For basketball fans, no time of year is more exciting than March Madness. Over the course of three weeks, nearly 70 teams will compete to be the coveted last team standing and crowned national champions of college basketball.
If you’ve cut the cable cord, it may seem like you’re fighting a tournament of your own just to figure out how to watch all the games. To make it a little easier, here are three ways to watch March Madness basketball, even if you don’t have a cable subscription.
[Read: 6 Cheap Ways to Watch NFL Games Without a Cable Package.]
Use an antenna for free limited viewing. The cheapest way to watch March Madness is to watch using a digital antenna. Because many of the games will be shown on CBS, viewers in most areas of the U.S. will be able to tune in with only an antenna, which is great news for the basketball fan on a budget. If you don’t have an antenna, expect to pay anywhere between $10 and $100 for a new one, depending on which brand and model you choose. Even within brands, there can be a huge price range. For example, Mohu has prices between $20 and $150. Make sure to do some research and select the features you need.
The best part about antennas is that once you purchase one, you won’t have to pay for the TV access it provides each month. It’s a one-and-done purchase price. You’ll be able to watch all of March Madness and any over-the-air programming you choose for free.
The biggest challenge about using an antenna for March Madness is that the games aren’t all broadcast on CBS. The result: If you’re using only an antenna to tune in, you will miss any games shown on TBS, TNT and TruTV, but it’s still a good option for the fan who doesn’t mind missing some games to save a little money.
[See: 10 Big Ways to Boost Your Budget — Without Skimping on Your Daily Latte.]
Stream online for complete-but-paid coverage. If you’re committed to watching every game, the best choice is online streaming. A few streaming services will allow you to catch every game shown across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV.
— Hulu with Live TV will run you just shy of $40 per month and will give you access to every channel you need for March Madness, along with many others, and a robust on-demand library. Its digital video recorder will allow you to record 50 hours of live content, which means you’ll be able to catch up on any games you miss.
— PlayStation Vue’s Access package, also around the $40 mark, will allow you to access every channel airing March Madness games. With the most comprehensive CBS coverage of any streaming service, it provides access in most U.S. markets, so it’s a safe bet. Additionally, Vue has an unlimited DVR, so you’ll be able to record every game of the season — just make sure to watch them before the 28-day limit expires.
— DirecTV Now’s Live a Little package is the cheapest of the three streaming options at $35 a month, but its CBS coverage is poor, only supporting the network in 15 markets. It also doesn’t have a DVR, so if you want to play back anything you miss with DirecTV Now, you’re out of luck. That said, it offers a lot of channels and is a good value for its price, so it’s a solid streaming option for a fan who wants to save a few dollars per month.
[See: 8 Big Budgeting Blunders — and How to Fix Them.]
Try the NCAA March Madness app with login credentials. Use the official NCAA March Madness app if you want a guaranteed way to watch every game. The app works on most devices such as smartphones and smart TVs, though you can only access the app’s content with a login. Typically, you would need a cable subscription to log in to the app, but PlayStation Vue’s credentials will also let you in to stream the entire championship, so if you have a streaming subscription to the service, you’ll be able to catch the games at home or on the go.
Bottom line: If you’re a basketball fan without cable this March, don’t worry. There are plenty of options for cord-cutters who want to watch March Madness basketball. Whether you’re watching via an antenna, streaming service or app, even the most dedicated fan can find a budget-friendly option.
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How to Watch March Madness Without Cable originally appeared on usnews.com
