NCAA March Madness is just days away and we’ve got all of the details you need to catch every game. The tournament runs from March 13 through April 4 on CBS and Turner Sports (TNT, TBS and truTV).
If you’ve cut the cable cord and need alternative streaming options for the 2022 NCAA March Madness tournament, we recommend a combination of Paramount+ and SlingTV to ensure you never miss a game. Add a quality VPN to your set up and you can enjoy all of the NCAA games from anywhere with an internet connection. Just follow the steps below:
- Sign up for a sports streaming VPN. We recommend NordVPN for its lightning-fast speeds and connections, and its large network of American servers.
- Download and install the software onto your favorite streaming device.
- Open the app and log in with the credentials you created during registration.
- Connect to a US server. NordVPN has plenty of American servers to choose from.
- Sign in to SlingTV or Paramount+.
- Start cheering on your favorite teams during March Madness!
For a complete rundown of how to watch 2022 NCAA March Madness, including a full tournament schedule, list of streams and broadcasters, keep reading!
NCAA March Madness is back! Selection Sunday is March 13 at 6 PM (ET), with the First Four set for tip-off March 15-16 in Dayton, Ohio.
Five spots in the bracket for this year’s 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament are already filled by conference champions, Duke, Arizona, Kentucky, Baylor, and Purdue. Another spot was claimed quite dramatically by Chattanooga with David Jean-Baptiste’s three-pointer at the buzzer in the Southern Conference Championship Game.
If you love the game of basketball, the 2022 NCAA Tournament is sure to be a must-watch event. Regardless of where you’re watching from, we have all of the details you need to stream 2022 NCAA March Madness online.
How to Watch the 2022 NCAA March Madness Free
You can watch the 2022 March Madness tournament through the NCAA’s live streaming player for free. But there’s a catch. You’ll be required to log in using your cable television account, but what if you cut the cord? How do you watch March Madness without cable?
There are a few streamers that carry the NCAA tournament, including SlingTV, YouTube TV, and Paramount+, and if you plan right, you can stream NCAA March Madness for free.
A step-by-step guide: Stream 2022 NCAA March Madness online
- Subscribe to a VPN with fast, reliable servers and a US server location. We recommend NordVPN when streaming basketball because of its large network of US servers and fast, stable connections.
- Download and install the VPN. If you want to go with our pick, click the orange button in the box below.
- Open the app and log in with the account you created in step 1.
- Connect to a server in the United States.
- Go to the streamer’s website and sign in.
- Start streaming your favorite March Madness games! We’ve got all your streaming options laid out below!
Official Live Streams of the 2022 NCAA March Madness
This year, CBS and Turner Sports (TBS, TNT and truTV) are splitting the broadcasting rights for all March Madness games. This means, to catch all 67 games, you’ll need a streamer with all four channels. Unfortunately, outside of American cable providers, no online streamer offers all these channels together.
However, you can still watch all of the action for around $40 (or free with trials) if you use Paramount+ and SlingTV.
| Provider | March Madness Broadcast | Price per month | Free trial? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount+ | CBS | $4.99 | Various promos |
| SlingTV | TBS, TNT, truTV | $35 | 3 days |
| YouTube TV | TBS, TNT, truTV | $64.99 | 14 days |
| Hulu Live TV | TBS, TNT, truTV | $69.99 | No trial |
| DirecTV Stream | TBS, TNT, truTV | $69.99 | 5 days |
For unofficial free streams of March Madness, you’ll need a VPN for security and privacy reasons. If this piques your interest, check out the unofficial free streams section in our full guide to watching 2022 March Madness.
Can I Use a Free VPN to Watch NCAA March Madness Games?
Although we recommend free VPNs for some online activities, they are not our recommendation for live sports. Free VPNs don’t offer unlimited speed and data limits like premium VPNs do. They typically give users inconsistent speeds. These issues can cause laggy streams and disconnections due to data caps.
Another issue is that free VPNs don’t offer the same variety of server locations. They usually only offer servers in a few countries. Lastly, compared to premium VPNs, free options have considerable privacy concerns. This is mainly because they pay their bills by collecting and selling user data, like a user’s browsing activity and personal information.
If you want to try out a free VPN for browsing while on public wifi, read VPNOverview’s best free VPNs guide.
2022 NCAA March Madness Schedule
2022 NCAA March Madness is spread out over 3 weeks starting on March 13 with Selection Sunday and ending with the National Championship on April 4. Below is the full schedule of the 2022 NCAA March Madness tournament dates and broadcasters.
| Round | Date | Broadcaster |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | March 13 | CBS |
| First Four | March 15-16 | truTV |
| First Round | March 17-18 | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV |
| Second Round | March 19-20 | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV |
| Sweet 16 | March 24-25 | CBS, TBS |
| Elite Eight | March 26-27 | CBS, TBS |
| Final Four | April 2 | TBS |
| National Championship | April 4 | TBS |
2022 NCAA March Madness: What to Expect
No one is safe from an early elimination from this year’s NCAA March Madness, even in the top seed spots. With that being said, it is still probable that the winner of the tournament is likely to come from one of the top spots, as has been the case in 30 out of the last 32 years. Below are the current top seed picks.
| Team | Seed # | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga | 1 | +425 |
| Purdue | 2 | +1000 |
| Auburn | 1 | +1000 |
| Arizona | 1 | +850 |
| Kentucky | 2 | +800 |
| Kansas | 1 | +1400 |
| Duke | 2 | +1400 |
| Baylor | 2 | +1800 |
| Illinois | 3 | +3000 |
| Villanova | 3 | +2500 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | +7000 |
| Texas Tech | 2 | +2500 |
