College basketball season is finally here! I‘m so excited to watch all the action with you. Streaming games online is the best way for us diehard fans to catch every single matchup, no matter where we are.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to stream college hoops this season. We‘ll go over the top services, sites, apps, devices and tips to help you watch all the NCAA basketball your heart desires. Sound good? Let‘s get started!
A Quick Overview on Streaming College Basketball
Before we dive in, let me give you a quick rundown of the landscape for streaming college basketball online:
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Streaming services – Services like Sling TV and YouTube TV let you stream live TV, including sports channels that show live college basketball. They require a monthly subscription.
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Network apps and sites – Apps and websites from ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports etc. stream some live games for free if you login with a TV provider.
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Free streaming sites – Sites like StreamEast and CrackStreams offer free game streams, but quality and reliability varies.
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Reddit – Reddit threads like r/ncaaBBallStreams have user-shared free live streams to games, but use caution.
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Devices – You can stream games on pretty much any phone, tablet, computer, streaming device or smart TV.
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March Madness – Services like NCAA March Madness Live provide free live tournament game streams.
Now let‘s explore these options more in-depth so you can stream college basketball like a pro this season!
Live TV Streaming Services for College Basketball
Paying for a live TV streaming service is the easiest and most reliable way to access sports channels like ESPN that show live college basketball. Here are the best options:
Sling TV
Sling TV starts at $40 per month for their Sling Orange plan. This package includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and the ACC Network – perfect for fans of ACC basketball.
Sling Blue plan ($40/month) features FS1, TBS, TNT and local channels in select markets. For $55/month, Sling Orange & Blue bundles both packages.
Sling offers new users a 3-day free trial and works on most major streaming devices. Click here to learn more about watching college basketball on Sling TV.
fuboTV
fuboTV is a sports-focused streaming service with plans starting at $70 per month. Their Pro plan has over 120 channels, including national sports networks like ESPN, FS1 and CBS Sports Network plus many regional sports networks.
fuboTV streams in 1080p HD quality and lets you watch on unlimited screens. It comes with 1000 hours of DVR storage and supports Roku, Fire TV, mobile, web and more. Check out fuboTV with a 7-day free trial. Get the full scoop on streaming college hoops with fuboTV.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV offers a single $65 per month package with over 85+ channels. For college basketball, you get ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, CBS Sports Network, SEC Network, ACC Network and more.
YouTube TV has unlimited DVR storage and allows 3 simultaneous streams. It works on most streaming devices. Click for a full review of YouTube TV for college basketball.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu‘s live TV plan costs $70 per month but provides ESPN, FS1, TBS, TNT and regional sports. The base plan has 50 hours of DVR and 2 streams. For unlimited screens and enhanced DVR, add their Sports and Enhanced Cloud DVR package for $10 more per month.
Hulu + Live TV supports iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Android TV, Chromecast and web browsers. Get all the details on streaming live NCAA games with Hulu.
As you can see, these four streaming services give you all the sports channels you need to watch college basketball online. Now let‘s move on to some niche and free options.
Best Apps and Sites for Streaming College Hoops
In addition to full live TV streaming services, there are many free and cheap apps and websites dedicated specifically to college basketball streaming.
NCAA March Madness Live
During March Madness, this is the go-to app from NCAA.com for free live streams of all 67 tournament games. You can watch on mobile, desktop, streaming devices and more with no login required. Download the March Madness Live app.
CBS Sports App
The CBS Sports app offers free live streams of certain college basketball matchups airing on local CBS stations throughout the regular season. You can watch on mobile or streaming devices after signing in with a CBS account. Get the CBS Sports app.
ESPN App
A limited number of live out-of-market college basketball games air on ESPN3 and the ESPN app. You can stream games if you have a participating cable provider and login to access ESPN3 content. Learn more about ESPN app streaming.
Fox Sports App
Like CBS, the Fox Sports app lets you stream live games shown on local Fox channels after logging in with your Fox Sports account. This includes some Big East basketball action. Download the Fox Sports app.
NBC Sports App
Certain college basketball matchups airing on NBC/NBC Sports can be live streamed on their app to subscribers of participating cable providers. Check out NBC Sports app.
Stadium App
The Stadium app offers live streams of men‘s and women‘s college basketball games from smaller NCAA conferences like the Mountain West, West Coast Conference and more. Get the Stadium app for free.
Pluto TV
Pluto TV‘s free live TV streaming service has a channel dedicated to college hoops called Stadium College Basketball. It airs games from smaller conferences. Stream Pluto TV.
This covers the main free and paid apps and websites for streaming live college basketball online. Now let‘s look at watching games on the go.
Streaming College Basketball on Mobile Devices
One of the best parts about streaming college hoops online is the ability to watch exciting games on your phone or tablet on the go.
For iOS devices like iPhones and iPads, you can download any of the apps mentioned above like ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, Pluto TV and more to catch live action on Apple mobile devices.
On Android, you also have access to those same apps in the Google Play store. Additional top Android apps for streaming college basketball include:
- YouTube TV – Streaming service with ESPN, TBS, TNT
- fuboTV – Sports-focused TV replacement with tons of hoops coverage
- Sling TV – Budget-friendly live TV streaming service
- NCAA March Madness – Free NCAA tournament live streams
- StreamEast – Free sports streaming site with NCAA basketball
Thanks to today‘s high-speed mobile networks, you can enjoy smooth streaming just about anywhere with these college basketball apps. Just connect your headphones and you‘re set!
Now let‘s move on to streaming NCAA hoops on the big screen at home.
Streaming Devices for College Basketball
Streaming college basketball on your phone or laptop is nice, but watching games on the big screen is even better.
Luckily, connecting streaming devices to your TV is a breeze and opens up countless options for streaming NCAA hoops in HD quality.
Here are some top streaming devices for college basketball:
Roku – Roku streaming players and Roku TVs have apps for Hulu, YouTube TV, fuboTV, Sling TV, ESPN, CBS, Fox and more. Roku starts at just $25.
Fire TV Stick – Amazon‘s Fire TV OS supports apps like fuboTV along with ESPN, Fox and CBS to deliver live college basketball streams to your television.
Apple TV – Along with full streaming services, Apple TV boxes have dedicated apps to watch college hoops from ESPN, CBS, NBC and more.
Google Chromecast – Chromecast plugs into your TV‘s HDMI and casts live college basketball from ESPN, March Madness Live, YouTube TV, mobile apps and more.
Android TV Box – Many generic Android TV boxes like the Nvidia Shield allow you to install third-party apps for streams like NCAA Basketball streams.
PlayStation and Xbox – Your PS4 or Xbox One game console can access live TV and sports streaming apps to watch NCAA basketball in HD.
I recommend getting a streaming device to watch games on the biggest screen possible. They plug into your TV in seconds and make streaming a breeze!
Tech Tips for the Best Streaming Experience
Now that you know what to use for streaming, here are some handy tech tips to ensure your college basketball streams go smoothly all season long:
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For the most reliable streaming, use wired Ethernet on your desktop PC, laptop, streaming device or smart TV rather than WiFi. This prevents lag and buffering.
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If your internet bandwidth is limited, adjust video quality settings in apps to reduce to SD or 480p quality. This prevents buffering issues with HD streams.
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Close any extra apps and browser tabs on your computer, phone or streaming device to devote maximum bandwidth to your NCAA stream.
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Verify you can login and access desired streaming services before tipoff to avoid fumbling around and missing the start of a game.
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Check for location or blackout restrictions on live streams based on your geographic area. A VPN like ExpressVPN can bypass these.
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Enable push notifications so streaming apps can send alerts when exciting live games are in progress or close matchups are coming down to the wire.
With the right gear and these tips, you‘ll stream college basketball without any hiccups! Now let‘s dive into getting the most out of your streaming experience as a fan.
Enjoying College Basketball Like an Expert Streamer
Streaming gives us super fans an amazing opportunity to follow NCAA hoops like never before. Here are some ideas to get the most out of streaming college basketball this season:
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Use multiple screens! Have one stream going on TV and another on your laptop or tablet to monitor two exciting games at once.
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Jump on Twitter and follow reporters, analysts and college basketball insiders for live commentary, highlights and updates on all the action.
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Speaking of highlights, most streaming services and sports apps have on-demand highlights you can watch to relive amazing dunks, last-second shots and more.
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Picture-in-picture is a handy feature on iOS and Android for continuing to watch a close game while texting or browsing other apps.
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Many streaming services offer multiple camera angles for the same game. Switch angles to get the backboard cam view for slam dunk replays!
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Use streaming sites like KenPom and TeamRankings to study advanced team stats, ratings, predictions and analytics to gain betting and fantasy advantages.
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Check in-game box scores and play-by-play on ESPN and CBS Sports for real-time stats, scores and news as the action unfolds.
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Review shot charts, win probability graphs and other data visualizations on sports sites to dive deep into key trends and metrics.
With streaming at your fingertips, we have an amazing opportunity as fans to experience NCAA basketball like never before. I hope these tips help take your streaming game to the next level this season!
Now the only thing left is to sit back, grab the snacks and get ready to catch all the intense college hoops action. Here‘s to a great season! Let me know if you have any other questions.
