Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Best Picks Entertainment Technology Magazines Why subscribe? The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From$12.99View Amazon Spring Sale MacBook Air M4 Nintendo Switch 2 Best mattress Wordle Today Entertainment First Four 2025 live stream: How to watch March Madness preliminary round online Aatif Sulleyman 18 March 2025 You may well be looking at a March Madness Cinderella When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) Watch your stream from anywhere Watch in the U.S. Watch in U.K. Watch in Canada Watch in Australia First Four schedule Never underestimate the First Four. Since this round's inception in 2011, two teams have made it from the First Four to the Final Four, with 13 claiming at least one March Madness scalp. And thanks to the inclusion of No.11 North Carolina at West Virginia's expense, the anticipation comes with a side portion of controversy. Read on and we'll show you how to watch First Four 2025 without cable and from anywhere with a VPN. First Four 2025 live stream: TV channels and dates The First Four round runs from Tuesday, March 18 to Wednesday, March 19. Full schedule below. • U.S. — TruTV via Sling TV or Max • Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free The Tar Heels, March Madness runners-up in 2022, have an abysmal 1-12 Quad 1 record this season, yet made the cut ahead of a Mountaineers team with a vastly superior 6-10 Quad 1 record. Predictably, North Carolina are taking the fall for the NCAA selection committee, but how they respond to the scrutiny is up to them. No.11 Xavier could be a real prospect. The Musketeers are amongst the sharpest shooters in the country, having converted 39% of their 3-point attempts and 79% of their free throws, and they finished the regular season by reeling off seven straight wins. However, they've been drawn against No.11 Texas, who have bags of March Madness experience, and a potential star of the future in Tre Johnson. Here's how to watch First Four 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 Four online from anywhere Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the preliminary round on your subscriptions? You can still watch your usual First Four 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. Exclusive deal There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 5,000 servers, across 60 countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Get 72% off with this NordVPN deal Watch Selection Sunday live streams in the U.S. (Image credit: Shutterstock) In the U.S., all four games of the First Four round are exclusive to TruTV. If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package, you can watch every single game of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament through an inexpensive OTT cable TV alternative. Sling TV is one of the better options. It includes TBS and TNT in its Orange plan, with prices starting from $45.99/month and your first month half-price. You can add CBS with a subscription to Paramount Plus Premium ($12.99 per month). Together, those cost $58.98 per month — but only $35.99 for your first month — which is less than Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu with live TV, and one of the cheapest and most reliable ways of watching all of March Madness. You can get TNT and ESPN on the Sling TV Orange plan. Sling Orange comes with 30-plus channels, including TBS, Comedy Central and Disney Channel. New subscribers get 50% off their first month. Max is another option. It will live stream all of the games that are shown on TBS/TNT/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. How to watch First Four 2025 in the U.K. (Image credit: Shutterstock) The First Four, 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. Don't fancy being locked into a long, expensive contract? Consider the more flexible streaming option, Now. If you're not in the U.K. right now, one of the best VPN services will help tap into your home coverage of the First Four. We recommend NordVPN. How to watch First Four 2025 in Canada (Image credit: Shutterstock) Every game of the First Four is being shown on TSN and TSN+, which are also 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 Four stream from anywhere. We recommend NordVPN. How to watch First Four 2025 in Australia (Image credit: Shutterstock) Aussies will find First Four live streams on ESPN via Foxtel, whcih 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 First Four round, 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 Four schedule 2025 Tuesday, March 18 6:40 p.m. — No.16 Alabama State vs No.16 Saint Francis (TruTV) 9:10 p.m. — No.11 San Diego State vs No.11 North Carolina (TruTV) Wednesday, March 19 6:40 p.m. — No.16 American vs No.16 Mount St. Mary's (TruTV) 9:10 p.m. — No.11 Texas vs No.11 Xavier (TruTV) (All times ET) More from Tom's Guide How to watch Kobe: The Making of a Legend online The best VPN service How to watch March Madness 2025 live streams We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. See more Entertainment News Aatif Sulleyman Social Links Navigation Aatif is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in the UK. He’s written about technology, sport and politics for a wide range of publications including TechRadar, What Hi-Fi?, The Independent, Trusted Reviews, and Newsweek. These days, he focuses mainly on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: live TV and penny-pinching. When he's not attending a top-flight English soccer match, you can find him perfecting his table tennis skills. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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