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NCAA March Madness 2023: How to watch the Alabama vs. Texas A&M-CC game today

2023 SEC Basketball Tournament
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

March Madness season is here. With 68 teams playing in 67 live games across the country, from Houston, Texas to New York City, there's a lot of action to follow over the next month, including today's First Round game: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders. 

If you're looking to tune in on time for tip off, here's what you need to know: 


Best way to watch today's game: 

Paramount+, $5 and up per month


How to watch the Crimson Tide vs. Islanders game today

No. 16 Texas A&M CC vs. No. 1 Alabama begins today at 2:30 p.m. ET. You can catch the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders showdown over on CBS. Our recommendation for watching today's game? Paramount+. 

All March Madness games airing on CBS will be available to stream simultaneously with the Paramount+ premium tier subscription. Paramount+ has two plans: the ad-supported Essential plan available for $5 per month, and the ad-free Premium plan available for $10 per month. You also can try either Paramount+ tier free for 7 days. 

Paramount+, $5 and up per month


How to watch First Round March Madness games:

Keep up with the March Madness schedule. CBS Essentials knows where you can watch the upcoming Round of 64 games. 

Thursday, March 16 (Round of 64. All times Eastern)

  • No. 9 West Virginia vs. No. 8 Maryland | noon | CBS
  • No. 13 Furman vs. No. 4 Virginia | 12:30 p.m.| truTV
  • No. 10 Utah St. vs. No. 7 Missouri | 1:20 p.m. | TNT
  • No. 16 Howard vs. No. 1 Kansas | 1:50 p.m. | TBS
  • No. 16 Texas A&M CC vs. No. 1 Alabama | 2:30 p.m. | CBS 
  • No. 12 College of Charleston vs. No. 5 San Diego St. | 3 p.m. | truTV
  • No. 15 Princeton vs. No. 2 Arizona | 3:50 p.m. | TNT
  • No. 9 Illinois vs. No. 8 Arkansas | 4:20 p.m. | TBS 
  • No. 9 Auburn vs. No. 8 Iowa | 6:45 p.m. | TNT
  • No. 12 Oral Roberts vs. No. 5 Duke | 7 p.m. | CBS
  • No. 15 Colgate vs. No. 2 Texas | 7:15 p.m. | TBS
  • No. 10 Boise St. vs. No. 7 Northwestern | 7:25 p.m. | truTV
  • No. 16 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 1 Houston | 9:15 p.m. | TNT
  • No. 13 Louisiana vs. No. 4 Tennessee | 9:30 p.m. | CBS
  • No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 7 Texas A&M | 9:45 p.m. | TBS
  • No. 15 UNC Asheville vs. No. 2 UCLA | 9:55 p.m. | truTV

Friday, March 17 (Round of 64. All times Eastern)

  • No. 10 USC vs. No. 7 Michigan State | noon |CBS
  • No. 14 Kennesaw St. vs. No. 3 Xavier | 12:30 p.m. | truTV
  • No. 14 UC Santa Barbra vs. No. 3 Baylor | 1:20 p.m. | TNT
  • No. 12 VCU vs. No. 5 Saint Mary's | 1:50 p.m. | TBS
  • No. 15 Vermont vs. No. 2 Marquette| 2:30 p.m. | CBS
  • No. 11 Mississippi State/Pitt vs. No. 6 Iowa State | 3 p.m. | truTV
  • No. 11 N.C. State vs. No. 6 Creighton | 3:50 p.m. | TNT
  • No. 13 Iona vs. No. 4 UConn | 4:20 p.m. | TBS
  • No. 16 Texas Southern/Fairleigh Dickinson vs. No. 1 Purdue | 6:45 p.m. | TNT
  • No. 11 Providence vs. No. 6 Kentucky | 7 p.m. | CBS
  • No. 12 Drake vs. No. 5 Miami | 7:15 p.m | TBS
  • No. 14 Grand Canyon vs. No. 3 Gonzaga | 7:25 p.m. | truTV
  • No. 9 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 8 Memphis | 9:15 p.m. | TNT
  • No. 14 Montana St. vs. No. 3 Kansas St. | 9:30 p.m. | CBS
  • No. 13 Kent State vs. No. 4 Indiana | 9:45 p.m. | TBS
  • No. 11 Arizona St/Nevada vs. No. 6 TCU | 9:55 p.m. | truTV

You can view the full men's bracket on CBS sports. Here's how to watch all the upcoming games on CBS, TNT, ESPN and more. 

Where to watch March Madness games? 

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - National Championship
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

While CBS is serving as the official cable TV home for this year's Men's March Madness tournament, live NCAA basketball games will also air on TBS, TNT and truTV. The 2023 Women's Tournament will air on ESPN. 

Paramount+

North Carolina v Duke
Tom Pennington/Getty Images

All March Madness games airing on CBS will be available to stream simultaneously with the Paramount+ premium tier subscription. Paramount+ has two plans: the ad-supported Essential plan available for $5 per month, and the ad-free Premium plan available for $10 per month. You also can try either Paramount+ tier free for 7 days. 

Paramount+, $5 and up per month


Sling TV

Ohio State v Villanova
Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

One cost effective way to stream basketball is with a Sling TV subscription. Right now, there's a special deal -- Sling TV is offering $20 off your first month. (Sling TV normally costs $40 and up per month for plans including live sports.) There's no long-term contract so you can sign up just to stream March Madness basketball games and cancel after, if you want.

To catch most March Madness games, you'll need Sling TV's Orange & Blue plan, which starts at $30 for your first month and $60 monthly thereafter. Sling Orange & Blue will get you access to games on TBS, TNT, truTV and ESPN. Notably, it won't get you games on CBS, so you'll need access to your local CBS channel through a digital TV antenna or a Paramount+ subscription to be fully covered for the 2023 tournament. 

New subscribers in the month of February can also enter to win a free LG TV through Sling. Sling TV also offers NBA TV through its Sports add-on. For $11 extra each month, you can get NBA TV, NHL Network, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more. 

Sling TV Orange & Blue, $30 (reduced from $60) for your first month


Hulu + Live TV

North Carolina v Duke
Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

A subscription to Hulu Live TV offers access to all major channels airing 2023 March Madness games including your local CBS channel, TBS, TNT and truTV. Plus, Hulu + Live TV can now be bundled with ad-supported Disney+ and ESPN+, giving you access to every 2023 March Madness game. You'll also get access to more than 65 other live and on demand channels with live sports, news and entertainment. 

Hulu + Live TV, $70 and up per month


Watch local CBS with an Amplified HDTV antenna

Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna
Amazon

Most March Madness games will be broadcast on local CBS affiliates, so a digital antenna is a great option for watching the game if you don't have a cable or streaming subscription. This HDTV antenna, an Amazon best seller, claims a 200-mile range and comes with an 17-foot-long coaxial cable. Rated 4 stars by Amazon reviewers.

Amplified HDTV antenna, $22 after coupon (reduced from $27)


Who is playing in NCAA March Madness 2023?

There will be 68 Division I college basketball teams playing in this year's NCAA March Madness tournament. 

To see the full bracket of teams, head to our sister site, CBS Sports


2023 March Madness timeline: 

2023 March Madness schedule (Men's): 

Mar. 12: Selection Sunday
Mar. 14-15: First Four
Mar. 16-17: First Round
Mar. 18-19: Second Round
Mar. 23-24: Sweet 16
Mar. 25-26: Elite Eight
Apr. 1: Final Four
Apr. 3: NCAA Championship Game

2023 March Madness schedule (Women's):

Mar. 15-16: First Four
Mar. 17-18: First Round
Mar. 19-20: Second Round
Mar. 24-25: Sweet 16
Mar. 26-27: Elite Eight
Mar. 31: Final Four
Apr. 2: Women's NCAA Championship Game


The best TV deals ahead of March Madness 2023 

If you're looking to create the ultimate at-home NCAA tournament experience, it might be time to upgrade your home theater. Keep reading to check out the best deals on great TVs for watching sports and more. 

LG G2 series OLED evo Gallery Edition smart TV: $1,997

lg-oled.jpg
LG via Amazon

According to the brand, this LG TV designed to compete with Samsung's "The Frame" features a gallery design that "hugs the wall." This smart TV is meant to blend in seamlessly with any other wall art you might have. 

The OLED TV features 4K-upscaling, a Filmmaker Mode to enhance your viewing experience with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, plus built-in access to Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV plus, Disney Plus and LG channels.

An Amazon customer called the TV "the best 4K panel I've ever owned." "The panel actually does look like wall art hanging in my viewing room," they commented.

65" LG G2 series OLED evo Gallery Edition smart TV, $1,997 (regularly $3,000)


65" Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV: $1,698

sony-bravia-xr.png
Amazon

The 65-inch Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV features a cognitive processor meant to deliver intense contrast with pure blacks, high peak brightness and natural colors. Thanks to its Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, the screen is the speaker. This smart TV comes with access to Google TV and works with most voice assistants.

65" Sony Bravia XR OLED 4K TV, $1,698 (reduced from $2,300)


75" Amazon Fire TV Omni series 4K smart TV: $800

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Amazon

This 75-inch Amazon Fire TV offers a 4K UHD display and enhanced color and clarity thanks to Dolby Vision. The TV also supports voice control with Amazon Alexa. Its high-quality picture quality and large size make this TV a solid choice for football fans -- plus, it's hard to find such a big screen at such a low price. This deal is exclusively for Prime members, but non-Prime shoppers can still get the TV on sale for $800.

75" Amazon Fire TV Omni series 4K smart TV, $800 (reduced from $1,100)


65" TCL Roku smart TV: $368

tcl.jpg
TCL via Walmart

This top-rated TCL Roku TV is an ultra-affordable option that uses the user-friendly Roku interface.

"I recently bought this tv last week and I'm really impressed with it amazing picture, great sound and easy set up," wrote a Walmart customer. "If you want a tv that's affordable TCL is the way to go. I don't have anything negative to say about the tv and I would buy TV's again from this brand in the near future."

65" TCL Roku 4K smart TV, $368


Amazon Fire 4-Series TV 55" 4K TV with Alexa built in: $360

4-series.jpg
Amazon

A mid-size television, 55 to 65 inches along the diagonal, is the ideal size for many living rooms. The best viewing distance for a 55-inch 4K TV, such as this model, is between 4.5 and seven feet. That leaves enough space for people to get up and walk by for more snacks from the gameday spread.

Amazon Fire 4-Series TV 55" 4K TV with Alexa built in, $360 (reduced from $520)


55" Elements 4K outdoor Roku TV: $1,168

55-elements-outdoor-tv-roku.jpg
Walmart

This IP55 weatherproof TV with HDR10 is designed for outdoor use in all seasons -- it works in temperatures from -4ºF to 104ºF. It features a tempered, anti-glare screen that's bright enough for use in partial sun.

55" Elements 4K outdoor TV, $1,168


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