The road to March Madness: How to stream the NCAA tournament with Sling TV

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 16: The NCAA March Madness logo on a basketball rack prior to the game between the UCLA Bruins and the Cal Poly Mustangs at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on December 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Katelyn Mulcahy via Getty Images

The 2025 NCAA tournament will tip off later this March, with games running through April 7, 2025. The 68-team bracket will be announced, and already, things are beginning to shake up with teams like the Vanderbilt Commodores, Florida Gators, and Iowa Hawkeyes making waves for the ladies, and on the men’s side, the Georgia Bulldogs earning a possible bid for the first time since 2017. If you don't have cable, Sling TV is a great way to jump into the action, with full coverage of women's tourney and the bulk of the men's games. You’ll need Sling’s Orange + Blue combo package. You can try it all out for half-off your first month at $33, then $66/month thereafter if you decide to keep the subscription. Or, you can take advantage of Sling’s newest deal: get three months of Sling – long enough to watch all the March Madness events and beyond – for $160 when you pre-pay.

There’s no free trial period with Sling TV, sure. But other live TV sports streaming packages only cover a maximum of one week with their trials, while the tournament runs for about three. So, even if you opt for the highest tier Sling Orange & Blue package at $33 per month on sale for the first month ($66 monthly thereafter), it ends up being a lot cheaper than paying for a full month of DirecTV or Fubo, even with a free trial.

When is Selection Sunday and where will it air?​

Selection Sunday kicks off on March 16 for the men, airing on CBS and ESPN, and on ESPN for the women.

What’s the rest of the men’s schedule like?​

There’s the First Four on March 18 and 19 on truTV, followed by the first and second round of games on March 20-21 and March 22-23, respectively, on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Then, move to the Sweet 16 on March 27 and 28 on CBS and TBS, and into the Elite 8 on March 29-30 on CBS and TBS. The Final Four takes place on April 5 on CBS and the National Championships to find out who takes it all on April 7 on CBS.

2025 March Madness men’s schedule:

• 
  Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16 (CBS and ESPN)
  
  
• 
  First Four: March 18-19 (TruTV)
  
  
• 
  First round: March 20-21 (CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV)
  
  
• 
  Second round: March 22-23 (CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV)
  
  
• 
  Sweet 16: March 27-28 (CBS, TBS)
  
  
• 
  Elite Eight: March 29-30 (CBS, TBS)
  
  
• 
  Final Four: April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (CBS)
  
  
• 
  NCAA championship game: April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (CBS)
  

What’s the rest of the women’s schedule like?​

The First Four begins March 19 and 20 on ESPN2 and EPSNU followed by the first and second round of games on March 21-22 and March 23-24, respectively. Those will air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews. Check out the Sweet 16 on March 28-29 on ESPN and ESPN2, the Elite 8 on March 30-31 on ESPN, and the Final Four on April 4 on ESPN and ESPN+. It all builds up to the exciting women’s National Championships on April 6, airing on ABC, ESPN3, and ESPN+.

2025 March Madness women’s schedule:

• 
  Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16 (ESPN)
  
  
• 
  First Four: March 19-20 (ESPN2, ESPNU)
  
  
• 
  First round: March 21-22 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews)
  
  
• 
  Second round: March 23-24 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews)
  
  
• 
  Sweet 16: March 28-29 (ESPN, ESPN2)
  
  
• 
  Elite Eight: March 30-31 (ESPN)
  
  
• 
  Final Four: Friday, April 4 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida (ESPN, ESPN+)
  
  
• 
  NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 6 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida (ABC2, ESPN3, ESPN+)
  

What games can you watch with Sling?​

Most of the channels you’ll need to keep up with March Madness are included with Sling Orange + Blue. However, games airing exclusively on CBS won’t be available on Sling TV, so you’ll need access to that channel separately from Sling. If you don’t already have CBS, you could try an old-school over-the-air antenna or consider signing up for Paramount+ with Showtime, which includes access to CBS and comes with a seven-day free trial.

With Sling TV Orange + Blue, you’ll get access to most of the women’s tournament (you’ll need the $15/month Sports Extra add-on for ESPNU and ESPNews access) and three of the four channels for the men’s (again, no CBS). Some games may be blacked out, depending on local blackout rules or if Sling does not have rights to the game. However, if you see a blackout message on ESPN, you can flip to ESPN3, which is included in Sling Orange as well.

With the deal going on right now at just $33 (or $48 if you upgrade) for the first month with Sling Orange + Blue, it’s the most affordable option in the long run to keep up with all the March Madness games. Cheer for your favorite teams and players knowing you won’t miss the action with access to all the women’s March Madness games and most of the men’s games.

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