How to Watch College Basketball Without Cable

To watch college basketball without cable, you need the ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network), FOX, FS1 and Big Ten Network, plus CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV once March arrives. A live TV streaming service like YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream covers nearly all of them in one app. Add the ESPN app for ESPN+ games and Peacock for its streaming-only games.

Which channels carry college basketball

A busy weeknight can put games on fifteen different channels and apps. This is where each one streams:

The college basketball TV schedule shows the channel for every game this week, and each game page lists where to stream it.

Streaming-only games are a big part of the season

College basketball leans on streaming more than any other sport we cover. Early-season games, mid-major conferences and many non-conference matchups never air on a traditional channel:

• ESPN+ carries a large share of these games. It comes through the ESPN app, and what you can watch depends on your ESPN plan.
• Conference streaming services carry more. ACCNX and SECN+ stream inside the ESPN app, and Big Ten games that are not on TV often go to B1G+.
• Peacock streams NBC games and games that are only on Peacock.

If you follow a team outside the biggest conferences, expect most of its schedule to land on a streaming service rather than a channel. Check the team's schedule page before each game.

Live TV streaming services compared

For the channels themselves, a live TV service is the simplest route:

• YouTube TV carries the ESPN networks, SEC Network, ACC Network, FS1, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, USA Network and the broadcast networks.
• DirecTV Stream carries the same list and adds many regional sports networks.
• Hulu + Live TV carries the ESPN networks, the conference networks, FS1, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, USA Network and the broadcast networks. Check its lineup for CBS Sports Network.
• Fubo carries the ESPN networks, the conference networks, FS1, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network and USA Network. It does not list TNT, TBS or truTV, which matters in March.
• Sling TV is the budget option. Depending on the package and your market, it carries the ESPN networks, FS1, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, TNT, TBS, truTV and USA Network, but not CBS or ABC.

Lineups vary by plan and ZIP code. Confirm your channels and check current pricing on each service's site.

March Madness

The NCAA tournament in March is split across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. That changes which services you need:

• CBS games are free with an HD antenna and stream on Paramount+ or any live TV service with your local CBS station.
• TBS, TNT and truTV games stream on HBO Max or on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and DirecTV Stream.

If you plan to watch the whole tournament, pick a service with all four channels before Selection Sunday rather than scrambling during the first round.

Following one team

Your team's conference decides which channels matter most:

• ACC teams: ACC Network, the ESPN channels and ACCNX in the ESPN app.
• SEC teams: SEC Network, the ESPN channels and SECN+ in the ESPN app.
• Big Ten teams: Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, Peacock and B1G+.
• Smaller conferences: mostly ESPN+ and conference streaming services, with occasional games on ESPNU or CBS Sports Network.

Every team has a TV schedule page with the channel and tip-off time of each game, for example Duke, Gonzaga and Houston. Channels for college games are often set close to game day, so our pages update on their own when a broadcaster is announced.

The cheapest setup for how you watch

• One ACC or SEC team: the ESPN app, which covers the ESPN channels, the conference network and that conference's streaming service, depending on your plan.
• One Big Ten team: FOX One for FOX, FS1 and Big Ten Network, plus Peacock.
• The biggest national games: an antenna for CBS, FOX and ABC, plus the ESPN app.
• Everything, including March: YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream, plus the ESPN app for ESPN+ and Peacock for its exclusives.

Most of this setup carries over to football. See how to watch college football without cable and how to watch ESPN without cable, or browse all streaming guides.