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March madness season is here With 68 teams playing in 67 live games across the country, from Houston, Texas to New York City, there’s plenty of action to follow over the next month, including tonight’s Round of 32 game: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Kansas Jayhawks.
If you want to tune in in time for the tip, here’s what you need to know: Tonight’s game starts at 5:15 p.m. on CBS, and the best way to watch if you don’t have an old-school cable package is on Paramount+.
The best way to watch today’s game:
Paramount+ Premium, $10 per month
Affordable way to watch most March Madness games:
Sling TV Orange & Blue, $30 (reduced from $60) for your first month
Bundle with each March Madness game:
DirecTV Stream “Ultimate” tier, $110 and up per month
Here’s how to watch the Razorbacks vs. Jayhawks game today
#1 Kansas vs. #8 Arkansas begins today at 5:15 p.m. ET. You can watch the Kansas vs. Arkansas Showdown on CBS. Our recommendation for today’s game? Outstanding+.
All March Madness games airing on CBS can be streamed simultaneously with 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 any Paramount+ tier free for 7 days.
Paramount+, $5 and up per month
How to watch First Round March Madness games:
Stay up to date with the March Madness schedule. CBS Essentials knows where to catch upcoming round of 32 games.
Saturday, March 18 (Round of 32. All times Eastern)
- No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 13 Furman | 12:10 p.m. | CBS
- No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 5 Duke | 2:40 p.m. | CBS
- #1 Kansas vs. #8 Arkansas | 5:15 p.m. | CBS
- No. 7 Missouri vs. No. 15 Princeton | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
- #1 Houston vs. #9 Auburn | 7:10 p.m. | TBS
- No. 2 Texas vs. No. 10 Penn State | 7:45 p.m. | CBS
- No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 7 Northwestern | 8:40 p.m. | TNT
- No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 8 Maryland | 9:40 p.m. | TBS
Sunday, March 19 (Round of 32nd All Times Eastern)
You can view the full men’s squad on CBS Sports. Here’s how to watch all 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 house 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.
Outstanding+
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All March Madness games airing on CBS can be streamed simultaneously with 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 any Paramount+ tier free for 7 days.
Paramount+ Premium, $10 per month
Sling TV
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An inexpensive way to stream basketball is with a Sling TV subscription. Right now there’s a special offer – Sling TV is offering $20 off your first month. (Sling TV is typically $40+ per month for plans that include live sports.) There’s no long-term contract, so you can only sign up to stream March Madness basketball games and cancel afterwards if you would like.
Sling Orange & Blue starts at just $30 for your first month and gets you access to games on TBS, TNT, truTV, and ESPN. You also get 50 hours of DVR storage (cloud) so you can record any games you miss or watch good games, and you can watch on up to three devices (so you can hypothetical Share this subscription with everyone else in your bracket pool). The best thing about Sling? there is no contract or long-term commitments. Quit whenever you want – even if it’s right after your team’s defeat!
Sling TV also offers NBA TV through its sports add-on. For an extra $11 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
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A Hulu Live TV subscription provides access to all the major channels airing March Madness games in 2023, 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 2023 game. You also get access to more than 65 other live and on-demand channels of live sports, news and entertainment.
Hulu + Live TV, $70+ per month
DirecTV Stream: TBS, TNT, TruTV, CBS Sports Network, ESPN
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DirecTV Stream certainly doesn’t come 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 has NCAA offers tournament coverage) and ESPN. Plus NBC, Fox and more.
DirecTV Stream services start at $75 per month. But to get every channel you need for March Madness, you’ll need the Ultimate tier, which costs a whopping $110 per month.
DirecTV Stream, $75 and up per month
Watch local CBS with a boosted HDTV antenna
Amazon
Most March Madness games are 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. An Amazon best-seller, this HDTV antenna claims a range of 200 miles and comes with a 17-foot coaxial cable. Rated 4 stars by Amazon reviewers.
Boosted HDTV Antenna, $22 after coupon (reduced from $27)
Who is playing at NCAA March Madness 2023?
This year’s NCAA March Madness tournament will feature 68 Division I college basketball teams.
To see the full range of teams, visit our sister site CBS Sports.
2023 March Madness Timeline:
2023 March Madness Schedule (Men):
March 12: Selection Sunday
14-15 March: First Four
16-17 March: First round
18-19 March: Second round
23-24 March: Sweet 16
25-26 March: Elite Eight
April 1: Final Four
April 3: NCAA championship game
March Madness Schedule 2023 (Women):
15-16 March: First Four
17-18 March: First round
19-20 March: Second round
24-25 March: Sweet 16
26-27 March: Elite Eight
March 31: Final Four
April 2: NCAA women’s championship game
The best TV deals ahead of March Madness 2023
If you want to create the ultimate NCAA tournament experience at home, it might be time to upgrade your home theater. Read on to discover 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, set to compete with Samsung’s ‘The Frame’, features a gallery design that ‘huggs against the wall’. This Smart TV is meant to blend in seamlessly with any other wall art you might have.
The OLED TV offers 4K upscaling, a Filmmaker mode to enhance your viewing experience with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, and 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 actually looks like wall art hanging in my showroom,” they commented.
65-inch LG G2 Series OLED evo Gallery Edition Smart TV, $1,997 (normally $3,000)
65″ Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV: $1,698
Amazon
Sony’s 65-inch 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 offers access to Google TV and works with most voice assistants.
65″ Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV, $1,698 (reduced from $2,300)
Amazon Fire TV Omni Series 75-inch 4K Smart TV: $800
Amazon
This 75-inch Amazon Fire TV offers a 4K UHD display and improved color and clarity thanks to Dolby Vision. The TV also supports voice control with Amazon Alexa. Its high picture quality and large format make this TV a solid choice for football fans – plus it’s hard to find such a big screen at such a low price. This deal is exclusive to Prime members, but non-Prime buyers can still snag the TV for $800.
75″ Amazon Fire TV Omni Series 4K Smart TV, $800 (reduced from $1,100)
65-inch TCL Roku Smart TV: $368
TCL via Walmart
This top-of-the-line TCL Roku TV is an extremely affordable option that uses the user-friendly Roku interface.
“I just bought this TV last week and I’m really impressed with the amazing picture, great sound and easy setup,” wrote a Walmart customer. “If you want an affordable TV, TCL is the way to go. I have nothing negative 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-inch 4K TV with Alexa Built-in: $340
Amazon
A medium-sized TV with a diagonal of 55 to 65 inches is the ideal 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 enough room for people to get up and walk past to enjoy more game day snacks.
Amazon Fire 4-Series TV 55″ 4K TV with Alexa Built-in, $340 (reduced from $520)
55″ Elements 4K Roku Outdoor TV: $1,168
Walmart
This weatherproof IP55 TV with HDR10 is designed for all-season outdoor use – it works in temperatures from -4°F to 104°F. It features a hardened, anti-glare screen that’s bright enough to be used in partial sun.
55-inch Elements 4K Outdoor TV, $1,168
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