Short answer: during the regular season, US college basketball is spread across ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC/Peacock and conference networks, following each conference's own TV deal. In March the men's tournament moves to CBS and TNT Sports, and the women's to ESPN and ABC. The catch for 2027: both tournaments expand to 76 teams, which means more opening-round games and an extra layer of early broadcasts to find.
At a glance
College basketball in 2026-27
| Season | November 2026 to early April 2027 |
| Regular season | ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC/Peacock, conference networks |
| Men's tournament | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV |
| Women's tournament | ESPN networks and ABC |
| Men's Final Four | 3 and 5 April 2027, Detroit, on CBS |
The regular season: follow the conference
College basketball has no central national TV deal for the regular season. Each conference sells its own games, so the service you need depends almost entirely on which conference your team plays in.
There are more than 350 Division I teams and thousands of games, so a large share of them are shown only on streaming services or conference networks rather than traditional TV. A cable package on its own won't find every game, which surprises a lot of first-time cord-cutters.
Most fans find that two services cover their team: one carrying the conference's main network partner and, if needed, one for streaming-only games.
Which networks carry which conferences
A guide to the main partners. Individual games move around, so check your team's schedule for each week.
| Conference | Main partners | Services to have |
|---|---|---|
| ACC | ESPN, ABC, ACC Network | ESPN Unlimited |
| SEC | ESPN, ABC, SEC Network | ESPN Unlimited |
| Big 12 | ESPN networks, Fox networks | ESPN Unlimited, Fox One |
| Big Ten | Fox, FS1, Big Ten Network, CBS, NBC/Peacock | Fox One, Peacock, Paramount+ |
| Big East | Fox, FS1 and partner networks | Fox One, plus others for some games |
| Mid-majors | ESPN app streams, CBS Sports Network, conference apps | ESPN Select, conference streaming apps |
Women's games largely follow the same conference partners, with ESPN, Fox and the conference networks carrying many of the headline games and a growing number streamed.
Streaming services and prices
US prices checked in late September 2026, after rises at ESPN and Peacock.
| Service | Useful for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN Unlimited | ESPN channels, ABC, SEC/ACC Network, women's tournament | $31.99/month |
| ESPN Select | Streaming-only games, many mid-majors | $13.99/month |
| Fox One | Fox, FS1, Big Ten Network | $19.99/month |
| Peacock Premium | NBC and Peacock Big Ten games | $12.99/month |
| Paramount+ Premium | CBS games, including March Madness on CBS | $13.99/month |
| HBO Max | March Madness games on TBS, TNT, truTV | From about $11/month |
Live TV services such as YouTube TV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV carry most of the linear channels together, from roughly $80 a month, but they don't include streaming-only games. If you're picking hardware to run these apps on, our guide to the best streaming boxes compares the options.
March Madness 2027: the men's tournament
CBS Sports and TNT Sports share the men's tournament under a deal that runs to 2032. Every game is on CBS, TBS, TNT or truTV. CBS games stream on Paramount+ Premium, and TNT Sports games stream on HBO Max.
| Round | Dates (2027) |
|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | 14 March |
| Opening round (12 games) | 16-17 March |
| First round | 18-19 March |
| Second round | 20-21 March |
| Sweet 16 and Elite Eight | 25-28 March |
| Final Four and championship | 3 and 5 April, Ford Field, Detroit |
CBS and TBS alternate the Final Four and championship, with CBS taking odd-numbered years, so the 2027 Final Four is on CBS and free over the air with an antenna.
The women's tournament
ESPN holds exclusive rights to the women's tournament through 2032. Games are spread across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC, and the championship is guaranteed a slot on ABC. The 2027 Women's Final Four is in Columbus, Ohio, on the same weekend as the men's, with the final traditionally on the Sunday.
For a cord-free setup, ESPN Unlimited covers the whole women's tournament, and an antenna picks up the ABC games.
What the 76-team format changes
The NCAA has expanded both tournaments from 68 to 76 teams from 2027. The practical effect for viewers is a bigger opening round: 12 games before the traditional first round of 64, instead of the four "First Four" games of recent years.
That means more games on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday, spread across more channels. If your team is a bubble side, you're more likely to need a subscription earlier in the week than before.
Practical tips for tournament weeks
- Get HBO Max and Paramount+ for March only. Between them they cover every men's tournament game. Subscribe in early March and cancel after the final.
- Use an antenna for CBS. CBS games, including the 2027 Final Four, are free over the air.
- Use the official NCAA March Madness Live app to see which channel each game is on. It links through to the right sign-in.
- Test your streams before Thursday. The first-round Thursday and Friday are among the heaviest streaming days of the year; sign in early and check your connection.
- Be wary of "all-in-one" offers. Unlicensed IPTV services advertising every tournament game aren't authorised to show them, often collapse under load on the busiest days, and give you no recourse. Our guide to choosing an IPTV subscription explains the warning signs.
Devices and setup for game days
All the services in this guide run on the major streaming platforms: Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, recent Samsung and LG smart TVs, games consoles, phones and web browsers. A few habits make busy basketball days easier.
Sign in to every app once, in advance. Between the ESPN app, Fox One, Peacock, Paramount+ and HBO Max, a college basketball fan may use five apps in a single week. Signing in to each on your TV before the season starts saves missing tip-off to a forgotten password.
Use the NCAA's official app in March. March Madness Live shows every tournament game in one place and links to the right sign-in. It's the easiest way to jump between games during the first-round Thursday and Friday.
Mind the stream limits. Each service limits how many devices can stream at once. In a busy household during the tournament, check your plans so that nobody gets locked out of a close finish.
Check your connection. Most buffering during big games comes from the home network rather than the service. A wired Ethernet cable or strong 5 GHz Wi-Fi to your main streaming device is the single biggest improvement.
Keep an antenna connected. CBS, ABC, Fox and NBC carry many of the biggest games, including the 2027 men's Final Four on CBS. An antenna gives you a free, low-latency backup if a streaming service struggles on a busy night.
For more on choosing hardware, our guide to the best options for streaming sport covers the main platforms.
What a season costs
College basketball runs from November to early April, about five months. Using late-2026 list prices:
- An ACC or SEC fan on ESPN Unlimited pays around $160 for the season, plus a month of Paramount+ and HBO Max in March (about $25 to $35) if their team reaches the men's tournament.
- A Big Ten fan with Fox One and Peacock pays around $33 a month, or about $165 for the season, plus March Madness services.
- A tournament-only viewer can watch every men's game for roughly $25 to $35, using Paramount+ and HBO Max for one month, and every women's game with a month of ESPN Unlimited.
Annual plans rarely make sense unless you use the service for other sport or entertainment year-round.
For the tournament, a simple rule applies: sign up in early March, before Selection Sunday, so you're ready for the opening round, and cancel straight after the final in early April.
Quick answers
What channel is March Madness on? The men's tournament is on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. The women's tournament is on ESPN's networks and ABC.
How can I stream March Madness without cable? Paramount+ Premium for CBS games and HBO Max for TBS, TNT and truTV games. For the women's tournament, ESPN Unlimited.
Where is the 2027 Final Four? The men's Final Four is at Ford Field, Detroit, on 3 and 5 April 2027, on CBS. The women's is in Columbus, Ohio, the same weekend.
How many teams are in the 2027 tournament? 76, up from 68, in both the men's and women's tournaments.
Do I need Peacock for college basketball? Only if you follow a Big Ten team, as some of their games stream on Peacock.
Is the 2027 Final Four free to watch? Yes, with an antenna, because CBS has the Final Four and national championship in 2027.
Which service covers the most regular-season games? ESPN's streaming plans, because ESPN partners with several major conferences and streams many mid-major games.
Regular-season game channels are set week by week, conference TV deals change with realignment, and streaming prices change frequently. The pending Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger may also change how the men's tournament is streamed. Check the NCAA's and your team's official pages before subscribing. Checked September 2026.