How to watch the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8 of March Madness 2025 for free—and without cable
With two rounds done, bracket busting season is in full swing.
The Rounds of 64 and 32 saw some shocking finishes, but as March Madness enters the Sweet 16, things are about to get much more tense for people looking to win their office pool.
See, normally, this is where we’d talk about whether your bracket was still perfect, but with Kentucky’s victory over Illinois in the Round of 32, the NCAA reported there were zero perfect brackets remaining. (Of course, the NCAA doesn’t keep track of office pools, etc. so maybe you’re still going strong. If so, congratulations!)
The third and fourth rounds of the NCAA Tournament get underway Thursday and this is the chance for underdogs to shine even brighter. No. 10 Arkansas’ victory over No. 2 St John’s and BYU’s victory over Wisconsin could end up looking downright sedate as Cinderella stories continue to be written.
Here’s when and where the Sweet 16 games will be airing and ways to watch for free, without a cable subscription.
When and where do Sweet 16 games of March Madness 2025 air?
The 2025 NCAA Tournament will take place in several segments. Here’s when and where you can catch the games this year.
Sweet 16
March 27
BYU vs. Alabama, 7:09 p.m. on CBS
Maryland vs. Florida, 7:39 p.m. on TBS
Arizona vs. Duke, 9:39 p.m. on CBS
Arkansas vs. Texas Tech, 10:09 p.m. on TBS
March 28
Ole Miss vs. Michigan State, 7:09 p.m. on CBS
Kentucky vs. Tennessee, 7:39 p.m. on TBS
Michigan vs. Auburn, 9:39 p.m. on CBS
Purdue vs. Houston, 10:09 p.m. on TBS
Elite 8
March 29-30 –Sweet 16 winners won’t get a lot of downtime. Regional championships will be played on Saturday, March 29 on TBS, with CBS carrying the Sunday games.
Final Four
April 5 – The penultimate games will air on CBS.
NCAA championship game
April 7 – The champion will be decided on Monday at 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS.
How can I watch March Madness games for free?
You’ll catch more of these games than you did of the first two rounds. CBS is the host for several Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games, along with this year’s Final Four and NCAA championship matches. The best way to watch any sort of network programming for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. To ensure you're getting the most reliable signal for the CBS-carried games, you'll want to test the antenna in multiple locations in your home.
Can I watch March Madness online?
You bet! If you have a cable subscription, but aren’t near a TV, you can log into TBS.com, TNTdrama.com and truTV.com (or the TBS, TNT or truTV apps) for games carried on those channels. (You’ll need to log-in with your cable or satellite provider username and password.) And both CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery will be streaming games on their respective streaming services.
Paramount+
CBS’s streaming service will give you a one-week free trial, followed by a $8 or $13 monthly charge.
Max
The one-time HBO Max doesn’t have a free trial, unfortunately. Subscriptions start at $9.99 per month.
Disney+
Disney's bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you’ll have to pay $17 per month for all three combined (or $30 per month for no ads on Hulu).
Including Live TV in the bundle bumps the price to $77 per month ($90 with no ads).
Hulu with Live TV
The free trial on this service lasts three days. Afterward, it will cost you $77 per month.
YouTubeTV
After a free trial, you can expect monthly charges of $73.
Sling TV
Dish Network's Sling lower-tiered "Orange" plan will run you $40 per month. Adding the more comprehensive "Blue" plan bumps the cost to $55 per month. The seven-day free trial has disappeared, unfortunately.
DirecTV Stream
Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow and AT&T TV, this oft-renamed streaming service will run you $80 per month and up after the free trial option.
Fubo TV
This sports-focused cord-cutting service carries broadcast networks in most markets. There's a seven-day free trial, followed by monthly charges of $80 and up, depending on the channels you choose.
Does the NCAA offer any service for me to watch the game I want?
Yep. March Madness Live will stream every game on the NCAA Website, as well as Apple, Android, Amazon and Roku devices. You’ll need to log in with your username and password from your TV provider.
Can I watch March Madness games on Amazon?
No. NCAA Tournament games do not stream on Amazon.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
