Whether you want to “bear down” with the Arizona Wildcats or watch the Bulldogs in action, you no longer need a cable subscription to watch NCAA basketball live with streaming options like Hulu + Live TV.
Most college basketball games air on local networks such as ABC, CBS, and FOX. They also air on major cable channels such as ESPN, FOX Sports 1, and NBCSN. Regional sports networks broadcast select games too. But their coverage is typically limited as they only air games in a particular part of the country.
You can also watch smaller NCAA conferences and games on internet streaming channels and college sports networks. This includes Big 10 Network, BTN+, ESPN+, ESPN 3, Pluto TV, SEC Network, and SEC Network+, among many others.
And Hulu + Live TV gives you access to most of these channels so you can stream NCAA basketball without needing a cable subscription. This post gives you a detailed look at the Hulu NCAA basketball offering so you can decide if it’s a good choice for you. Don’t forget to find out the additional Hulu + Live TV sports offering in our guide.
Hulu + Live TV plans and sports channels compared
Hulu + Live TV has all the major cable sports networks that broadcast NCAA basketball games, including ESPN, FOX Sports 1, and NBCSN, with its base plan. As highlighted in our Hulu packages and pricing guide, this plan costs $64.99/mo. And while you can upgrade to the Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV plan for $70.99/mo., this has no impact on the live channel lineup.
Check out the service’s full lineup in our Hulu + Live TV channel list. Besides these, you have several ways to watch NCAA basketball, including streaming and college sports channels as well as local networks.
Hulu + Live TV college sports channels
College sports networks such as ACC Network, Big Ten Network, and SEC Network broadcast NCAA basketball games with lower-profile teams and matchups. Hulu + Live TV offers most of these college sports networks with the default plan, meaning you won’t need to pay anything extra for an add-on to get these channels.
But it’s missing a few key channels that broadcast these smaller games — FOX College Sports, Longhorn Network, and Pac-12 Network.
| Channel | Hulu + Live TV Free Trial$56.99/mo. |
| ACC Network | ✔ |
| ACC Network Extra | ✔ |
| Big Ten Network | ✔ |
| CBS Sports Network | ✔ |
| ESPNU | ✔ |
| FOX College Sports | X |
| Longhorn Network | X |
| Pac-12 Network | X |
| SEC Network | ✔ |
Hulu + Live TV streaming-only channels
Streaming-only networks like BTN+, ESPN+, ESPN 3, Pluto TV, SEC Network Plus, and Stadium also broadcast some smaller games. Some of these channels, such as BTN+ and ESPN+, come as standalone subscriptions, so they aren’t a part of your Hulu + Live TV subscription.
Pluto TV is a free live TV subscription service too, which means you need to subscribe to it separately to stream the NCAA basketball broadcasts on its network.
As for ESPN 3 and SEC Network Plus, your Hulu + Live TV subscription makes you eligible to access them. But they won’t be a part of your default channel lineup. Instead, you’ll need to log in to the ESPN app using your Hulu login credentials to access the ESPN 3 and SEC Network Plus content.
| Channel | Hulu + Live TV Free Trial$64.99/mo. |
| beIN Sports | X |
| Eleven Sports | X |
| ESPN 3 | ✔ |
| SEC Network Plus | ✔ |
| Stadium | X |
Hulu + Live TV local networks
Most of the major college basketball games air on local networks such as ABC, CBS, and FOX. CBS broadcasts a majority of the games with select events airing on ABC and FOX. While leading streaming services offer these local networks in their base plan, not all channels are available across all markets.
Fortunately, Hulu + Live TV includes all these local networks as a part of its default channel lineup. And it offers ABC, CBS, and FOX in almost every major market. You’ll have to run a search on the service to see which channels are available in your zip code.
Keep in mind that these aren’t the same as regional sports networks, which mostly broadcast major league events and only a handful of college basketball games. This is a good thing for those who want to watch college basketball since many live TV streaming services (including Hulu + Live TV) no longer offer FOX regional sports networks.
Note that Hulu still offers some regional sports channels, as highlighted in our Hulu + Live TV review.
| Channel | Hulu + Live TV Free Trial$64.99/mo. |
| ABC | ✔ |
| CBS | ✔ |
| FOX | ✔ |
Can I stream every college basketball game on Hulu + Live TV?
Since Hulu + Live TV doesn’t offer all the channels that broadcast NCAA basketball, you can’t stream every game using the service. On the plus side, Hulu + Live TV offers all of the major cable networks that air games from major conferences. This includes ESPN, ESPN 2, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, NBC Sports Network, TBS, and TNT.
And it gives you access to broadcasts of major college basketball games airing on local networks like ABC, CBS, and FOX in most markets. This makes the Hulu NCAA basketball offering pretty robust, though not completely perfect.
The downside is that the service lacks a few college sports and streaming-only channels as well as regional sports networks that broadcast smaller conferences and games. You still get most of the broadcasts through channels like ACC Network, ACC Network Plus, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, and SEC Network.
Plus, your subscription makes you eligible to access the broadcasts on ESPN 3 and SEC Network Plus through the ESPN app. But you’ll be missing out on games that air on beIN Sports, Eleven Sports, FOX College Sports, Longhorn Network, Pac-12 Network, and Stadium.
What about March Madness on Hulu + Live TV?
All 67 March Madness games will broadcast on four national TV networks — CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. And Hulu + Live TV offers all of these channels in the default lineup. So you can watch March Madness on Hulu and stream every game live.
The final cut
With most of the major local and national sports networks in its lineup, Hulu + Live TV is a great option for fans of college basketball. Plus, you get to watch plenty of other sports programming through its robust channel lineup.
So make sure you sign up for a Hulu + Live TV free trial to get a feel of the service. Before that, don’t forget to check out our guide on Hulu + Live TV free trials and bundles, in case you can get a great deal.
On top of this, consider using an over-the-air antenna like HDHomeRun for free access to sports broadcasts.