March Madness 2026: free streams, how to watch college basketball, tournament schedule

The 2026 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament—colloquially known as March Madness—tips off its three-week, 68-team sprint on Tuesday, 17 March, and global viewers have more ways than ever to follow every buzzer-beater without a cable contract.

Selection Sunday locked the bracket into four regions, with Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida claiming the coveted No. 1 seeds after dominant regular-season runs. Thirty-one automatic qualifiers punched tickets via conference-tournament triumphs, while the Selection Committee awarded the remaining 37 at-large bids, setting the stage for upsets from the First Four through the Final Four.

First Four match-ups open the festivities on 17-18 March, highlighted by No. 16 UMBC versus No. 16 Howard and a pair of No. 11-seed play-ins featuring Texas vs. NC State and Miami (Ohio) vs. SMU. The traditional First and Second Rounds follow on 19-22 March, narrowing the field for the Sweet 16 (26-27 March) and Elite Eight (28-29 March).

How to watch, wherever you are

United Kingdom: DAZN has lifted its paywall for every game, offering completely free, English-language streams. No subscription is required; viewers simply log in via browser or app.

United States: Sling TV’s Blue package ($45.99 monthly, first month half-price) aggregates TBS, TruTV and access to CBS’ March Madness Live hub. Paramount+ and HBO Max also carry select games tied to CBS and Turner networks respectively.

Australia: Kayo Sports streams featured contests, with new users eligible for a seven-day free trial. After the trial, plans start at AU$29.99 monthly; Foxtel Now’s Sports add-on ($30) provides an alternative route.

Beat geo-blocks with a VPN

All major platforms enforce location checks. Travelling abroad? A VPN allows subscribers to spoof their region and retain home-country access. NordVPN is recommended for speed, stability and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Key prospects to track

Beyond the top-seeded powers, scouts will monitor BYU, Kansas and North Carolina, plus projected lottery picks AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer.

Tip-off times adjust by round; consult the official NCAA schedule to avoid missing a possession of college basketball’s grandest spectacle.