GUIDE: Where to Watch the College Basketball 2024/25 Season
*This guide has been updated for the 2024/25 College season
Another highly anticipated college basketball season is officially underway, which means it is the perfect time to make sure all you fans know exactly how to tune into the 2024-25 season. All our favorite teams are back with revamped rosters, ready to battle for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and hopefully a national title. March Madness continues to be one of the most exhilarating events in all sports, and it will be fascinating to see which lower seeds can battle their way through the giants and produce a Cinderella story.
This year, the reigning champion Uconn Huskies will be defending their crown with a severely depleted, but still very talented roster, perhaps opening the door for Duke, Kansas, or Alabama to have their turn in the spotlight. Whilst those three highly-touted programs will be fancying their chances, the possibility of the UConn three-peat has to stand out as the biggest storyline entering the season. Elsewhere in the nation, it will be interesting to see what Arkansas looks like under John Calipari, how Purdue handle the departure of superstar Zach Edey, and what happens in this year’s exciting Maui Invitational Tournament.
Potentially, even more exciting than that is the race for the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. There is currently no clear favorite, which is unusual heading into the season, with the likes of Hunter Dickson, R.J. Davis, and Mark Sears all expected to battle it out for the prestigious award.
As always, there is so much to be keeping track of, which means you’ll want to catch as much of it as possible. The best way to do that is to utilize Livesportsontv.com; your hub for all things sports. We will be telling you how to watch college basketball in this guide, but our website is the best place to go for live broadcast information and timings. So, let’s get into it.
Key Information For The 2024-25 College Basketball Season
- Regular Season Tip-Off: November 4, 2024
- Conference Championships Begin: March 5, 2025
- Selection Sunday: March 16, 2025
- March Madness Begins: March 18, 2025
- Final Four: April 5, 2025
- NCAA Championship Game: April 7, 2025
- Reigning National Champion: UConn Huskies
- Current Championship Favorite: UConn Huskies
Best Ways to Watch the 2024-25 College Basketball Season
College basketball is immensely popular across the United States, reflected in the fact that there is national coverage every single week, ranging across a variety of different networks. The top games will be showcased on ESPN, CBS, and Fox Sports, with other games also being split across the Big Ten Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and so on. That is a lot of different channels, but it is justified, with well over 1,000 games due to be played.
Regional Viewing Options
Obviously, not every game can be carried on the national networks, which means we also have to rely on our conference channels and regional sports networks. Each conference has its associated channel broadcasting games (i.e. Big Ten Network, SEC Network, and more), whilst other local games will be shown on regional sports networks. Each region’s sports networks will be showing their local teams, which means getting the right TV package that includes these is crucial.
Streaming Options
When it comes to streaming all of that college basketball, thankfully, there are several routes you can go down. Gaining access to the main broadcasting providers (ESPN, CBS, Fox) is a key starting point, so it is good news that almost all major streaming services will offer these within their loaded channel portfolios. All of the providers listed below certainly do, along with a huge array of other channels and perks.
- fuboTV: $79.99 per month - WATCH NOW!
- YouTube TV: $72.99 per month
- DirecTV Stream: $79.99 per month
- Hulu with Live TV: $76.99 per month
- SlingTV: $55 per month
- ESPN+: $11.99 per month - WATCH NOW!
For fans who are looking to expose themselves to a good amount of college basketball, in addition to a long list of other sports, news, and entertainment channels, these are the way forward. They start at approximately $70 per month, but completely upgrade your overall television experience. As streaming services, these come with flexible pay-monthly subscriptions and a range of perks depending on the provider. It is worth taking a tour of all their websites to find whichever one suits you best. Also, many of them will be offering a free trial to give you a taste of the fun before you commit fully.
An extra subscription option for those fans who want as much college basketball as possible is ESPN+ at $11.99 per month. This does not include the primary ESPN channels (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU), but does offer a variety of exclusive live sports and original content. It is therefore best viewed as a bolt-on to your main TV subscription, which should include ESPN. In total, ESPN+ is expected to carry over 6,000 men’s and women’s college basketball games.
For fans who are not too bothered by longer, less flexible contracts, then there are plenty of cable packages to consider as well. These vary more in price, and will require minimal contract lengths, but often offer a wider variety of channels. All of the following include the primary national channels required to tune into the biggest college basketball clashes:
- Cox: $61.00–$152.00/mo.
- DirecTV: $69.99–$159.99/mo
- Dish: $84.99-$114.99
- Verizon Fios: $69.00–$129.00/mo.
Editor’s Choice for Watching College Basketball
Our choice here at Livesportsontv.com is to go with DirecTV’s cable or streaming package, as it boasts the best access to regional sports network. With ESPN, CBS, and Fox all included in their main channel portfolio, DirecTV provides extensive access to college basketball, and it can be combined with ESPN+ to take your viewing experience to the next level.
Before subscribing to DirectTV, it is worth checking your region in their Regional Sports Locator
2024-25 College Basketball Season: Important Dates
- Regular Season Tip-Off: November 4, 2024
- Conference Championships Begin: March 5, 2025
- Selection Sunday: March 16, 2025
- March Madness Begins: March 18, 2025
- Final Four: April 5, 2025
- NCAA Championship Game: April 7, 2025
More information about the NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship can be found on NCAA.com.
Author: Venuse, Inc.