March Madness: where every NCAA Tournament game lives in 2026.

CBS + Warner Bros. Discovery (TBS + TNT + TruTV) have shared the NCAA Men's Tournament since 2010. Current 8-year extension runs through 2032 at ~$1.1B/yr. Final Four rotates CBS/TBS year-to-year. 2026 Final Four is on CBS — free OTA. Every other tournament game requires cable, but the network/cable split is more predictable than most sports.

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$7.99/mo — every CBS-aired NCAA tournament game streams here. Pair with HBO Max for TBS/TNT/truTV games.

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Where every NCAA Tournament round lives

Round	Networks	Free OTA?	Streaming
First Four (Tue-Wed)	TruTV	NO	NCAA March Madness Live (cable login) or HBO Max
First Round (Thu-Fri)	CBS + TBS + TNT + TruTV	~25% on CBS	NCAA March Madness Live + HBO Max + Paramount+
Second Round (Sat-Sun)	CBS + TBS + TNT + TruTV	~25% on CBS	Same
Sweet 16 (Thu-Fri)	CBS + TBS	50% on CBS	Paramount+ for CBS, HBO Max for TBS
Elite 8 (Sat-Sun)	CBS + TBS	50% on CBS	Same
Final Four (Sat)	CBS (2026)	YES	Paramount+ simulcast
National Championship (Mon)	CBS (2026)	YES	Paramount+ simulcast

2026: CBS year. 2027: TBS year. Alternates annually.

Cheapest stacks for the Tournament

"Just the Final Four + Championship": Antenna only = $0/mo. CBS broadcast covers the marquee games in 2026.

"All 67 games on TV": Antenna + HBO Max ($16.99/mo) + Paramount+ ($7.99/mo) ≈ $25/mo for the month of March. Cancel after the Championship. Saves vs. cable.

"NCAA March Madness Live app": Free with any cable login OR works free during early rounds with limited time per session. Best mobile companion app.

"Cable cord-haver": Most cable packages include CBS + TBS + TNT + TruTV. Just use the cable login on the NCAA app.

The NCAA Women's Tournament

Different rights deal. The women's tournament is on ESPN family:

First Round + Second Round — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+. Cable / streamer required.
Sweet 16 + Elite 8 — ESPN + ESPN2. Mostly cable.
Women's Final Four + Championship — ABC simulcast (free OTA) starting 2026. Previously ESPN-only.

The Caitlin Clark / Iowa effect drove massive ratings. The 2026 Women's Final Four moving to ABC is a huge accessibility win.

Bracket selection + Selection Sunday

Selection Sunday — the Sunday before First Four. CBS airs the bracket reveal show. Free OTA on CBS broadcast, Paramount+ stream.

Bracket picks — every major sports site runs free bracket challenges. ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, FanDuel, DraftKings all have bracket products. Most don't require a TV subscription.

Verified 2026-05-17 via project-docs/SPORTS-RIGHTS-MASTER.md

NCAA Men's Tournament: $8.8B / 8yr · CBS + Warner Bros. Discovery through 2032.

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