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March Madness 2025: Template for the first round where you can play games and more

Kon Knueppel and the Duke Blue Devils will play this week in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament 2025. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire about Getty Images)

The NCAA tournament 2025 begins today! This year's tournament is broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT and Trutv on the men's side and ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPNEWS on women. There are 68 teams in the first four and in the first round both in the men's and women and in the women's tournaments, and we have the complete schedule with any matchup and where you can see. Here you will find everything you need to know about March Madness, including the way you can see the first four and first round this week.

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Data: March 18 to March 22nd

TV channel (s): CBS, TBS, TNT, TRUTV, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS

Streaming: Paramount+, Max, DirectV, Fubo

The NCAA tournament, also known as March Madness, begins today (Tuesday, March 18) with the first four games of men. The men's first rounds are planned for March 20 to 21, while the first round of women takes place from March 21 to 22 March.

Games are broadcast via CBS, TBS, TNT and Trutv. The NCAA tournament of women is broadcast in the ESPN suite -ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPNEWS.

You don't have a cable? Don't worry. You can stream the men's games with a subscription to Paramount+ and Max or a live TV streaming service such as DirectV, Fubo or Sling. The women's games are also accessible via a live TV streaming service that contains the ESPN suite.

Every time east

Tuesday, March 18th

Alabama State against St. Francis, 6.40 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

North Carolina against San Diego State, 9.10 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

Wednesday, March 19th

Mount St. Mary's against American, 6.40 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

Xavier vs. Texas, 9:10 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

Wednesday, March 19th

Iowa State against Princeton, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

UC San Diego against Southern, 9 p.m. (Espnu)

Thursday, March 20th

Columbia against Washington, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

High point against William & Mary, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

Thursday, March 20th

No. 8 Louisville against No. 9 Creighton, 12:15 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

No. 4 Purdue against No. 13 High Point, 12:40 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

No. 3 Wisconsin against No. 14 Montana, 1:30 p.m. (TNT, Max)

No. 1 Houston against No. 16 Siu Edwardsville, 2 p.m. (TBS, Max)

No. 1 Auburn against No. 16 Saint Francis/Alabama St., 2:50 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

No. 5 Clemson against No. 12 Mcneese, 3:15 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

No. 6 BYU against No. 11 VCU, 4:05 p.m. (TNT, Max)

No. 8 Gonzaga against No. 9 Georgia, 4:35 p.m. (TBS, Max)

No. 2 Tennessee against No. 15 Wfford, 6:50 p.m. (TNT, Max)

No. 7 Kansas against No. 10 Arkansas, 7:10 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

No. 4 Texas A&M against No. 13 Yale, 7:25 p.m. (TBS, Max)

No. 6 Missouri against No. 11 Drake, 7:35 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

No. 7 UCLA against No. 10 Utah State, 9:25 p.m. (TNT, Max)

No. 2 St. Johns against No. 15 Omaha, 9:45 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

No. 5 Michigan against No. 12 UC San Diego, 10 p.m. (TBS, Max)

No. 3 Texas Tech against No. 14 UNC Wilmington, 10:10 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

Friday, March 21st

No. 8 Mississippi State against No. 9 Baylor, 12:15 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

No. 2 Alabama against No. 15 Robert Morris, 12:40 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

No. 3 IOWA State against No. 14 Lipscomb, 1:30 p.m. (TNT, Max)

No. 5 Memphis against No. 12 Colorado State, 2 p.m. (TBS, Max)

No. 1 Duke against No. 16 Mount St. Mary's/American, 2:50 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

No. 7 Saint Mary's against No. 10 Vanderbilt, 3:15 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

No. 6 Ole Miss against No. 11 North Carolina/San Diego State, 4:05 p.m. (TNT, Max)

No. 4 Maryland against No. 13 Grand Canyon, 4:35 p.m. (TBS, Max)

No. 1 Florida against No. 16 Norfolk State, 6:50 p.m. (TNT, Max)

No. 3 Kentucky against No. 14 Troy, 7:10 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

No. 7 Marquette against No. 10 New Mexico, 7:25 p.m. (TBS, Max)

No. 4 Arizona against No. 13 Akron, 7:35 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

No. 8 Uconn against No. 9 Oklahoma, 9:25 p.m. (TNT)

No. 6 Illinois against No. 11 Xavier/Texas, 9:45 p.m. (TNT, Max)

No. 2 Michigan State against No. 15 Bryant, 10 p.m. (TBS, Max)

No. 5 Oregon against No. 12 Liberty, 10:10 p.m. (Trutv, Max)

Friday, March 21st

No. 6 Michigan against No. 11 Iowa State/Princeton, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)

No. 4 Kentucky against No. 13 Liberty, 12 p.m. (ESPN)

No. 8 Utah against No. 9 Indiana, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 3 Notre Dame against No. 14 Stephen F. Austin State, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

No. 5 Kansas State against No. 12 Fairfield, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNEWS)

No. 4 Baylor against No. 13 Grand Canyon, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

No. 2 TCU against No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 1 South Carolina against No. 16 Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m. (ESPN)

No. 7 Vanderbilt against No. 10 Oregon, 5:30 p.m. (Espnews)

No. 4 of Ohio against No. 13 Montana State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 5 Ole Miss against No. 12 Ball State, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)

No. 7 Louisville against No. 10 Nebraska, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

No. 8 Richmond against No. 9 Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. (Espnews)

No. 2 Duke against No. 15 Lehigh, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

No. 5 Tennessee against No. 12 Südflorida, 8pm (ESPN)

No. 1 UCLA against No. 16 UC San Diego/Southern U., 10 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, March 22nd

No. 6 Iowa against No. 11 Murray State, 12 p.m. (ESPN)

No. 2 Uconn against No. 15 Arkansas State, 1 p.m. (ABC)

No. 5 Alabama against No. 12 Green Bay, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 2 NC State against No. 15 Vermont, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

No. 6 West Virginia against No. 11 Columbia/Washington, 2 p.m. (Espnews)

No. 3 Oklahoma against No. 14 FGCU, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

No. 1 South California against 16 Unc Greensboro, 3 p.m. (ABC)

No. 7 Oklahoma State against No. 10 South Dakota State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 4 Maryland against No. 13 Norfolk State, 4 p.m. (ESPN)

No. 3 North Carolina against No. 14 Oregon State, 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

No. 7 Michigan State against No. 10 Harvard, 4:30 p.m. (Espnews)

No. 8 California against No. 9 Mississippi State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 8 Illinois against No. 9 Creighton, 7:15 p.m. (Espnews)

No. 6 Florida State against No. 11 George Mason, 7:45 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 1 Texas against No. 16 High Point/William & Mary, 9:45 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 3 LSU against No. 14 San Diego State, 10.15 p.m. (ESPN)

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Max, also known as “The One To Watch”, has selected live sports via the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On, which is free of charge for ad-free max subscribers. (If you subscribe to Max's advertising plan, you should be able to access the B/R Add-on content by March 30th.)

On the March Madness games on TBS, TNT and Trutv, Max Buzzy shows including The white lotus, the last of us, Haus des Drachen, Dune: Prophecy and more.

AD-assisted Max starts at 10 USD/month. The standard plan (which includes free B/R Sports) costs $ 17/month.

$ 16.99/month at Max

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Paramount+ has two levels: a $ 8/month-based ad assed level and a premium level of $ 13 per month, which is advertising and contains live access to your local CBS channel (and access to show time), which you have to stream selected March Madness games.

At the moment Paramount+ still offers a free trial version – this is how new subscribers can register to see the selection on Sunday and the first four, and look at the rest of the Paramount+ library free of charge for seven days.

Try it for free at Paramount+

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Sling does not offer a free trial version these days, and March Madness takes longer than her standard version. It is still a solid option to catch most of the games in the tournament. The focus is the most, because a big blind spot for the loop is that it does not wear CBS.

For $ 45 for your first month Sling Orange + Blue and the Sports Extra add-on you can catch all games on TBS, TNT, TNT, Trutv, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and ABC.

$ 48 for your first month at Sling

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  • Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16 (ESPN)

  • First four: 19th to 20th March (ESPN2, ESPNU)

  • First round: March 21 to March 22 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS)

  • Second round: March 23 to March 24 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS)

  • Sweet 16: 28. To 29 March (ESPN, ESPN2)

  • Elite eight: 30.-31. March (ESPN)

  • Final Four: Friday, April 4th in the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida (ESPN, ESPN+)

  • NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 6th in the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida (ABC2, ESPN3, ESPN+)

  • Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16 (CBS)

  • First four: 18 to 19 March (Trutv)

  • First round: 20th to March 21st (CBS, TBS, TNT, Trutv)

  • Second round: 22nd to March 23 (CBS, TBS, TNT, Trutv)

  • Sweet 16: 27 to 28 March (CBS, TBS)

  • Elite eight: 29-30. March (CBS, TBS)

  • Final Four: April 5th in the alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (CBS)

  • NCAA championship game: April 7th in the alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (CBS)

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