quite easy.
Does YouTube TV carry TBS? Streaming options including Hulu, Sling and Max
YouTube TV carries TBS as part of their standard package for March Madness and overall, which is a blessing. Many sports fans have cut the cord and chosen to switch to streaming TV providers like YouTube TV, so it's good for college hoops this time of year that they won't be shut out because of that decision.
That's also true for subscribers to Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV as well as both services also carry TBS as part of their standard packages, including in both the Orange and Blue packages available via Sling.
With Turner Sports working in partnership with the NCAA Tournament and now the HBO and Warner Bros. streaming service Max, fans can also stream March Madness games live on Max with a paid subscription to the service.
What March Madness games are on TBS? Full 2025 schedule
Matchup | Date and Time |
|---|---|
16 SIU Edwardsville vs. 1 Houston (Midwest) | Thursday, March 20 - 2 p.m. ET |
9 Georgia vs. 8 Gonzaga (Midwest) | Thursday, March 20 - 4:35 p.m. ET |
13 Yale vs. 4 Texas A&M (South) | Thursday, March 20 - 7:25 p.m. ET |
12 UC San Diego vs. 5 Michigan (South) | Thursday, March 20 - 10 p.m. ET |
12 Colorado State vs. 5 Memphis (West) | Friday, March 21 - 2 p.m. ET |
13 Grand Canyon vs. 4 Maryland (West) | Friday, March 21 - 4:35 p.m. ET |
10 New Mexico vs. 7 Marquette (South) | Friday, March 21 - 7:25 p.m. ET |
15 Bryant vs. 2 Michigan State (South) | Friday, March 21 - 10 p.m. ET |
There are big brands on TBS throughout the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with games from Houston, Gonzaga, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland and more. But there are also a lot of great upset potential matchups. UC San Diego is one of the most picked cinderella candidates while teams like Colorado State and New Mexico were among the best mid-major programs in college basketball this season.
TBS will also have broadcasts for Second Round and Sweet 16 games as well and throughout the tournament, but we will not have those matchups until after the preceding round and will update the schedule.