2024 NCAA March Madness is coming in hot! Selection Sunday is March 17, 2024, with the First Four tip-off set for Tuesday, March 19!
You can use Hulu + Live TV to live stream the entire 2024 NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, however, Hulu + Live TV is only available in the US. But fear not! If you’re abroad, you can still watch March Madness online by following these steps:
- Get a VPN for streaming live sports. We recommend streaming NCAA March Madness with NordVPN.
- Sign up and create an account via the website.
- Download and install the VPN onto your streaming device.
- Open the app and log in with the credentials you created at sign-up.
- Connect to a server in the United States. Once connected, wait for a second or two.
- Navigate to Hulu + Live TV or another March Madness streaming of your choice and enjoy cheering on your team!
If you want to stream March Madness worldwide, NordVPN is your best bet. This provider offers excellent streaming speeds — in fact, it’s the fastest VPN we tested — and is great at sports unblocking.
NordVPN
For more information on how to watch March Madness 2024, the tournament schedule, and other streaming options, read the complete article below.
NCAA March Madness is back! Selection Sunday is March 17, with the First Four set for tip-off on March 19-20. It will all culminate on April 8, with the NCAA championship game.
But what if you’re not in the US while your team is playing? If you’re on holiday or residing abroad, you might just miss all the stupifying crossovers, 3-pointers, and buzzer-beaters everyone will be talking about for months to come! But fear not. In this article, we’ll explain how to watch March Madness online worldwide!
How to Watch March Madness 2024 From Anywhere
Wondering where to watch March Madness? You can watch the 2024 March Madness tournament through the NCAA’s live-streaming player for free. But there’s a catch. You’ll be required to log in using your cable television account, but what if you cut the cord?
Since March Madness is broadcast across different networks — CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV — you’ll need a comprehensive cable replacement solution. Fortunately, there are several. Our favorite one is Hulu + Live TV, which offers all of the channels that broadcast tournament games in one place.
But what if you’re not in the US during the college hoops tourney? Hulu + Live TV and other similar cord-cutting solutions aren’t available abroad. Fortunately, there’s an exception: if you use a VPN, you can change your virtual location to the US, wherever you are, and watch March Madness online from anywhere!
Follow these steps to watch March Madness worldwide with a VPN:
Watch March Madness worldwide with a VPN
- Get a good streaming VPN. We recommend NordVPN due to its outstanding streaming speeds and great unblocking abilities.
- Download the right NordVPN app for the device you’re planning to watch March Madness on.
- Login to the NordVPN app and connect to a US server.
- Go to your preferred March Madness stream. We recommend Hulu + Live TV since it offers every game.
- Enjoy cheering on your favorite team!
Did you know that NordVPN can give you access to many other sports streams as well? You can also access regular-season college basketball live streams worldwide with a VPN or watch NBA games, the World Series, or the Super Bowl, for instance.
Moreover, a good VPN also protects your data online, thanks to its strong encryption, and hides your IP to make you anonymous.
Why Is a VPN Important for Watching March Madness?
You’re probably asking yourself why you need an extra solution like a VPN to watch March Madness live when you already have a subscription. This has everything to do with streaming rights.
When a broadcaster or streaming platform wants to show certain content, whether it’s a movie, show, or sports event, they need to pay for the rights to do so. Generally, they need to pay for these rights in each country or region where they want to broadcast the content.
Because the aforementioned costs can really add up, lots of streaming services choose to limit their availability or some of their content to one specific country. This is also the case with Hulu+ Live TV and other March Madness streams, which are only available in the US.
To comply with these distribution rights, platforms like Hulu block users from other countries. This is where a VPN comes in! A good VPN, like NordVPN, will simply change your IP address to make it seem you’re in the right country!
The Best VPNs to Stream March Madness Live
Now you know you’ll need a VPN to watch the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament if you’re abroad, it’s important to learn about the best options. That’s why below, we’ll list the very best VPNs to watch every March Madness game!
1. NordVPN: The best March Madness VPN around
If you’re looking for the best VPN to watch every March Madness live dribble, assist, 3-pointer, and dunk, you can stop searching. NordVPN‘s great streaming speeds and great unblocking features offer the best basketball streaming of any VPN. In fact, this provider is the fastest VPN we’ve tested, so expect nothing but smooth action without loading issues!
When we accessed Hulu with NordVPN, we didn’t run into any issues whatsoever!
NordVPN offers close to 2,000 US servers. Wherever you are in the world, you’ll be able to find a good server to watch your team dominate! In the unlikely event NCAA basketball streams are blocking NordVPN’s servers, you can use one of its dedicated IPs to get around this!
NordVPN is also very reasonably priced at only $ 3.39 a month, thanks to its 72% discount. NordVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark: Watch March Madness on unlimited devices
Surfshark is another outstanding VPN for watching every March Madness game. This VPN is especially great for large households or groups of friends consisting of tons of basketball fans. That’s because Surfshark is one of few VPNs that doesn’t have a device limit: you can unblock March Madness on as many devices as you wish with Surfshark!
To get a good idea of whether Surfshark’s compatible with Hulu + Live TV, we tested it with Hulu and we experienced no issues at all!
Thanks to Surfshark’s 600+ US servers in 25 major cities, you’ll always find a suitable server to stream March Madness. That’s not all: Surfshark also offers dedicated IP addresses to make easy work of any VPN bocks you may run into!
Best of all, Surfshark is incredibly affordable, only setting you back $ 2.19 a month. This is thanks to its great 86% discount. Moreover, the VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. ExpressVPN: Watch March Madness on any device
ExpressVPN is another outstanding VPN to watch March Madness with. This provider offers tons of US servers spread out over 17 cities all over the country. It’s got enough firepower to attack geographic restrictions from anywhere on the court, or rather, in the world, so you won’t have to miss a single match!
When testing ExpressVPN with Hulu, we didn’t experience any issues. This means your chances of catching every March Madness game on Hulu + Live TV are sky-high!
Moreover, ExpressVPN also offers a great MediaStreamer feature, allowing you to stream basketball games abroad on devices that don’t normally support VPNs.
All in all, ExpressVPN is one of the best choices to watch March Madness from anywhere in the world. Reflecting ExpressVPN’s premium quality, it’s normally one of the pricier VPNs around. However, thanks to our 49% discount, you can get this top-tier VPN for only $ 6.67 a month! Moreover, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How We Chose the Best VPNs for Watching March Madness
We relied on our extensive experience with over 80 VPNs and extensive testing and research to create our list of the best March Madness VPNs. We paid special attention to the following important factors:
- Unblocking abilities: To give you the best possible chance to cheer on your favorite team on Hulu + Live TV, we tested all the VPNs on this list with Hulu and they all worked flawlessly.
- Streaming speeds: To watch a sport as fast-paced as basketball without interruptions, you need a fast VPN.
- Servers: To unblock March Madness streams worldwide, you’ll need an excellent US VPN server. All VPNs on our list have hundreds, if not thousands, of outstanding US servers.
- Compatibility: These days, people stream on just about anything with a screen. That’s why we chose VPNs that are compatible with Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and Smart TVs at a minimum.
- Price: We included VPNs in different price ranges to cater to different tastes and budgets. We even included a great budget VPN: Surfshark!
Other 2024 March Madness Streams
Like previous years, CBS and Turner Sports (TBS, TNT, and truTV) are splitting the broadcasting rights for all March Madness games. This means that to catch every game on just one online platform, you’ll need a streaming service with all four channels.
The above is why Hulu + Live TV is our favorite platform: it offers CBS games and TBS, TNT, and TruTV matches, all in one convenient package for $76.99 a month.
However, if you prefer using other streaming platforms because you’re already subscribed to one, for instance, you can also mix and match services to catch every game! You can still watch all of the action for around $52 if you use Paramount+ and SlingTV‘s blue package. In fact, the first month will only be $32 since Sling offers a 50% discount on the first month!
Below, you’ll see exactly which streaming platforms, apart from Hulu + Live TV, feature March Madness games. We’ll also include which networks they offer, so you get an idea of their game coverage.
| Provider | March Madness Broadcast | Price per month | Free trial? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paramount+ | CBS | $11.99 | 7 days |
| Sling TV (Blue package) | TBS, TNT, truTV | $40 ($20 for the first month) | Currently unavailable |
| YouTube TV | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV | $72.99 ($62.99 for the first three months) | Currently unavailable |
| DirecTV Stream | TBS, TNT, truTV | $69.99 | 5 days |
2024 NCAA March Madness Schedule
When does March Madness start and when exactly do the different stages take place?
2024 NCAA March Madness is spread out over 3 weeks starting on March 17 with Selection Sunday and ending with the National Championship on April 8. Below is the full schedule of the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament dates and broadcasters.
| Round | Date | Broadcaster |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | March 17 | CBS |
| First Four | March 19-10 | truTV |
| First Round | March 21-22 | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV |
| Second Round | March 23-24 | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV |
| Sweet 16 | March 28-29 | CBS, TBS |
| Elite Eight | March 30-31 | CBS, TBS |
| Final Four | April 6 | TBS |
| National Championship | April 8 | TBS |
How to Watch an NCAA Basketball Live Stream of March Madness in the U.K.
ESPN holds the rights to the NCAA March Madness tournament for international broadcasts. So college basketball fans in the United Kingdom can use the ESPN player to stream the tournament from start to finish.
You’ll need a television provider to access this player. Fans in the U.K. can also access ESPN via their BT Sport subscription. BT Sport’s Monthly Pass currently runs £29.99 a month for those who don’t want to get bogged down with contracts.
How to Stream NCAA March Madness Live in Canada
Anyone streaming NCAA March Madness college basketball from Canada can catch ESPN’s international simulcast feed through TSN.
Sports fans without a TV provider can use TSN’s flexible streaming plans at $19.99 per month (or discounted $199.99 for one year). For anyone traveling abroad during the tournament, getting a Canadian IP address with a VPN can get you connected to TSN back home.
How to Live Stream NCAA March Madness in Australia
When it comes to streaming live sports in Australia, Kayo Sports has become the go-to platform. Unfortunately, they actively block VPN servers when trying to access the site.
You’ll definitely need a premium VPN like NordVPN or Surfshark that stays on top of VPN blockades and actively switches out IP addresses when servers get flagged, if you want to give yourself a fighting chance at unblocking Kayo Sports. Otherwise, you might try your luck with the other U.S.-based services we mentioned above.
2024 NCAA March Madness Favorites
Sportsbooks are already chomping at the bit for this year’s favorites, but only one team will be left standing at the end of March Madness.
Here’s a breakdown of the favorites for this year’s tournament. Though it’s anybody’s tournament, these are the fifteen teams that oddsmakers are looking at at the time of writing.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| UConn Huskies | +800 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | +800 |
| Houston Cougars | +900 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | +1300 |
| Arizona Wildcats | +1400 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | +1600 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +1600 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | +1700 |
| Auburn Tigers | +1800 |
| Duke Blue Devils | +2500 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +2500 |
| Marquette Golden Eagles | +3000 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +3500 |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | +3500 |
| Wisconsin Badgers | +3500 |
Conclusion: Watch March Madness Online
We’ve seen there are various ways to watch March Madness online for cord-cutters. The most complete solution for most people will be Hulu + Live TV, as it covers all of the networks you need to watch every single game live and is one of the very best cable replacements in general.
However, if you’re abroad, you’ll need a solid VPN to access your regular basketball and sports streams. We strongly recommend NordVPN, thanks to its outstanding streaming speeds and flawless compatibility with Hulu.
Are you interested in accessing more great sports streams that normally block you? Then be sure to check out the helpful articles below.
- The Best Free NBA Streaming Sites
- How to Watch EuroLeague Basketball Live From Anywhere
- How to Watch NFL Thursday Night Football Online
- How to Watch the NFL Playoffs Live for Free
- Free NFL Live Streams – The Best NFL Streaming Sites
Got some questions on how to stream 2024 NCAA March Madness? Click on any of the questions below for an answer.
You’ll need TBS to watch the Final Four and National Championship for the 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament. The rest of the tournament is split across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. The easiest way to catch every game is with Hulu + Live TV since it’s got all of the aforementioned networks.
You can take advantage of free trials offered by live TV streamers that have 2024 NCAA college basketball coverage, like Paramount+ and DirecTV Stream to watch the entire 2024 NCAA March Madness tournament free. You could also try checking out free sports streaming sites.
You can watch the 2024 Final Four and National Championship exclusively on TBS, while the rest of the tournament is split across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. The cheapest route for online streaming is Paramount+ for CBS games, and Sling TV to stream TBS, TNT and truTV games. YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV have both CBS and Turner Sports channels, although they’re a little more expensive.
