It’s that time of year again — March Madness is officially tipping off, and 68 teams across Division I men’s and women’s college basketball are set to battle for the ultimate prize. The chaos begins on Tuesday, March 18, with The First Four — a play-in round featuring the lowest-ranked conference champions and the final at-large teams scraping their way into the main bracket.
On the women’s side, their First Four kicks off a day later on Wednesday, March 19, meaning you don’t have much time to finalize your bracket (or let an AI generate one for you).
Either way, if you’re looking to stream or watch every first-round game of March Madness, here’s everything you need to know:
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How to watch men’s 2025 March Madness tournament
The men’s bracket opening games will be on CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV. As usual, The First Four will air exclusively on TruTV, continuing a tradition that dates back to 2011. Once the Round of 64 kicks off, games will be split between CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV.
Must-watch matchups:
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(7) Kansas vs. (10) Arkansas – CBS/Paramount+
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(8) Louisville vs. (9) Creighton – CBS/Paramount+
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(6) Missouri vs. (11) Drake – TruTV/Max
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(5) Memphis vs. (12) UC San Diego – TBS/Max
No cable? No problem. CBS games will stream on Paramount+, while TNT, TBS, and TruTV matchups will be available on Max.
How to watch women’s 2025 March Madness tournament
Unlike the men’s tournament, which is spread across multiple networks, the women’s bracket will be exclusively broadcast on the ESPN family of channels — including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, and ABC.
Must-watch matchups:
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(3) LSU vs. (14) San Diego State – ESPN
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(1) South Carolina vs. (16) Tennessee Tech – ESPN
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(7) Louisville vs. (10) Nebraska – ESPN
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(8) California vs. (9) Mississippi State – ESPN2
No ESPN+? No problem. You can still catch the action through Sling or FuboTV. But keep in mind—some games might be region-locked, so if you’re traveling (or just want to be safe), a VPN is a smart move. Check out our best VPNs list to find the right one for streaming.
