The beginning of the year can be one of the most exciting for sports. Indoor leagues are in full swing and the world’s top athletes are gearing up for the summer events. This March proves to be no different, with a host of exciting competitions taking place. Below, we give our three sporting events you can’t miss this March.

The Biggest World Sporting Events in March 2023

March Madness NCAA Tournament

The NCAA March Madness tournament is one of the most-watched basketball events in the US. Sixty-eight teams compete in a tournament of seven rounds for the National Championship. As each match is a single elimination, it often throws up some big surprises and barrels of excitement. All of these lead up to the final game at the start of April.

Deciding who will be in the tournament is down to the selection committee, which is known as Selection Sunday. This year, it will be held on March 12th with the other games commencing on the 14th and 15th. It is at this event that the teams are also seeded from one through to 68. However, as past viewers will know the seed often means little as lower-ranked teams attempt to giant kill their opposition and make a name for themselves. It is televised on TBS, TNT, TruTV, or CBS.

Cheltenham Festival

For fans of horses, events don’t come much bigger than the Cheltenham Festival. Dating back to 1860, it has become one of the highlights of world racing. Held in the United Kingdom, its prize money is second only to that of the prestigious Grand National event at Aintree. The event holds several Grade 1 races including the Stayers Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Champion Hurdle, and culminating in the Gold Cup.

All eyes will undoubtedly be on Al Boum Photo for the Cheltenham Festival. A dual winner of the race, he is aiming to make it a third on a strong field but is by no means the favorite. A Plus Tard and Galvin are currently heading out the odds, though the race is known for throwing up a host of surprises.

Tennis BNP Paribas Open

The BNP Paribas Open is also known as the Indian Wells Masters due to its location. It is a professional tennis tournament held annually in Indian Wells, California. This year it will take place on the week of 8 to 19th of March. One of the most prestigious events on the ATP Tour and WTA Tour, it is considered to be one of the most important competitions on both tours outside the four Grand Slam tournaments.

The tournament features top male and female singles players, as well as doubles players, competing for prize money and valuable ranking points. The event has a long history, having been first played in 1974.

This list is not exhaustive, and darts championships along with huge rugby events are taking place. If the weather stays bad, curl up on the sofa and you are sure to find some sporting action on TV any day of the week.

Read: Premier League to be broadcast on a new channel for the first time in 10+ years

The Biggest World Sporting Events in March 2023