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March Madness the season is here. With 68 teams playing in 67 live games across the country, from Houston, Texas to New York, there’s plenty of action to follow over the next month, including today’s Round of 32 game: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Kansas Jayhawks.
If you want to tune in in time for a tip, here’s what you need to know: Tonight’s game starts at 5:15 PM on CBS, and the best way to watch if you don’t have an old-school cable package is with Paramount+.
The best way to watch today’s match:
Paramount+ Premium, $10 per month
An affordable way to watch most March Madness games:
Sling TV Orange & Blue, $30 (reduced from $60) for your first month
Bundle with every March Madness game:
DirecTV Stream “Ultimate” tier, $110 and up per month
How to watch the Razorbacks vs. Jayhawks game today
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 8 Arkansas starts today at 5:15 PM ET. You can watch the Kansas vs. Arkansas game on CBS. Our recommendation for watching tonight’s game? Paramount+.
All March Madness games broadcast on CBS will be available to stream simultaneously with the Paramount+ premium tier subscription. Paramount+ has two plans: the ad-supported Essential plan, available for $5 per month, and the ad-free Premium plan, available for $10 per month. You can also try one of the Paramount+ levels for free for 7 days.
Paramount+, $5 and up per month
How to watch First Round March Madness games:
Keep up with the March Madness schedule. CBS Essentials knows where you can watch the upcoming round of 32 games.
Saturday, March 18 (Round 32. All times Eastern)
- #5 San Diego State vs. #13 Furman | 12:10 p.m. | CBS
- #4 Tennessee vs. #5 Duke | 14:40 | CBS
- #1 Kansas vs. #8 Arkansas | 17:15 | CBS
- #7 Missouri vs. #15 Princeton | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
- #1 Houston vs. #9 Auburn | 19:10 | TBS
- #2 Texas vs. #10 Penn State | 19:45 | CBS
- No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 7 Northwestern | 8:40 p.m. | TNT
- #1 Alabama vs. #8 Maryland | 21:40 | TBS
Sunday, March 19 (Round 32. All Times Eastern)
You can see the full men’s bracket on CBS sports. Here’s how to watch all the upcoming games on CBS, TNT, ESPN and more.
Where to watch March Madness games?
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While CBS serves as the official cable television home for this year’s Men’s March Madness tournament, live NCAA basketball games will also be broadcast on TBS, TNT and truTV. The 2023 women’s tournament will be broadcast on ESPN.
Paramount+
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All March Madness games broadcast on CBS will be available to stream simultaneously with the Paramount+ premium tier subscription. Paramount+ has two plans: the ad-supported Essential plan, available for $5 per month, and the ad-free Premium plan, available for $10 per month. You can also try one of the Paramount+ levels for free for 7 days.
Paramount+ Premium, $10 per month
Sling TV
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One cost-effective way to stream basketball is with a Sling TV subscription. There’s a special offer right now — Sling TV is offering $20 off your first month. (Sling TV typically costs $40 and up per month for plans that include live sports.) There’s no long-term contract, so you can sign up just to stream March Madness basketball games and cancel afterward if you want.
Sling Orange & Blue starts at just $30 for your first month and will give you access to games on TBS, TNT, truTV and ESPN. It also gives you 50 hours of DVR (cloud) storage so you can record any games you missed or watch good games back and you can watch on up to three devices (so you can hypothetically share this subscription with everyone else in your bracket set). The best part of Sling? no contract or long-term commitments. Cancel whenever you want – even if it’s right after your team loses!
Sling TV also offers NBA TV through its sports supplement. For $11 extra each month, you can get NBA TV, NHL Network, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more.
Sling TV Orange & Blue, $30 (reduced from $60) for your first month
Hulu + Live TV
Photos by Jack Dempsey/NCAA via Getty Images
A Hulu Live TV subscription offers access to all major channels broadcasting 2023 March Madness games, including your local CBS channel, TBS, TNT and truTV. Plus, Hulu + Live TV can now be bundled with ad-supported Disney+ and ESPN+, giving you access to every March Madness game in 2023. You’ll also get access to more than 65 other live channels and on on demand with live sports, news and entertainment.
Hulu + Live TV, $70 and up per month
DirecTV Stream: TBS, TNT, TruTV, CBS Sports Network, ESPN
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DirecTV Stream certainly isn’t cheap, but its $110 “Ultimate” tier gives you all the networks an NCAA fan could want, including TBS, TNT, TruTV, CBS Sports Network (which also offers NCAA tournament coverage in addition to CBS) and ESPN. Plus NBC, Fox and more.
Prices for DirecTV Stream services start at $75 per month. But to get every channel you need for March Madness, you need the “Ultimate” tier, which costs a whopping $110 per month.
DirecTV Stream, $75 and up per month
Watch local CBS with an amplified HDTV antenna
Amazon
Most March Madness games will be broadcast by local CBS affiliates, so a digital antenna is a great option for watching the game if you don’t have a cable or streaming subscription. This HDTV antenna, an Amazon bestseller, claims a range of 200 miles and comes with a 17-foot coaxial cable. Rated 4 stars by Amazon reviewers.
Amplified HDTV Antenna, $22 after coupon (reduced from $27)
Who is participating in NCAA March Madness 2023?
This year’s NCAA March Madness tournament will feature 68 Division I basketball teams.
To see the full slate of teams, visit our partner site, CBS Sports.
March Madness Schedule 2023:
March Madness Schedule 2023 (Men):
March 12: Selection Sunday
March 14-15: First Four
March 16-17: First round
March 18-19: Second round
March 23-24: Sweet 16
March 25-26: Elite Eight
April 1: Final Four
April 3: NCAA Championship Game
March Madness 2023 Schedule (Women):
March 15-16: First Four
March 17-18: First round
March 19-20: Second round
March 24-25: Sweet 16
March 26-27: Elite Eight
March 31: Final Four
April 2: NCAA Women’s Championship
The best TV deals before March Madness 2023
If you’re looking to create the ultimate NCAA Tournament experience at home, it might be time to upgrade your home theater. Keep reading to check out the best deals great TVs for watching sports and more.
LG G2 Series OLED evo Gallery Edition Smart TV: $1,997
LG via Amazon
According to the brand, this LG TV, designed to compete with Samsung’s “The Frame”, has a gallery design that “hugs the wall”. This smart tv is designed to blend seamlessly with any other wall art you may have.
The OLED TV features 4K upscaling, Filmmaker mode to enhance your viewing experience with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, plus built-in access to Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV plus, Disney Plus and LG channels.
An Amazon customer called the TV “the best 4K panel I’ve ever owned.” “The panel really looks like a mural hanging in my viewing room,” they commented.
65″ LG G2 Series OLED evo Gallery Edition Smart TV, $1,997 (regularly $3,000)
65″ Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV: $1,698
Amazon
The 65-inch Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV features a cognitive processor designed to deliver intense contrast with pure blacks, high peak brightness and natural colors. Thanks to its Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, the screen is the speaker. This smart TV comes with access to Google TV and works with most voice assistants.
65″ Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV, $1,698 (reduced from $2,300)
75″ Amazon Fire TV Omni Series 4K Smart TV: $800
Amazon
This 75-inch Amazon Fire TV offers a 4K UHD display and enhanced color and clarity thanks to Dolby Vision. The TV also supports voice control with Amazon Alexa. The high-quality picture quality and large size make this TV a solid choice for football fans — and it’s hard to find such a large screen at such a low price. This deal is exclusive to Prime members, but non-Prime buyers can still get the TV on sale for $800.
75″ Amazon Fire TV Omni Series 4K Smart TV, $800 (reduced from $1,100)
65″ TCL Roku Smart TV: $368
TCL via Walmart
This top-rated TCL Roku TV is an ultra-affordable option that uses the user-friendly Roku interface.
“Recently purchased this TV last week and am really impressed with its amazing picture, great sound and easy setup,” writes a Walmart customer. “If you want an affordable TV, TCL is the way to go. I have nothing bad to say about the TV and would buy TVs from this brand again in the near future.”
65″ TCL Roku 4K Smart TV, $368
Amazon Fire 4-Series TV 55″ 4K TV with built-in Alexa: $340
Amazon
A medium-sized TV, 55 to 65 inches diagonally, is the perfect size for many living rooms. The best viewing distance for a 55-inch 4K TV, like this model, is between 4.5 and 7 feet. This leaves plenty of room for people to get up and go for more snacks from the day’s game.
Amazon Fire 4-Series TV 55″ 4K TV with built-in Alexa, $340 (reduced from $520)
55″ Elements 4K Outdoor Roku TV: $1,168
Walmart
This IP55 weatherproof TV with HDR10 is designed for outdoor use in all seasons — operating in temperatures from -4ºF to 104ºF. It features a tempered anti-glare screen that’s bright enough to use in partial sun.
55″ Elements 4K Outdoor TV, $1,168