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Can You Watch March Madness on Paramount Plus?

By Gabriela Vatu / March 18, 2021

March Madness is nearly here, and we're planning to watch the whole thing! Let's see if we can watch March Madness on Paramount Plus and, if not, where else can we do this.

March Madness has a long history, going back to 1939 when the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was established. This single-elimination tournament is played between the basketball teams from 68 colleges that are part of the NCAA.

This year, the event starts on March 18th and continues through April 5th.

March Madness Schedule

March Madness is getting ready to start soon, and four TV channels will cover the games. Most of the games go to CBS, but the channel is not the only one with rights for the event.

2021 March Madness

The 2021 March Madness bracket is already available, but we get to fill it all out as the game's progress.

March Madness Schedule
Round Date Time (ET) Channels
First Four March 18 4 PM truTV
TBS
First Round March 19-20 12 PM CBS
truTV
TNT
TBS
Second Round March 21-22 12 PM CBS
truTV
TNT
TBS
Sweet 16 March 27-28 2 PM CBS (afternoon games)
TBS (primetime games)
Elite Eight March 29-30 7 PM CBS (Monday)
TBS (Tuesday)
Final Four April 3 5 PM CBS
Championship Game April 5 9 PM CBS

That's the event's rough schedule, with the event rounds, when they're scheduled, and when the games start. Since there are so many games, you're going to have to check the schedules for each day, especially as they'll get filled in as more events take place and teams are eliminated.

How to Watch March Madness on Paramount Plus?

One of the big questions we found online was whether or not you can enjoy March Madness on Paramount Plus. The answer to this question is a resounding "YES" as many of the rounds, including the Championship Game, are covered by CBS.

Paramount Plus includes, as you may know, live streams to CBS and CBS Sports, so you can enjoy all the games you want, as long as these networks broadcast them. You can check a more exact schedule to see which games are on CBS by visiting the NCAA official page.

On March 19th, for instance, they cover four games, and another four are on March 20th, at 12:15 PM, 3 PM, 7:10 PM, and 9:40 PM.

Paramount Plus costs $5.99 per month for the ad-supported version or $9.99 per month for the ad-free plan. If you subscribe right now (by the end of March 2021), they have an offer that includes a 30-day free trial. Basically, you can watch March Madness for free.

For recap's sake, here are the games covered by CBS:

Round Dates
First Round March 19 - 20
Second Round March 21 - 22
Sweet 16 March 27 - 28
*Only the afternoon games
Elite Eight March 29
*Only the Monday games
Final Four April 3
Championship Game April 5

How to Watch All March Madness Games

The coverage provided by CBS is pretty great, but it's still not the whole thing. With so many games on the line, it's impossible for a single network to cover them all.

You may have noticed that other networks have broadcasting rights besides CBS, namely truTV, TBS, and TNT. Thankfully, it's possible to watch these networks online, too!

Hulu is a cool platform that comes with a single bundle of channels. In that bundle, you'll find CBS, truTV, TBS, and TNT. The service is available for $64.99 per month, but you can also go for a bundle that includes Disney Plus and ESPN+ if you desire that. Your subscription includes access to the Hulu On-Demand service, so you have multiple services to enjoy. Subscribe to Hulu with Live TV and enjoy a free trial!

Another option to watch your channels is Sling TV. The service features TBS and TNT in the Orange and Orange + Blue bundles, while truTV is part of the Blue and Orange + Blue bundles. If you want to go for the Orange bundle, however, you can also get truTV as part of the Comedy Extra pack for an additional $6 per month. Sling TV costs $35 per month for the Orange and Blue bundles and $50 per month for the Orange + Blue bundle. Sling TV does not offer a free trial period, but it does have discounts.

As you can see, keeping up with all the March Madness games online isn't all that difficult. Also, you should know that if you have a cable subscription, you can use the credentials to log into the NCAA website and stream the games online. In fact, you can even use the credentials from Hulu or Sling TV to log in. You should definitely check out this option if you already have an ongoing subscription.



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