San Diego State vs Alabama live stream: how to watch 2023 March Madness Sweet 16 online from anywhere

Brandon Miller #24 of the Alabama Crimson Tide drives against Ian Martinez #23 of the Maryland Terrapins during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Men's March Madness Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena
(Image credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Watch a San Diego State vs Alabama live stream

San Diego State vs Alabama is being shown on TBS in the US. Don't have cable? Stream TBS via Sling. Basketball fans can watch a San Diego State vs Alabama live stream on TSN in Canada, BT Sport and ESPN Player in the UK, and Kayo Sports in Australia. Full details on how to watch San Diego State vs Alabama just below.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Date and time: Friday, March 24, 6.30pm ET / 3.30pm PT / 10.30pm GMT / 9.30am AEDT
TV channel: TBS (US) | TSN (CA) | BT Sport (UK)
Watch free: Kayo FREE trial (AUS)
Use ExpressVPN to watch any stream

San Diego State vs Alabama preview

Flying high on the back of two rousing wins against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi (96-75) and Maryland (73-51), Alabama are certainly playing as well as their no.1 seeding might suggest. Leading the scoring against Maryland was guard Jahvon Quinerly with 22 – converting 4 out of his 6 3-pointers. After a poor first round against the Islanders, hotshot Brandon Miller topped out at an impressive 19 points, helping to secure the drubbing handed out to the Terrapins.

The Aztecs are no trifling prospect, though. Although their weekend opener against Charleston was a very close win at 63-57, they gave a dominant 75-52 performance against Furman in the second round. Matt Bradley was their saving grace against the Cougars, securing more than twice the points of any of his teammates. Against the Paladins, guard Micah Parrish netted a juicy 16 points,  

Despite being 'only' no.5 seeds, this momentum could carry the Aztecs to a surprise victory – and with this being the first time Brian Dutcher has ever taken the team to the Sweet 16, the pressure's off and the rest is gravy.

Should the Alabama win today, it'll be just the second time they've reached the Elite Eight – and if they keep it up, the first time ever in the Final Four. Can San Diego pull off a surprise win, or is the Crimson Tide set to roll? Follow our guide below to tune into a San Diego State vs Alabama live stream and watch March Madness online from anywhere – including some great ways to catch all the NCAA hoops action for free.

Best deal for March Madness 2023: $20 for all games

Image

If you don't already have cable, by far and away the best deal for watching March Madness is pairing Sling with Paramount Plus.

March Madness 2023: watch every game for $20.

TBS, TNT and TruTV are all available with Sling Blue, which normally comes in at $40 per month, but new Sling customers can get their first month for half price and then you can cancel when you're done. There are no long contracts.

While you can't get CBS on Sling, streaming service Paramount Plus will be showing every CBS March Madness 2023 game. Given that you can get a 30-day free trial of Paramount Plus with the code 'PICARD', that adds all the missing matches for nothing. Just don't forget to cancel – or keep it if you like it.

Outside the US? For those away from home, remember that you can use a VPN to access Sling and Paramount Plus from abroad.

How to watch San Diego State vs Alabama from outside your country

If you try to watch San Diego State vs Alabama coverage from anywhere outside your home country, you'll soon find a problem - geo-blocking. That's where your home broadcaster prevents you from watching your usual feed from abroad. It's a common problem for sports fans all over the world. 

But by downloading and installing a VPN, you can effectively trick your computer into thinking that it's back at home, even when you aren't.

Use a VPN to watch a San Diego State vs Alabama live stream from anywhere

Image

ExpressVPN - get the world's best VPN
We've put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features. It's also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles.

Sign up for an annual plan now and get an extra 3 months absolutely FREE. And if you change your mind within the first 30 days, let them know and they'll give you your money back without a quibble.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days


Australia flag

How to watch San Diego State vs Alabama: live stream March Madness basketball for FREE in Australia

Image

In Australia, San Diego State vs Alabama is being shown on ESPN, which is available through Foxtel. Subscribers can also stream the action via the Foxtel Go app. 

Tip-off is set for 9.30am AEDT on Friday morning.

Kayo Sports, which is an ideal option for those who don't want the commitment of a lengthy (and pricey) contract, will be live streaming the action.

Kayo lets you stream on one device with its $25 per month One plan, two devices with its $30 per month Basic plan, and three devices with its $35 Premium plan. All of them come with a FREE 7-day trial.

Kayo also gives you access to over 50 other sports including the NFL, cricket, NRL, F1... the list goes on! Handy if you don't want to go all out on Fox.

Don't forget, you can take your March Madness coverage abroad with you as well. For those wanting to watch home coverage of sports from overseas, a good VPN is what you need.

US flag

How to watch San Diego State vs Alabama: live stream March Madness in the US without cable

Image

San Diego State vs Alabama is being shown on TBS. Tip-off is set for 6.30pm ET / 3.30pm PT on Thursday.

If you have the channel on cable, you're all set.

Watch San Diego State vs Alabama without cable

If you haven't got TBS on cable, you can watch March Madness via an over-the-top streaming service instead. As detailed above, Sling Blue and Paramount Plus combined is the cheapest option, but there are alternatives.

Of the many options, Hulu with Live TV is the most fully-featured, as it includes TBS, CBS, TNT and TruTV.

Subscription isn't cheap – $69.99 per month – but it grants access to more than 85 premium TV channels, as well as Hulu's entire streaming library, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.

For $64.99 you can sign up to DirecTV too which also offers all the channels you need to watch March Madness, as does YouTube TV which comes in at the same price.

If you subscribe to Hulu, DirecTV or any other US streaming service and find yourself unable to access coverage because you're out of the country, consider using a VPN as outlined below - we rate ExpressVPN as the best of the best.

UK flag

How to watch San Diego State vs Alabama: live stream March Madness basketball in the UK

Image

Basketball fans in the UK can watch San Diego State vs Alabama on ESPN Player, which is showing every March Madness game on TV and online. It's £9.99 for a month pass or £59.49 for the year.

Prepare for a late night though, with tip-off set for 10.30pm GMT on Thursday night.

You can also watch San Diego State vs Alabama on BT Sport through BT TV, Sky TV or Virgin Media. For the full lowdown, check out our guide to the best BT Sport deals, offers, and packages.

A more flexible option is BT's £30 Monthly Pass, which gets you access to everything BT Sport has to offer without a long-term commitment.

That includes Champions League, Premier League, Serie A and Europa League football, UFC, Premiership Rugby and the European Rugby Champions Cup, international cricket, MotoGP, Major League Baseball, and plenty more.

If you find yourself outside the UK and want to watch March Madness like you would at home, don't worry about geo-blocks on your account – simply grab a VPN and follow the instructions above to live stream the action. 

Ireland flag

How to watch San Diego State vs Alabama: live stream March Madness in Ireland

Image

ESPN Player is the place to watch every March Madness game in Ireland. A monthly pass costs €11.99, or you can sign up for a year for €71.88. 

San Diego State vs Alabama starts at 10.30pm GMT on Thursday.

Outside of Ireland? Watch March Madness 2023 online just like you would at home with the help of a quality VPN.

Canada flag

How to watch San Diego State vs Alabama: live stream March Madness in Canada

Image

In Canada, you can watch San Diego State vs Alabama on TSN, along with every other March Madness game. Tip-off is set for 6.30pm ET / 3.30pm PT on Thursday. 

If you get TSN as part of your cable deal, you'll be able to log in with the details of your provider for access to a San Diego State vs Alabama live stream. 

If you don't have cable, you can subscribe to TSN on a streaming-only basis from CA$19.99 a month or $199.90 each year.

If you decide to subscribe or already have, remember you can take your favorite sports streaming service with you wherever you go - just try our No. 1 overall rated VPN 100% risk-free for 30-days and follow the instructions above.

Mo Harber-Lamond

Mo Harber-Lamond is VPN Editor at Tom's Guide, and contributor for TechRadar. He focuses on cybersecurity content for Tom's Guide, and creates insightful content across the board to help readers make informed buying choices.