Will 2025 March Madness Air In 4K? How About Dolby Vision?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, is there any chance that March Madness games will be in 4K on streaming or cable and satellite? – Jamal, Sacramento.

Jamal, March Madness, the annual men’s college basketball tournament, will tip off tomorrow night (March 18, 2025) with a ‘First Four’ doubleheader. St. Francis will play Alabama State at 6:30 p.m. ET and North Carolina will face San Diego State at approximately 9 p.m. ET. Then, on Wednesday night, Mount St. Mary’s will play American at 6:30 p.m. ET while Xavier will meet Texas in the nightcap at 9 p.m. ET. All four games will air on truTV.

The tournament will continue through April 7 with the championship game on TBS at 9 p.m. ET. CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV are again splitting the TV coverage and it’s available on most pay TV services. But will it be available in 4K?

Will March Madness Be In 4K?
Answer: No. March Madness is not available this year in 4K, only HD. In fact, the only time that the tournament was in 4K was 2019.

The closest you can get to a 4K picture is Max’s stream of the games on TBS, TNT and truTV. The streamer is offering those in Dolby Atmos sound and Dolby Vision 1080p HD.

What Is Dolby Vision 1080p HD?
Dolby Vision, which was developed by Dolby Laboratories, can enhance the picture quality using High Dynamic Range (HDR). That provides a wider color gamut and improved brightness and contrast.

However, it’s important to note that Dolby Vision will not work on your TV unless your TV and/or delivery device is Dolby Vision-enabled. (Max also offers games with HDR 10 if you don’t have a Dolby Vision-equipped TV and device. Most videophiles believe Dolby Vision offers a superior picture to HDR 10.) If you’re not sure if your TV or device is DV-enabled, check the manual.

There is a common misconception that Dolby Vision means 4K, but it’s only an HDR technology. 4K is the picture’s resolution. Dolby Vision cannot change the resolution; it can only heighten the colors, contrast and brightness.

Why Isn’t March Madness In 4K?
Money. The cost of a 4K production, even an upscaled 4K one, is significantly more than a HD production, particularly when you factor in that there are 67 games. The networks, including CBS and the Turner channels, do not believe the extra investment would add enough advertising dollars to make 4K worthwhile.

Jamal, hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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