Which CBS Shows Aren’t Airing Because of March Madness? ‘Matlock,’ ‘Boston Blue’ & More
NCAA March Madness 2026 is one week away. The tournament will knock some of CBS‘s scripted programming off the schedule, so we’re breaking down what shows aren’t airing during the three-week televised event.
When does March Madness 2026 start?
The games begin on Tuesday, March 17, but Selection Sunday is on March 15.
Where can I watch March Madness 2026?
TNT Sports and CBS Sports are handling live coverage of every game across four TV networks — TBS, CBS, TNT, and truTV — as well as two streaming services — HBO Max and Paramount+. Games that air live on TBS, TNT, and truTV will stream live on HBO Max. Games that air live on CBS will stream live on Paramount+. All of the games can also be streamed on NCAA March Madness Live.
The First Four takes place on Tuesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 18, on truTV, with the tip-off starting at 5 p.m. ET. The first round starts on Thursday, March 19, on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. You can find the network schedules here: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV.
What is the March Madness 2026 schedule?
See the schedule here:
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 15
- First Four: March 17-18
- First round: March 19-20
- Second round: March 21-22
- Sweet 16: March 26-27
- Elite Eight: March 28-29
- Final Four: April 4
- NCAA championship game: April 6
Which CBS shows aren’t airing during March Madness 2026?
While the games start on Tuesday, March 17, CBS’s Tuesday and Wednesday schedules are not impacted by them. The Thursday and Friday primetime hours, however, are.
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Ghosts, Matlock, and Elsbeth will not be airing on Thursday, March 19, or Thursday, March 26.
Sheriff Country, Fire Country, and Boston Blue will not be airing on Friday, March 20, or Friday, March 27.
48 Hours will only air from 10-11 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 21, and Saturday, March 28, instead of 9-11 p.m. ET.
The CBS Sunday primetime lineup for March 22 and March 29 — Marshals, Tracker, and Watson — isn’t changing.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services