This year’s NCAA March Madness tournament begins on Sunday, March 15 2026, and runs until Monday, April 6 2026. Below, we’ll explain how to watch every 2026 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 streaming platforms. 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 2026 online from anywhere:
- First, sign up for a suitable VPN. We recommend NordVPN but Surfshark and IPVanish 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 2026 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, TBS, TNT, and TruTV. 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 $89.99/month and $82.99/month respectively, these services are expensive. Both TV include a free trial however, so it’s technically possible to watch some of March Madness for free. Sling TV doesn’t come with a free trial but does include
There is also an easier and less expensive way to watch March Madness without cable. You can stream every game live with the Paramount+ Premium plan ($13.99/month). HBO Max will have over 40 March Madness games. You’ll need the Standard ($18.49/month) or Premium ($22.99/month) plan to get this.
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
Canada sports fans are in luck because DAZN will show every March Madness game free. Though subscriptions cost CAD $24.99 a month, you need only sign up for a free account to watch.
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 $24.99 per month.
You should note that DAZN Canada and TSN are geo-restricted, and to purchase an online pass with the latter, 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
As in Canada, DAZN is showing every March Madness game for free in the UK. You can simply sign up for a free DAZN account to stream the games live or on-demand.
DAZN UK is geo-restricted, which means you’ll have to use a VPN to access it 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 $29.99 AUD per month and will show every 2026 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
You can watch March Madness on DAZN for free in countries including the UK, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Greece, and Cyprus. Visit DAZN for the full list and more information.
Who is the favorite to win March Madness?
Duke is the favorite to win March Madness 2026, according to recent betting odds. Although Florida is the defending champion having won in 2025, Duke has had a fantastic 2025-26 season, finishing on an 8-game win streak to a record of 29-2. Duke has some formidable players including Cameron Boozer who is expected to be an early pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Other notable contenders include Michigan and Arizona.
NCAA March Madness schedule
Take a look below for a complete guide to March Madness 2026:
| Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
| March 15 | Selection Sunday |
| March 17-18 | First Four |
| March 19-20/b> | First round |
| March 21-22 | Second round |
| March 26-27 | Sweet 16 |
| March 28-29 | Elite Eight |
| April 4 | Final Four |
| April 6 | 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 $89.99/month with Disney+ and ESPN+ included) and YouTube TV ($82.99/month).
The above options are relatively expensive (although both offer a free trial for new customers). Fortunately, it’s possible to stream all of March Madness for less via Paramount Plus ($13.99/month).
If you’re in a country such as Canada or the UK, you can watch March Madness for free without cable via DAZN. All you need to do is sign up for a free account to start streaming the games.
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