We did it, folks. We got through February and made it to March. High fives all around. Of course, our reward is a few weeks of thrilling victories, upsetting defeats and nothin' but net as we immerse ourselves in the craziness that is March Madness.
The NCAA men's basketball tournament isn't called March Madness just because the games themselves are so unpredictable. It's also the fact that there are so many games packed into one short period of time. Between now and April 6, the date of the national championship game, the 68 teams in the tournament will play a total of 67 games. That's even more TV-watching than the three seasons of House of Cards you keep meaning to binge-watch.
Yeah, it's that serious. With that much TV coverage, you're going to need a plan of attack so that you can get the most out of March Madness this year as possible. Luckily, it's pretty easy this year to keep up with all of the action, whether you still watch TV on an actual TV set or prefer to stare at a tiny smartphone screen while you're on the go. Here's how you can watch every March Madness game this year on your platform of choice.
Actually Watch The Games On TV
First and foremost, all of this year's March Madness games will be broadcast live on CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV. The first round of the tournament begins Tuesday, March 17 at 6:40 p.m. EST on truTV when Manhattan faces Hampton. The schedule of the games is only available through Friday, March 20 right now since we don't know which teams will advance just yet, but you can find a full listing, complete with times and channels, here.
There's An App For That
You can stream all of the games live through the March Madness Live app. However, any games broadcast on TNT, TBS and truTV require that you subscribe to one of the participating cable providers to be able to log in. You can also live-stream games through the TNT, TBS and truTV websites with the proper credentials. However, if you're a proud cord cutter, all hope is not lost yet. All of the games that are broadcast on CBS do not require a log-in and are free to view in their entirety through March Madness Live. You also get a complimentary preview of any of the games streaming on March Madness Live, but you will eventually be prompted to provide your log-in info after a period of time. If you don't have it, you won't be able to continue watching the game, and that's not fun for anyone involved. The March Madness Live app also allows you to stream all of the games through Android, iOS and Windows devices.
Catch The Highlights For Free
This is more of an option for those who don't actually want to sit down and watch each of the March Madness games but still want to be a part of the conversation. March Madness has a whole new YouTube channel for the tournament this year, which will feature all of the ups and downs of the competition. You can even subscribe to the channel so keeping up with all of the action will be as easy as checking your email.
Try This Hack
You may have heard of Sling TV, Dish TV's new streaming service that gives you access to a bunch of cable channels, like TBS and TNT, without a cable subscription. While Sling TV normally costs $20 a month, as Money points out, you can sign up for a seven-day free trial to catch all of the games aired live on TBS and TNT. Unfortunately, the tournament lasts for more than a week, so you might want to wait to sign up toward the end when March Madness really heats up. Just be sure to cancel your account before the seven-day period is over. Or, you could use Sling TV to watch the games from the beginning, pay the $20 subscription fee and catch March Madness in its entirety. If you're a cord cutter and a basketball freak, this might just be the best option for you.
Now that you know how to watch March Madness, check out these tips on filling out a winning bracket.
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