When to watch the 2026 NCAA Championship Finals
- Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET (women’s)
- Monday 6 at 8:50 p.m. ET (men’s)
Where to watch
- The men’s NCAA Championship game will be broadcast across TNT, TBS and truTV and streams on HBO Max.
- The women’s NCAA Championship game will be broadcast on ABC and streams on ESPN Unlimited.
It’s all come down to this at the NCAA Basketball Tournament: the men’s and women’s Championship Finals are here. While we can’t predict a winner, we do know that at both tournaments, there won’t be a repeat champion. At the men’s tournament, last year’s winner, the Florida Gators, were knocked out of the competition early, which means they won’t be snagging a second consecutive title this year. Instead, it’ll be a battle between No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 UConn on Monday night. In the women’s tournament, defending champion UConn fell to the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks in the Final Four; South Carolina will play No. 1 UCLA in the tournament final Sunday, April 5.
The men’s championship game will air Monday at 8:50 p.m. ET on TNT, TBS and truTV. It will stream on HBO Max. The women’s final game is Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET, airing on ABC and streaming on ESPN Unlimited.
Here’s a breakdown of every team that’s playing, how to watch the Final Four and everything else you need to know.
When is March Madness 2026?
March Madness began back on March 17. The women’s championship final is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The men’s championship game is on Monday, April 6 at 8:50 p.m. ET.
Watch the March Madness Finals without cable
The women’s championship game airs on ABC and streams on ESPN Unlimited. The men’s final will be simulcast on TNT, TBS, and truTV and streams on HBO Max.
ESPN Unlimited is ESPN’s comprehensive, standalone streaming service. For $30 per month, you can watch every women’s March Madness game all in one place. Read our review of ESPN Unlimited.
With HBO Max, you can stream 46 games in the men’s March Madness tournament, including the Final Four and the Championship Final. And with HBO Max’s multiview experience, you can stream up to three matchups simultaneously. Live sports are only available on HBO Max’s Standard ($18.50 per month) and Premium ($23 a month) plans.
You’ll be able to watch select games from the First Round to the Elite Eight live on CBS, which streams on Paramount Plus Premium and costs $14 a month.
Watch March Madness with a live TV streaming service
Don’t want to subscribe to multiple streaming services to watch March Madness? That’s understandable. There are a few live TV streaming services where you can watch most or all of the men’s and women’s tournaments all in one place. Each of them offers a free trial.
The men’s games will be on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV, and women’s games will be carried across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews. With a subscription to DirecTV, Hulu Plus Live TV or YouTube TV, you can watch every channel that’s broadcasting the men’s and women’s tournaments.
We’ll note that Fubo offers major sporting events and even includes access to ESPN Unlimited. It doesn’t carry TBS, TNT or TruTV, making it a less ideal option for watching the men’s final.
YouTube TV costs $83 per month and includes CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV for the men’s tournament and ESPN’s suite of channels for the women’s tournament. Right now, you can sign up for YouTube TV and get your first two months for $60/month, and there is a free 21-day trial.
Not every local channel is available in every market, so you’ll need to make sure the networks broadcasting the 2026 tournament are offered in your area. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks you get.
Hulu with Live TV costs $90 a month and features every channel you need to watch both March Madness tournaments. On its live news page, you can enter your ZIP code under the “Can I watch local news in my area?” question at the bottom of the page to see which local channels you get.
DirecTV’s MySports package costs $70 a month and includes ABC, CBS, ESPN Unlimited, TBS, TNT and TruTV, which means it’s one of the most comprehensive places to watch every March Madness game. Use the channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our DirecTV MySports review.
Fubo’s sports package costs $46 for your first month after the free trial. Like the primary Fubo packages, it offers ABC, CBS and a subscription to ESPN Unlimited. Fubo’s Pro plan costs $74 a month and includes ABC, CBS and access to ESPN Unlimited. Fubo is currently offering the first month for $49 on the Pro plan. Click here to see which local channels you get.
Read our Fubo review.
For more, check out our live TV streaming services guide and our recommendations for the best sports streaming services.
March Madness tournament schedule:
Men’s March Madness schedule
- First Four: Tuesday-Wednesday
- First round: Thursday-Friday
- Second round: Saturday-Sunday
- Sweet 16: March 26-27
- Elite Eight: March 28-29
- Final Four: April 4
- NCAA championship game: April 6, 8:30 p.m. ET (TBS)
Women’s March Madness schedule
- First Four: Wednesday-Thursday
- First round: Friday-Saturday
- Second round: Sunday-Monday
- Sweet 16: March 27-28
- Elite Eight: March 29-30
- Final Four: April 3 at 7 p.m. ET (Second semifinal starts 30 minutes after the first game ends.)
- NCAA championship game: April 5 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
March Madness men’s individual game schedule:
All times Eastern.
Championship Final
Monday, April 6
- 8:50 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Michigan (TNT, TBS, truTV)
March Madness women’s individual game schedule:
All times Eastern.
Championship Final
Sunday, April 5
- 3:30 p.m. No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 1 UCLA (ABC)
