We're only midway through the First Round and March Madness has already served up four upsets — three involving double-digit seeds. Strap in for another 16 games today. For many, nothing beats the early stages of the tournament, and this year, the gap between the best and the rest is tantalizingly narrow. We anticipate further giant-killings.
Read on and we'll show you how to watch First Round 2025 without cable and from anywhere with a VPN.
The First Round concludes today (Friday, March 21). Full schedule below. Game 1 starts at 12:15 p.m. ET.
• U.S. — TBS, CBS, TNT & TruTV via Sling TV
• Australia — Kayo Sports 7-day free trial
• Unblock streams — Try NordVPN 100% risk free
It must be said, however, that No.1 seeds Houston and Auburn made things look easy yesterday.
Duke are the odds-on favorites to win the tournament, and it looks like their star player Cooper Flagg has been cleared to play following an ankle injury. They take on No.16 Mount St. Mary's at 2:50 p.m. ET on CBS. Florida, also seeded No.1, are in action too, against No.16 Norfolk State at 6:50 p.m. on TNT.
On paper, the games that look ripest for an upset today are No.6 Ole Miss vs No.11 North Carolina (4:05 p.m. ET, TNT), and No.4 Arizona vs No.13 Akron (7:35 p.m. ET, TruTV), but this being March Madness, there's every chance the shocks will come elsewhere.
Here's how to watch First Round live streams online. Don’t miss any of the main event itself by following our how to watch March Madness live streams guide.
How to watch First Round online from anywhere
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the round of 64 on your subscriptions?
You can still watch your usual First Round live stream thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software makes your devices appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are.
So it's ideal for hoops fans away on vacation or on business. NordVPN is best and our NordVPN review explains why.
Watch First Round live streams in the U.S.
In the U.S., First Round games are being shown across TBS, TNT, TruTV and CBS.
If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package, you can watch every single game through a cheap Sling TV subscription.
The Sling TV Orange plan carries TBS and TNT as standard, but just for March Madness it now also includes TruTV. Better yet, your Sling login credentials will let you stream every game on CBS through the March Madness Live app.
Sling Orange usually costs from $45.99/month but new customers get their first month half-price.
Alternatively, Paramount Plus Premium ($12.99 per month) is streaming all of the games that are shown on CBS.
Max is another option. It will live stream all of the games that are shown on TBS, TNT and TruTV, and includes all of HBO's prestige series, like "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "The Sopranos" and "The Wire". Plus, the service has its own originals.
Plans start at $9.99/month, though you'll need to pay $16/month to go ad-free, and $20/month to stream in 4K.
Scroll down for a breakdown of which games are on which channels.
How to watch First Round live streams in the U.K.
The First Round, along with every single game of March Madness, is being shown on Sky Sports in the U.K.. Games will go out on Sky Sports+, and occasionally on Sky Sports Main Event.
Sky Sports subscribers can watch the basketball on the go on mobile devices via the Sky Go streaming service, which has dedicated apps for iOS, iPadOS and Android devices, along with Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
If you want to sign up, you can check out our dedicated guide to Sky TV deals and packages for today's best prices.
If you're not in the U.K. right now, one of the best VPN services will help tap into your domestic coverage of the First Round. We recommend NordVPN.
How to watch First Round live streams in Canada
All 2025 March Madness First Round games are live on TSN and TSN+, which are providing comprehensive March Madness coverage.
The streaming service lets you get access to all TSN has to offer on an $8/month or $80/year subscription basis.
If you're away from home and struggling to tap into your subscriptions, you could use a VPN to help you access a First Round stream from anywhere. We recommend NordVPN.
How to watch March Madness First Round games online in Australia
Aussies will find all the First Round live streams on ESPN via Foxtel, which is providing comprehensive March Madness coverage.
Don't have Foxtel and don't want to subscribe? Specialist streaming service Kayo Sports will also be showing the round of 64, with its affordable, commitment-free plans starting from just $25/month, and hosting plenty of cricket, AFL, rugby, F1 and loads of other live sports besides.
There's also a 7-day FREE trial for anybody who hasn't used the service before.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch all the action on your Kayo account as if you were back home.
First Round schedule 2025
Thursday, March 20
12:15 p.m. — No.9 Creighton 89-75 No.8 Louisville (CBS)
12:40 p.m. — No.13 High Point 63-75 No.4 Purdue (TruTV)
1:30 p.m. — No.14 Montana 66-85 No.3 Wisconsin (TNT)
2 p.m. — No.16 SIU Edwardsville 40-78 No.1 Houston (TBS)
2:50 p.m. — No.16 Alabama State 63-83 No.1 Auburn (CBS)
3:15 p.m. — No.12 McNeese 69-67 No.5 Clemson (TruTV)
4:05 p.m. — No.11 VCU 71-80 No.6 BYU (TNT)
4:35 p.m. — No.9 Georgia 68-89 No.8 Gonzaga (TBS)
6:50 p.m. — No.15 Wofford 62-77 No.2 Tennessee (TNT)
7:10 p.m. — No.10 Arkansas 79-72 No.7 Kansas (CBS)
7:25 p.m. — No.13 Yale 71-80 No.4 Texas A&M (TBS)
7:35 p.m. — No.11 Drake 67-57 No.6 Missouri (TruTV)
9:25 p.m. — No.10 Utah State 47-72 No.7 UCLA (TNT)
9:45 p.m. — No.15 Omaha 53-83 No.2 St. John's (CBS)
10 p.m. — No.12 UC San Diego 65-68 No.5 Michigan (TBS)
10:10 p.m. — No.14 UNCW 72-82 No.3 Texas Tech (TruTV)
Friday, March 21
12:15 p.m. — No.9 Baylor vs No.8 Mississippi State (CBS)
12:40 p.m. — No.15 Robert Morris vs No.2 Alabama (TruTV)
1:30 p.m. — No.14 Lipscomb vs No.3 Iowa State (TNT)
2 p.m. — No.12 Colorado State vs No.5 Memphis (TBS)
2:50 p.m. — No.16 Mount St. Mary's vs No.1 Duke (CBS)
3:15 p.m. — No.10 Vanderbilt vs No.7 Saint Mary's (TruTV)
4:05 p.m. — No.11 North Carolina vs No.6 Ole Miss (TNT)
4:35 p.m. — No.13 Grand Canyon vs No.4 Maryland (TBS)
6:50 p.m. — No.16 Norfolk State vs No.1 Florida (TNT)
7:10 p.m. — No.14 Troy vs No.3 Kentucky (CBS)
7:25 p.m. — No.10 New Mexico vs No.7 Marquette (TBS)
7:35 p.m. — No.13 Akron vs No.4 Arizona (TruTV)
9:25 p.m. — No.9 Oklahoma vs No.8 UConn (TNT)
9:45 p.m. — No.11 Xavier vs No.6 Illinois (CBS)
10 p.m. — No.15 Bryant vs No.2 Michigan State (TBS)
10:10 p.m. — No.12 Liberty vs No.5 Oregon (TruTV)
(All times ET)
