How to watch March Madness (even without cable)

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It’s that time of the year again. The time when Internet speeds begin to slow and productivity dips. Yup, it’s March Madness time. Millions of people will tune in online and over-the-air to watch the best college basketball teams in the nation go head-to-head.

There’s a total of 67 games, which will be broadcast across CBS (the parent company of CNET), TNT, TBS and TruTV starting on Tuesday, March 17. The championship game is scheduled for Monday, April 6 on CBS.

Here’s how you can tune in on your devices:

Computer

Don’t have time to sit on the couch and enjoy the games? Head over to the NCAA’s March Madness Live website, where you will be able to stream all 67 games live. You may be wondering what’s the catch? While games airing on CBS can be accessed for free on the Web, you will be required to enter credentials from a participating cable or satellite provider to watch games on TNT, TBS and TruTV. The NCAA is offering a limited preview for people without a cable subscription, although it’s unclear how long it will run (likely only a few hours or even minutes).

Smartphone or tablet

Smartphone and tablet owners can tune in through the NCAA March Madness Live app. The same restrictions apply, however, as the website. CBS games will be streamed for free and a participating cable or satellite subscription will be required for the other games. The March Madness Live app is available for Android, iOS, Amazon and Windows devices.

Cordcutters

Don’t pay for a traditional cable package? All hope isn’t lost. As mentioned above, CBS games are streamed on the web and through the mobile app for free. If you rather watch them on your TV, you can pick up a digital TV antenna to access CBS over-the-air. The hottest clips and highlights from the tournament will also be posted on the official NCAA March Madness YouTube channel.

Another option is the new Sling TV streaming service, which includes access to TBS, TNT, ESPN, Food Network, AMC, and more. The service is available across a variety of devices and costs only $20 a month, significantly cheaper than most cable plans. As noted by Brad Tuttle over at Time, Sling offers a seven-day free trial you could sign up for prior to tip off to watch the first week of games. Alternately, you may want to wait to begin the trial until later in the tournament to see potentially better matchups, such as the two Final Four games on April 4 on TBS.

Make sure to remember to cancel the service before the trial is up or you will be automatically billed for the first month. It should be noted, however, that canceling Sling TV is no easy task and must be done over the phone by calling customer service at 888-909-4087.