This year’s NCAA March Madness tournament begins on Tuesday, March 19 2024, and will run until Monday, April 8 2024. Below, we’ll explain how to watch every 2024 March Madness game live online, whether you’re at home or abroad (outside the US). We will explain where to watch the games with a VPN– so that you can enjoy watching all 68 teams battle it out in this important elimination tournament.
We’ll only be recommending official March Madness broadcasters. While there are almost always unauthorized streams for events like this one, we strongly advise against using them. To begin with, the video is often low-resolution and delayed. Additionally, unlicensed streams are prone to be taken offline for copyright violation. As such, there’s no guarantee you’ll even see the end of a given game. With so many legitimate ways to watch, there’s no reason to use unauthorized streams.
March Madness will only be available on geo-restricted. If you’d like to use your usual streaming service from back home while traveling abroad, you’ll need a VPN.
How to watch March Madness abroad with a VPN
VPNs work by routing your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel and allowing you to appear as if you are browsing the internet from a different location. VPNs might seem confusing at first, but it’s actually very easy to access geo-restricted platforms from abroad. Just follow the steps below.
Here’s how to live stream March Madness 2024 online from anywhere:
- First, sign up for a suitable VPN. We recommend NordVPN but Surfshark and ExpressVPN are both fast and secure alternatives.
- Download and install the software, making sure to get the appropriate version for your operating system.
- Decide which streaming service you’d like to use.
- Connect to a server in the relevant country. For example, you’ll have to use a US server to access Sling TV or a Canadian server for TSN.
- Try playing a video on your chosen platform. It should start immediately but if not, try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies before reloading the page.
We recommend testing your VPN with the steps above before the game you’d like to watch actually begins. This way, if anything doesn’t work as expected, there should still be time to get help from your VPN’s customer support team and you might not have to miss the beginning.
How to live stream March Madness online
The NCAA March Madness tournament will be shown in several regions around the world. Take a look below to find out how to watch March Madness 2024 in your country:
USA
Every game of this year’s event will be available on March Madness Live. There’s a catch, though: you’ll have to sign in with your cable TV provider details.
There are four networks showing March Madness live: CBS, TruTV, TNT, and TBS. CBS and TruTV have free live streams, however, you need cable TV in order to access them. Luckily, there are other ways to watch, even if you don’t have cable.
You can watch all of the above channels on Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV, but at USD $76.99/month and $72.99/month respectively, these services are relatively expensive. YouTube TV does include a free trial however, so it’s technically possible to watch some of the tournament for free.
There is also an easier and less expensive way to watch March Madness without cable. You can stream every game live using a combination of Paramount+ ($11.99 per month) and Sling TV’s Blue package ($40 per month but only $20 for your first month).
It’s worth noting that all of the above services are geo-blocked. This means you’ll only be able to use them if you’re in the US or connected to one of your VPN’s American servers. NordVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.
Canada
TSN is the exclusive NCAA March Madness broadcaster in Canada. If your cable package already includes TSN, you can sign in and watch all of the games at no additional cost. Don’t have cable TV? No problem — you can just sign up for an online pass; this costs CAD $19.99 per month.
You should note that TSN is geo-restricted, and to purchase an online pass, you’ll need a credit card linked to a Canadian address. If you usually live in Canada, you should still be able to register and watch from abroad with a VPN but otherwise, it’ll be very difficult to use this service.
UK
In the UK, Sky Sports has the rights to March Madness 2024 but hasn’t announced its schedule as yet. If you’re already a Sky Sports subscriber, you can log in and stream games for free via the Sky Go app. Don’t have cable? No problem; you can watch Sky Sports contract-free with Now. Its Sports Membership is priced at GBP £34.99 a month.
These services are geo-restricted, which means you’ll have to use a VPN to access them from abroad. Simply choose a server in the UK to get a valid IP address.
Australia
Australian basketball fans can follow all of the action live on ESPN or Kayo. If you’re a Foxtel or Fetch customer, you should be able to stream this year’s March Madness tournament for free on ESPN using the Foxtel Go or WatchESPN apps. You can also sign up for Foxtel Now if you don’t have cable, but the required packages will cost you $54 AUD per month.
Instead, if you don’t have cable, you’d be better off watching on Kayo. This service costs $25 AUD per month and will show every 2024 NCAA March Madness fixture live. There’s also a 7-day free trial, so if you’re only interested in the latter stages of the competition, you’ll be able to it for free.
Foxtel, Fetch, and Kayo are only available in Australia. To access them from abroad, you’ll have to connect to an Australian VPN server.
Other locations
ESPN owns the international broadcasting rights for March Madness. With over a dozen regional channels, it’s highly likely you’ll still be able to watch even if we haven’t mentioned your country specifically above. Remember, ESPN is sometimes only available via other services (Foxtel in Australia, for instance), and not every broadcaster will allow you to watch their content online.
Who is the favorite to win March Madness?
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is the favourite to win March Madness 2024, according to recent betting odds. UConn (29-3) is the defending champion and arguably the best team in college basketball despite the numerous changes the team has undergone in the last year. It still has some formidable players in Alex Karaban, Tristen Newton, and Donovan Clingan. Other notable contenders include Houston (29-3) and Purdue (28-3).
NCAA March Madness schedule
Take a look below for a complete guide to March Madness 2024:
| Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
| March 17 | Selection Sunday |
| March 19-20 | First Four |
| March 21-22/b> | First round |
| March 23-24 | Second round |
| March 28-29 | Sweet 16 |
| March 30-31 | Elite Eight |
| April 6 | Final Four |
| April 8 | NCAA Championship Game |
March Madness FAQs
Can I watch March Madness without cable?
The good news is that it’s possible to watch March Madness without cable in multiple countries, including the US.
You can live stream March Madness via several networks (CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV). All of these options are available via TV streaming services such as Hulu with Live TV (USD $76.99/month with Disney+ and ESPN+ included) and YouTube TV ($72.99/month).
The above options are relatively expensive (although YouTube TV does offer a free trial for new customers). Fortunately, it’s possible to stream all of March Madness for less via a combination of Paramount Plus ($11.99/month and Sling TV’s Blue plan (currently $20 for the first month and $40 thereafter).
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