Watch March Madness 2025: Which Channel Is TBS on DirecTV, Xfinity, DISH and More?

Nate Cunningham | Mar 13, 2025

The Selection Sunday show will be broadcast on CBS on March 16, at 6 p.m. ET.  | John Reed-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The NCAA tournament is almost here. In just a few weeks, office and school productivity will crash as the nation turns to a full slate of games on Thursday, March 20, and Friday, March 21. 

It will be, as it always is, pure madness. 

And let’s face it, you don’t want to miss a single minute of the action. You’ve got a perfect bracket to keep an eye on, after all. 

In order to do just that, you’re going to need to know what channel your game of choice is on. We’re here to help, with a breakdown of TBS channels by cable provider/streaming service.

Which Channels Air March Madness Games?

The Selection Show, where the full field of men’s basketball teams is revealed for the NCAA tournament, will be broadcast on CBS on Sunday, March 16, at 6 p.m. ET. 

The First Four games will be shown exclusively on TruTV. First- and second-round matchups will air on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be carried by CBS, TBS and TruTV. 

CBS will be the singular network to air the Final Four and national championship game. 

Round	City	Dates	Channels
First Four	Dayton, Ohio	March 18-19	TruTV
First/Second	Lexington, Kentucky	March 20-22	CBS, TNT, TNT, TruTV
First/Second	Providence, Rhode Island	March 20-22	CBS, TNT, TNT, TruTV
First/Second	Wichita, Kansas	March 20-22	CBS, TNT, TNT, TruTV
First/Second	Denver	March 20-22	CBS, TNT, TNT, TruTV
First/Second	Milwaukee	March 21-23	CBS, TNT, TNT, TruTV
First/Second	Raleigh	March 21-23	CBS, TNT, TNT, TruTV
First/Second	Seattle	March 21-23	CBS, TNT, TNT, TruTV
First/Second	Cleveland	March 21-23	CBS, TNT, TNT, TruTV
East Regional	Newark, N.J.	March 27-29	CBS, TBS, TruTV
West Regional	San Francisco	March 27-29	CBS, TBS, TruTV
South Regional	Atlanta	March 28-30	CBS, TBS, TruTV
Midwest Regional	Indianapolis	March 28-30	CBS, TBS, TruTV
Final Four	San Antonio	April 5	CBS
National Championship	San Antonio	April 7	CBS

Which Channel Is TBS on Major Cable & Satellite Providers?

TBS is carried by all major cable and satellite providers. The channel listing may vary based on your geographic location, so be sure to check your provider’s website or guide for a full breakdown. 

Cable Provider	Channel No.
DirecTV	247
Dish	139
Optimum	39
Cox	varies by region
Spectrum	varies by region
Xfinity	varies by region

How to Watch TBS Without Cable

Warner Bros. Discovery Networks is notoriously difficult to negotiate with, which resulted in fuboTV dropping all channels from the network. However, there are still plenty of other options for streaming TBSwithout a cable subscription.

Streaming Service	Free Trial?	Starting Price
DirecTV Stream	Yes	$74.99
Hulu + Live TV	Yes	$95.99
Sling TV	No	$45.99
YouTube TV	Yes	$82.99

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