The countdown is officially inside 48 hours before the start of the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. For many aspiring cable-cutters, the deadline is also approaching to find the best possible means to watch any or all of the NCAA Wrestling Championships by whatever means are necessary.
ESPN has the TV rights to NCAAs in 2024 and has plans to alternate coverage between ESPN and ESPNU across the six sessions. The end point will be the championship finals Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. on ESPN. Several live-streaming services are equipped to have you up and running in minutes with the right fit for your NCAA wrestling-specific needs.
We’ll try and spell out those options here, but first: the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships streaming and TV schedule
THURSDAY, MARCH 21
Session 1 (8 mats): Pigtails and championship 1st round. Start time: Noon ET. TV channel: ESPNU.
Live stream options: The ESPNU broadcast is available with offers from FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and Sling (low intro price).
ESPN+ will also have a stream for all 8 mats throughout the NCAA Wrestling Championships. An ESPN+ subscription costs $10.99 monthly with options to save by bundling or paying annually.
Session 2 (8 mats): Consolation pigtail matches as needed, followed by consolation 1st round, championship 2nd round and consolations. Start time: 7 p.m. ET. TV channel: ESPN.
Live stream options: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro price) | ESPN+.
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
Session 3 (8 mats): Quarterfinals on middle four mats, consolation 2nd and 3rd rounds on outside mats. Start time: Noon ET. TV channel: ESPNU.
Live stream options: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro price) | ESPN+.
Session 4 (6 mats - “dog bone” format): Semifinals on inside two mats, consolation 4th round matches on outside four mats. Start time: 7 p.m. ET. TV channel: ESPN.
Live stream options: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro price) | ESPN+.
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
Session 5 (3 mats): Consolation semifinals on 3 mats, followed by 3rd, 5th and 7th place medal matches. Start time: 11 a.m. ET. TV channel: ESPNU.
Live stream options: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro price) | ESPN+.
Session 6 (1 mat): Championship finals and individual awards. Start time: 7 p.m. ET. TV channel: ESPN.
Live stream options: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro price) | ESPN+.
While periodic channel changes are required to watch the TV broadcast from beginning to end, the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be live-streamed in full on ESPN+. Through the beauty of modern broadcasting, watching every moment of the tournament from any angle becomes possible … with the caveat, of course, that customers are being asked to open their wallets more and more often.
Here’s a quick rundown of the top NCAA Wrestling Championships TV and streaming options (options may vary based on location):
LIVE STREAMS
FuboTV: FuboTV offers a smooth live-streaming experience with navigation and display. A free trial for new users can potentially cover the duration of the NCAA Championships, but the length of said trial can vary. The retail sticker price: ESPNU is available as a $10.99 sports-add on to the Pro Plan, which is currently $59.99 for the first month and $79.99 after that.
DirecTV Stream: DirecTV Stream comes with a 7-day free trial, which is its best selling point. ESPNU is available with the Choice Package for $98.99 per month after the free trial ends.
SlingTV: Sling offers an introductory rate as low as $20 per month. ESPN comes with the base package, but ESPNU requires an $11/month sports add-on. With Sling’s best offer, that Month 1 figure is around $25.50.
THE BENEFITS OF ESPN+
The one constant in the coverage plan for the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships is the presence of ESPN+, the $10.99 monthly streaming service that has featured college wrestling coverage throughout the season. At NCAAs, it’s the only service that opens access to every single mat of the NCAA Championships. Users can target specific matches for a degree of control the TV broadcast can’t match.
In a perfect world, the ESPN and ESPNU broadcasts can be up on one screen and the Mats 1-8 or “MatCast” options on another. Either by combining services or, more simply, downloading the ESPN+ app on multiple devices, that scenario can exist with little tech knowledge required.
Also noteworthy: A month of ESPN+ would open access to premium content on ESPN.com in time for the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball championships, the 2024 NFL Draft, and the start of the 2024 Major League Baseball season.
LOCAL CABLE/SATELLITE PROVIDERS (be sure to check local listings)
Comcast Xfinity: ESPNU is available with the Ultimate TV package, which has 185-plus channels for $80 per month.
Dish Network: Packages with ESPN and ESPN U are as low as $84.99 monthly
Verizon Fios: Most FiOS packages include ESPNU. Prices vary. Use Verizon’s channel lineup tool to explore.
YouTube TV: Base membership costs $72.99 and has ESPN and ESPN U. Also offers free trial to new users.
THE DOLLARS AND CENTS
FREE: A free trial of DirecTV Stream runs seven days and also opens access to the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships through the weekend. The change between ESPN and ESPNU happens just a few times, but it does require *some* interaction with DirecTV Stream’s platform, which isn’t the industry’s best.
FREE(?): FuboTV offers a free trial, the length of which can be unique between users. Some are as little as one day. The only real way to know is to go through the process long enough to get your customized answer. On the bright side, FuboTV has a TON of sports and is very user-friendly to navigate for however long you use the service.
$10.99: The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships can happen with one continuous service without the bother of free trials. ESPN+ is easy, comprehensive and comes with other perks, such as bundling Disney+ and Hulu for as little as $4 more per month. Premium content on ESPN.com offers additional value, as well.
$25ish: The low intro rate of SlingTV is great for those who have burnt through free trials. If you want TV for a month, the $40 orange or blue plans with the $11 sports-add on for ESPNU, minus a 50 percent intro discount, makes this a good deal around $25.50. That deal might differ by region or user, so make sure to pay attention to exact dollar amounts.
THE VERDICT
ESPN+ for the win: For what it’s worth, we think paying $11 for a month of ESPN+ to watch ANY MATCH OF THE NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS feels like a no-brainer. But obviously, free has its perks too, especially for wrestling fans who grudgingly pay the sticker price for Flo and/or Rokfin.
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