March Madness 2026: How to watch the First Four games at the men’s NCAA basketball tournament

The teams and seeds have been set for March Madness 2026 and now the only thing left to do (besides finish up your fantasy bracket) is tune in to the First Four. The men’s First Four will whittle the current field of 68 teams down to 64 with games being played on March 17 and 18. This year’s First Four matchups will be UMBC vs Howard, Texas vs. NC State, Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh, and Miami (Ohio) vs. SMU. Every first four game will be broadcast on TruTV, which means you’ll also be able to stream them on HBO Max, DirecTV and more.

For a list of key dates, teams and how to watch every game, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a look at how to watch the entire tournament, starting with the First Four and going right up to the Championship Final.

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How to watch the men’s First Four March Madness games in 2026:

Dates: March 17-18, 2026

Times: 6:40 p.m./9:10 p.m.

TV channels: TruTV

Streaming: DirecTV, HBO Max, Hulu + Live TV and more

When does March Madness start?

The 2026 men’s NCAA basketball tournament begins Tuesday, March 17. The First Four games take place on March 17 and 18, wit

March Madness men’s First Four schedule:

Tuesday, March 17

6:40 p.m.: No. 16 UMBC vs. No. 16 Howard (TruTV)

9:10 p.m.: No. 11 Texas vs. No. 11 NC State (TruTV)

Wednesday, March 18

6:40 p.m.: No. 16 Prairie View A&M vs. No. 16 Lehigh (TruTV)

9:10 p.m.: No. 11 Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 11 SMU (TruTV)

Where to watch men’s March Madness games:

All men’s tournament games will be available across TBS, truTV, TNT, and CBS.

Where to stream March Madness games without cable:

Every game of the 2026 men’s March Madness Tournament will stream on HBO Max. You’ll also be able to access every game on live TV services like Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV.

HBO Max is the streaming home for tons of great sports programming, including NCAA sports like the men’s March Madness tournament. That means that games that are broadcast on networks like TNT, TBS, and truTV will also be available to stream for HBO Max subscribers. 

In addition…

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Author : Liz Kocan

Publish date : 2026-03-16 19:38:00

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