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March Madness 2019: How to watch the National Championship Game live

You don't need cable or satellite to watch Virginia take on Texas Tech to decide college basketball's national title.

Matt Elliott Senior Editor
Matt Elliott is a senior editor at CNET with a focus on laptops and streaming services. Matt has more than 20 years of experience testing and reviewing laptops. He has worked for CNET in New York and San Francisco and now lives in New Hampshire. When he's not writing about laptops, Matt likes to play and watch sports. He loves to play tennis and hates the number of streaming services he has to subscribe to in order to watch the various sports he wants to watch.
Expertise Laptops, desktops, all-in-one PCs, streaming devices, streaming platforms
Matt Elliott
3 min read
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Kyle Guy hits three free throws in the final second of the Final Four game against Auburn to help Virginia advance to the title game.

Brett Wilhelm

The Final Four has become the Terminal Two. After starting with 68 teams last month, only two are still playing in the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament

On Saturday, No. 1 Virginia squeaked by No. 5 Auburn on a controversial call in the final seconds, while No. 3 Texas Tech ended No. 2 Michigan State's title hopes

On Monday night, Virginia and Texas Tech will square off to decide the college basketball national championship. Only one team will cut down the nets. Here's how you can watch.

Watch this: March Madness 2019: Everything you need to know

When is the National Championship Game?

The National Championship Game tips off on Monday night from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Monday, April 8

Matchup TimeChannel
No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 3 Texas Tech 9:20 p.m. ETCBS

Which channels is the game on?

The game will be shown on  CBS . (Editors' note: CNET is a division of CBS.)

How can I watch for free?

Go to the NCAA's March Madness Live site or use its March Madness Live app and you'll be able to watch the game for free. Games on CBS during the tournament don't require pay-TV credentials, so you can stream the final game for free.

Read more: 16 Sweet and Savory Recipes for a Baller March Madness Party (Chowhound)

What are my other streaming options?

Cord cutters can use a live-TV streaming service to watch the National Championship Game. In order to watch CBS' coverage, however, you'll need to make sure the service carries your local CBS station.

Other stuff to know about live TV streaming services:

  • You'll need a solid internet connection.
  • You can watch any of them on TV as long as your smart TV has the service's app. You can also watch on your TV using a media streamer, including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and Chromecast.
  • You can also watch on iPhones, Android phonestablets and PC browsers.
  • You can sign up and cancel anytime, no contract required.
  • All of them offer free trial periods, so you can sign up to watch and then cancel.

Disclosure: CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of products featured on this page.

Streaming services with CBS

YouTube TV costs $40 a month and includes CBS. Enter your ZIP code here to see if you live in one of its CBS markets.

Hulu with Live TV costs $45 a month and includes CBS, but check to see which live channels Hulu offers in your area.

Fubo costs $45 a month and includes CBS. Check to see if Fubo offers a live feed of CBS where you live.

PlayStation Vue's $45 Access plan includes CBS. Check out which live, local networks you get on the PlayStation Vue Plans page.

DirecTV Now's cheapest, $50-a-month Plus package includes CBS. Click here to check availability of live local channels in your area.

Other March Madness options

CBS All Access ($6)

CBS All Access carries live CBS stations in many areas of the country (check the site to see if you're covered) for $6 a month. 

OTA antenna (free)

Another option for watching games on CBS is to use an antenna to get free, over-the-air TV. You can attach an over-the-air digital antenna to nearly any TV, and solid antennas start as little as $10.

Best TVs under $4,000

See all photos
Watch this: How to cut the cord like a pro

Originally published on March 5.
Update, April 8: Adds details for the National Championship Game.