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Wondering how to watch the college basketball tournament? Here are your best options:

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Most channelsSling TV Blue Plan$15 for the first month, then $40/month (save $25)

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Most affordableMax With Ads$9.99/month

The UConn and Illinois men’s basketball teams are scheduled to meet in a tournament game at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday, March 30. The game is scheduled to start at 6:09 p.m. ET/5:09 p.m. CT. 

No. 1 seed UConn enters the matchup 34-3 overall. Most recently, UConn defeated San Diego State 82-52 on Thursday in the third round of the tournament. Cam Spencer scored 18 points and Tristen Newton added 17 points for UConn. 

No. 3-seeded Illinois comes into the contest 29-8 overall. On Thursday, Illinois beat No. 2 seed Iowa State 72-69 in the tournament’s third round. Terrence Shannon Jr. led the Fighting Illini with 29 points and five rebounds.

SEE ALSO:How to download the 2024 March Madness basketball bracket

Dan Hurley is the UConn men’s basketball head coach. Brad Underwood is the Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball head coach.

Illinois vs. UConn basketball game time and network

The Illinois Fighting Illini vs. UConn men’s basketball game is scheduled to be broadcast on TBS and truTV at 6:09 p.m. ET/5:09 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 30. TBS and truTV broadcasters for the game are scheduled to be Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst), Stan Van Gundy (analyst), and Andy Katz (reporter). 

The winner advances to play on Saturday, April 6 in Phoenix. 

If you don’t have cable or satellite TV, online live-streaming platforms like Sling TV and Max offer fans flexibility and accessibility that aligns with modern sports viewership.

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Best streaming services for the UConn vs. Illinois basketball game 

If you have cut the cord, don’t fear because Saturday's clash between the UConn and Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball teams is streaming. There are several streaming platforms ready to give you access to the game. Here are your top options.

Most channels: Sling TV

Opens in a new windowCredit: SlingSling Blue Plan$15.00
$40.00 Save $25.00

If you want to watch the UConn vs. Illinois game on TBS via Sling TV, you’ll need either the Orange Plan or the Blue Plan. Both the Orange and Blue plans start at $15 for the first month and then increase to $40 per month subsequently, and they both also come with 50 hours of free DVR storage.  

TBS is one of 26 channels included on both the Orange and Blue plans. There are six channels exclusive to the Orange Plan, including ESPN and ESPN2. There are 14 channels exclusive to the Blue Plan, and those include FS1, NFL Network, and TruTV. Another difference between the Orange and Blue plans is that you can only stream on one device with the Orange Plan, and the Blue Plan allows streaming on three devices at once.

In higher-priced plans, Sling TV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, TNT, and TruTV. 

Most affordable: Max

Opens in a new windowCredit: MaxMax With Ads

Max is broadcasting men’s college basketball this March. With a trio of options to choose from, Max is adding to each tier for free the B/R Sports Add-On. Part of the B/R Sports Add-On is live streaming sports from TBS, TNT and TruTV.

The cheapest package is Max With Ads, which is $9.99 per month. It allows streaming on two devices. You can save 42% by paying for one year upfront at $69.99. 

The second package is Max Ad-Free, and that is $15.99 per month. If you’re mainly getting Max for sports, there isn’t much difference between Max With Ads and Max Ad-Free since sports will still include ads. If you pay one year upfront, you save 45% on Max Ad-Free at $104.99. 

Max Ultimate Ad-Free is the third package, and it is $19.99 per month. It also upgrades to allow streaming on four devices at once. Plus, it has 4K Ultra HD capability. The one-year price for Max Ultimate Ad-Free is $139.99. 

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