The 2026 NCAA tournaments reach their climax with the men’s Final Four on April 4th and the women’s on April 3rd. A key complication: separate broadcast rights mean no single service covers both. Warner Bros. Discovery holds the men’s tournament, spreading games across CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV. ESPN controls all women’s games, airing them on ABC and its family of networks.

For the men’s side, the March Madness Live app is free with a TV login but excludes CBS games. The most affordable complete package pairs HBO Max’s Basic plan ($11/month) for TNT/TBS/truTV with Paramount+ Premium ($14/month) for CBS, totaling $25. Live TV services like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV offer everything in one place but cost $80 or more monthly.

Women’s tournament coverage is exclusively with ESPN. ESPN+ doesn’t stream every game, so the standalone ESPN Select ($13/month) add-on is the cheapest full-access option. Alternatively, Sling’s Orange and Sports Extra plan at $57 monthly is the most affordable live TV bundle carrying all ESPN networks. The ESPN app provides the best multiview experience for up to four games.

Free viewing is limited. CBS games on the men’s side stream free on the March Madness website without a login. For women’s games, an over-the-air antenna is the only no-cost option for ABC broadcasts. No free trial covers the full tournament—YouTube TV’s 10-day trial expires before the second weekend. Watching both tournaments in full requires at least two paid subscriptions or an expensive live TV package.