FAQ: NCAA Tournament on TV, Radio, Web, Mobile
Its NCAA Tournament time on television, radio and digital platforms. Heres how to find and track your teams and even play to win the $1 million bracket challenge.
Let us know if you have other questions, and we'll do our best to answer them.
NCAA BASKETBALL on TV
Q: When do the games begin?
A:The tournament tips off Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with the NCAA First Four on truTV, pairing North Carolina A&T against Liberty University for the right to meet overall No. 1 Louisville. In the second game, at about 9 p.m., Middle Tennessee State and St. Marys play for the 11 seed in the Midwest Region.On Wednesday night, LIU-Brooklyn and James Madison (6:30 p.m.) play for the right to face Indiana, and Boise State and La Salle (9 p.m.) play for the 13 seed in the West Region.
Winners of those games will be slotted into second-round games Thursday and Friday. Games begin on WRAL-TV(CBS) Thursday at noon. The four participating networks, including WRAL-TV (CBS) will have four games apieceThursday and Friday.
Q: What does this mean for soaps and primetime programs and the evening news?
A:Soap opera fans and viewers of primetime programs need not worry that the basketball tournament will cause themto miss an episode. The following shows will not air anywhere in the country on Thursday, March 21, and Friday,March 22:
The Bold and The Beautiful
The Talk
Lets Make a Deal
The Young and the Restless
The Big Bang Theory
Two and a Half Men
Person of Interest
Elementary
Blue Bloods
Undercover Boss
Vegas
Find the full WRAL-TV schedule here
New episodes of soap operas return Monday, March 25. The primetime programs return during the first week in April at their regulartimes.
WRAL's late night newscast is scheduled to begin after the games, at about midnight on Thursday and Friday nights.
Q: Who has the television rights?
A:Two years ago CBS Sports entered a long-term partnership with Turner Sports to televise every single game in its entirety.
The good news is that viewers with access to CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV are able to watch the game of their choice at any time. However, those who do not have access to cable or satellite may be disappointed in the games that CBS provides to WRAL-TV in the early rounds. As part of this arrangement, WRAL-TV has no say in what games we air, including those of our local teams.
Q: Why is this good for viewers?
A:The NCAA's 14-year contract with CBS and Turner Sports makes every tournament game available in its entirety on TV nationwide.
No longer are fans subject to the decision of the network of when to switch away from a game, and no longer will you have to wait for your game to be "joined in progress."If you haveaccess to all four networks, you can customize your viewing to see the games you want from start to finish, and you can switch from game to game whenever you choose.
The broadcast windows are staggered in such a fashion that a fan can essentially watch wall-to-wall basketball all day and all night.
Q: How do the networks divvy up the games?
A:Over the course of the 67 games of the tournament, 26 air on CBS/WRAL (including the Final Four and championship game), 16 on TBS, 12 on TNT and 13 on truTV.
CBS television stations across the country, including WRAL, do not have any choice of what games to air, even regarding teams of local interest. The national game selections are determined by CBS and the three Turner networks.
Q: Will WRAL carry the games featuring local teams?
A: Not necessarily. WRAL has no choice in what game it airs. The station carries whatever game CBS chooses to broadcast nationally.
Q: Can CBS/WRAL pick any game it wants?
A: Actually the networks pick locations instead of games for each broadcast window. The networks evaluate the interest in the combination of the two games being played at each site and make a selection accordingly.
In each broadcast window (afternoon and evening), CBS will stick to a single site, not take one game from one site and the second game from another.
Q: If a game is a blowout, will the network shift to another, more competitive game?
A: No. Each network must stay with the game that they were scheduled to broadcast. This puts the power in the hands of the viewer. You can change the channel to see a closer game or decide to stay with one until the end.
Q: Will the network switch to another game when a game ends early?
A: CBS is not permitted to take viewers to other games in progress other than a brief look-in. (Each network is only allowed a total of three minutes of look-ins during the course of a given time block.) If you choose to stay on a single channel, you will see studio updates, highlights and possibly brief look-ins between games, schedule permitting.
Q: Will the games be available in high definition?
A:All games on WRAL are in high definition. The three Turner networks have the games in high definition on their respective HD channels. Check with your cable or satellite provider to confirm whether you can receive the Turner channels in HD.
Q: Will any games be simulcast on more than one network?
A: No. Each of the games are shown nationally and independently.
Q: What if viewers do not have access to TBS, TNT or truTV?
A: Unfortunately, fans who do not have cable or satellite, or whose channel lineups do not include all three Turner networks, do not have access to those games on TV. Any game that is not assigned to CBS is shown on one of the Turner networks only.
CBS and the NCAA are cooperating to offer some online games. See below for how to access "March Madness on Demand."
NCAA basketball on Radio
Q: When I listen to NCAA games on local sports radio?
A: Both 99.9FM The Fan ESPN Radio a
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
FAQ: NCAA Tournament on TV, Radio, Web, Mobile
