Club Benefits
Major shocks are common March Madness currency, but for 2026 the NCAA Selection Committee has kept its nose relatively clean. Duke, Arizona, Florida and Michigan enter the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as No.1 seeds, the Blue Devils having been named the overall top seed on Selection Sunday.
Here's how to watch March Madness live streams from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for FREE!
March Madness 2026 runs from Tuesday, March 17 to Monday, April 6. Full schedule below.
• WATCH FREE — All games on DAZN (U.K.)
• U.S. — TBS, TNT & TruTV via Sling and Paramount Plus
• Watch free when outside U.K — NordVPN 100% risk free
Duke, incidentally, beat Michigan 68-63 last month, thanks in no small part to a dazzling performance from prospective 2026 NBA Draft No.1 pick Cameron Boozer. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson will also have plenty of NBA suitors watching with great interest.
Florida are perhaps a little higher than expected, having fallen to a 73-77 defeat by UConn back in in December. The Huskies sit directly below Duke in the East Regional pecking order, as the No.6 overall seed. Houston, Iowa State and Purdue — who upset Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament championship game — are the other No.2 seeds.
The 68-team March Madness field is made up of the 31 conference tournament champions and 37 NCAA Committee selections. The four lowest-ranked automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-ranked picks will face off in the preliminary First Four round to whittle the field down to 64 for the tournament proper.
Check out all of the TV and streaming details below to find out how to watch March Madness 2026 from anywhere, including free options.
March Madness schedule 2026
Click to see more ▼
Sunday, March 15
6 p.m. — Selection Sunday | CBS
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday, March 17 — Wednesday, March 18 | TruTV
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 19 — Friday, March 20 | CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV
SECOND ROUND
Saturday, March 21 — Sunday, March 22 | CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV
SWEET 16
Thursday, March 26 — Friday, March 27 | CBS, TBS/TruTV
ELITE EIGHT
Saturday, March 28 — Sunday, March 29 | CBS, TBS/TruTV
FINAL FOUR
Saturday, April 4 | TBS, TNT, TruTV
2026 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Monday, April 6 | TBS, TNT, TruTV
(All times ET)
How to watch March Madness 2026 for FREE
Good news! All March Madness games are free-to-air on DAZN in the U.K.. Just register an account and you'll be able to tune in.
Outside the U.K.? You'll need to use this VPN to unblock DAZN UK and watch that free March Madness coverage. Details below...
How to watch March Madness 2026 from anywhere
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching college basketball on your usual subscription?
You can still tune into March Madness live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear as if they're back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:
Watch March Madness 2026 in the U.S. without cable
In the U.S., March Madness is split between TBS, TNT, TruTV and CBS.
If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package, you can watch every game live via an OTT cable TV alternative.
TBS, TNT and TruTV also simulcast their games on Max, which starts at $16.99/month for a plan that includes live sports.
CBS simulcasts its coverage on Paramount Plus. Plans start at $13.99/month, but you can get 30 days for $1 by signing up to Walmart Plus.
How to watch March Madness 2026 in the U.K.
In the U.K., March Madness is free-to-air on DAZN.
Alternatively, Disney Plus will stream all of the games as well with prices starting at just £5.99.
If you're on holiday outside the U.K., you can still follow your usual March Madness basketball live streams by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.
How to watch March Madness 2026 in Canada
TSN is providing comprehensive March Madness coverage in Canada.
TSN Plus grants access to everything TSN has to offer for just CA$8/month or CA$80/year.
If you live in Canada but aren't at home right now, you can still watch March Madness live streams by using a quality VPN like NordVPN to unlock your usual service.
How to watch March Madness 2026 in Australia
In Australia, college basketball has been subject to a lot of chopping and changing this season, but it appears to have found a home on ESPN via Foxtel as well as Disney Plus.
Don't have Foxtel? ESPN's coverage is also shown on Kayo Sports — grab a 7-day FREE trial now.
After the freebie trial, Kayo plans start from AU$30/month and include NFL, cricket, AFL, rugby, F1 2026 and more.
Not in Australia right now? You can use a VPN like NordVPN to tune in on your account as if you were back home.
More from Tom's Guide
- How to watch Premier League live streams from anywhere
- The best VPN services in 2026
- How to watch Sling TV
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
