/ Essentials
CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.
March Madness 2024 has been full of surprises, but one thing that's not surprising is college basketball stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are facing off in the women's Final Four. A showdown of two top-tier college basketball programs whose stars have become the face of the game, the UConn vs. Iowa March Madness Final Four promises to be an intense matchup whose outcome could go in favor of either team.
The UConn vs. Iowa Final Four game is must-watch basketball defined. Keep reading for how and when to watch or stream Caitlin Clark face Paige Bueckers in March Madness.
How and when to watch the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes game
The UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes game will be played on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT). The game will be broadcast on ESPN and stream on ESPN.
The winner of today's game will advance to the women's NCAA national championship game, which will be played on Sunday, April 7, 2024 (time TBD). That game will also be broadcast on ESPN.
How to watch the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes without cable
If you've given up your cable subscription, or your cable provider doesn't include the channels carrying March Madness this year, you can subscribe to one of the streaming or live TV platforms featured below.
Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle: The one way to stream every March Madness game
You can watch March Madness 2024, including both the men's and women's championship games. Watch all the remaining March Madness 2024 games with the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. The bundle features 95 channels, including ESPN, ABC and CBS, and includes ESPN+, so you'll be able to watch every game of both tournaments. The women's Final Four will also be broadcast live on ESPN+. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every remaining March Madness game on every network this season with Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It's priced at $77.
Watch the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes game free with Fubo
If you're new to streaming sports, you should know about Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to every March Madness game airing on network and cable TV, plus your local TV affiliates, hundreds of cable TV channels and 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage. Another great reason to love Fubo is its lookback feature, which lets you watch sporting events up to 72 hours after they air live.
Start watching NCAA basketball on Fubo and get access to network-aired NFL, NBA and MLB games by starting a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. After your free trial, Fubo starts at $80 per month for the Pro tier, which includes 199 channels.
Note: Because Fubo doesn't carry TruTV, TBS or TNT, you won't be able to watch every game of the men's tournament with a FuboTV subscription. If you want one streaming platform to watch the entire tournament, you'll need a subscription to Hulu + Live TV.
What you'll get with Fubo Pro Tier:
- There are no contracts with Fubo -- you can cancel at any time.
- The Pro tier includes 190 channels, so there's something for the whole family to enjoy.
- Fubo includes all the channels you'll need to watch college and pro sports, including CBS and ESPN.
- In addition to March Madness, Fubo offers NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games.
- All Fubo tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
- Stream on your TV, phone and mobile devices.
Sling TV: The most cost-effective way to stream the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes game
If you don't have cable TV that includes ESPN and ABC, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream the March Madness tournament this year is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer offers access to your local network affiliate's live feed (excluding CBS) and also includes the NFL Network and ESPN with its Orange + Blue tier plan. Also worth noting: Sling TV comes with 50 hours of cloud-based DVR recording space included, perfect for recording all the season's top NFL matchups.
You can watch today's game with Sling TV Orange. To watch both men's and women's games, except those airing on CBS, and the women's NCAA championship game, you'll want to subscribe to the Orange + Blue tier for $60 per month. Sling TV Orange is $40 per month, or you can prepay for four months and pay $120 -- a savings of $40. Sling TV is currently also offering 50% off for the first month of all pricing tiers. Offers may vary.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
- There are 46 channels to watch in total, including ESPN, TNT, TBS and ABC. (where available).
- You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games next season at the lowest price.
- All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
ESPN+: How to watch the women's Final Four
ESPN+ is ESPN's subscription streaming platform. It offers exclusive live events, original studio shows and top-tier series that aren't accessible on the ESPN networks. To watch the women's Final Four, simply sign into the ESPN app. You'll watch college basketball at no extra charge. You can stream ESPN+ through the ESPN app on your favorite mobile device and ESPN.com. It's also available as an app through major smart TV streaming platforms and gaming consoles such as the PS5.
Keep in mind there are some blackouts prohibiting you from watching certain in-market games with ESPN+, even if they're nationally televised. If you're looking to avoid those blackouts, we suggest subscribing to the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle featured above.
It is important to note that ESPN+ does not include access to the ESPN network. It is a separate sports-centric service, with separate sports programming.
An ESPN+ subscription costs $10.99 per month, or save 15% when you pay annually ($110). ESPN+ is also currently offering a cost-saving bundle. Get ESPN+ (with ads), Disney+ (with ads) and Hulu (with ads) for $14.99 per month.
Watch the women's national championship game live with a digital HDTV antenna
You can also watch ABC-aired 2024 March Madness coverage, including the women's NCAA tournament title game, on TV with an affordable indoor antenna. It pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels. Here's the kicker: There's no monthly charge.
For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal -- or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch March Madness without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.
This amplified digital antenna with a 50-mile range can receive hundreds of HD TV channels, including NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more (depending on your location) and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV and top-tier sound. It comes with a 10-foot digital coax cable.
When is March Madness 2024?
- Selection Sunday was on March 17, 2024.
- The women's tournament will be played March 20, 2024 - April 7, 2024.
- The men's tournament will be played March 19, 2024 - April 8, 2024.
When was Selection Sunday?
The day when the tournament's brackets and seeds are released is known as Selection Sunday. For the 2023-24 NCAA college basketball season, Selection Sunday was held on Sunday, March 17, 2024.
Caitlin Clark's road to the NCAA national championship game
The NCAA tournament is single elimination, which means Caitlin Clark isn't guaranteed a spot in the national championship. If the Hawkeyes win today, below is a roadmap of what Clark's road to a national title looks like.
- First Four: Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21, 2024
- First round: Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23: Iowa defeats Holy Cross 91-65
- Second round: Sunday, March 24 and Monday, March 25: West Virginia vs. Iowa 64-54
- Sweet 16: Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30: Iowa defeats Colorado 89-68
- Elite Eight: Sunday, March 31 and Monday, April 1: Iowa defeats LSU 94-87
- Final Four: Friday, April 5: UConn vs. Iowa (ESPN/ESPN+)
- National championship: Sunday, April 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio (ABC)
Savor Caitlin Clark's last season in Iowa: Nike "This was never a long shot" T-shirt
Caitlin Clark made history this season when she became the NCAA's all-time scoring leader. Her last season playing college ball, No. 22 is about to go pro. What better way to celebrate (and savor) the moment than NIke's "This was never a long shot" T-shirt, an homage to Clark's prowess on the basketball court?
The white Caitlin Clark T-shirt is made from 100% cotton and features graphics of Clark doing what she does best --shooting the ball. The shirt comes in men's, women's and kid's sizing and is also offered in a crewneck sweatshirt. We've linked them all.