If you tuned in to CBS expecting your usual daytime drama this week, you may have been surprised to find something very different on your screen. Fans of Beyond the Gates, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless are seeing schedule changes as the network makes room for the excitement of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
While it’s a yearly tradition for sports fans, it can definitely throw daytime TV viewers for a loop. Here’s what’s going on — and what soap fans should know.
Why CBS Soaps Are Being Preempted
Every March, the NCAA basketball tournament — better known as March Madness — takes over large portions of the TV schedule. The tournament features dozens of college basketball teams competing in a high-stakes single-elimination bracket that unfolds over several weeks.
CBS is one of the primary broadcasters of the tournament, which means daytime programming often gets bumped to make room for live game coverage. Because the games take place during the afternoon in the United States, they overlap directly with the network’s daytime lineup.
As a result, CBS soaps like The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and the newer drama Beyond the Gates may not air in their normal time slots on certain days. In fact, the soaps will not be on Thursday and Friday.
For longtime soap viewers, this isn’t exactly new. March Madness interruptions have been happening for years, but that doesn’t make them any less frustrating when you’re in the middle of a big storyline.
What It Means for The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless has been a cornerstone of CBS daytime television for decades, and fans are used to tuning in every weekday to see what’s happening in Genoa City.
However, when NCAA tournament games run during the afternoon broadcast window, the show will not be on Thursday or Friday.
The good news? The storylines themselves typically stay intact. If an episode doesn’t air nationally, CBS usually reschedules it rather than skipping it completely. That means fans won’t miss key moments involving the Abbott, Newman, or Winters families. New episodes resume the following Monday.
The Bold and the Beautiful Faces the Same Schedule Shakeup
Just like its sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful is also affected when March Madness takes over the CBS daytime schedule.
Because the show airs later in the afternoon, it often lands directly in the middle of game coverage windows. That means some viewers will see their regularly scheduled drama replaced with basketball tip-offs, halftime coverage, or post-game analysis.
For fans invested in the latest Forrester family drama, the interruption can feel like bad timing — especially when storylines are heating up. Fortunately, CBS will pick the story right back up where it leaves off.
What About Beyond the Gates?
As one of the newest additions to the CBS daytime lineup, Beyond the Gates is also navigating its second March Madness season.
The show has been gaining attention for its fresh storylines and expanding daytime representation, and viewers who recently discovered the series might be confused by the sudden scheduling gaps.
Like the other CBS soaps, episodes may be preempted or delayed depending on tournament coverage. However, the show itself isn’t going anywhere — the interruptions are temporary and tied strictly to the sports broadcast schedule.
How Soap Fans Can Still Watch
If your local CBS station preempts the soaps for March Madness coverage, there are still a few ways to keep up:
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Check local listings: Some affiliates air the episodes late at night or on secondary channels.
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Use streaming platforms: CBS often makes episodes available on its streaming services shortly after broadcast.
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Watch the next scheduled airing: If an episode doesn’t air nationally, it’s typically pushed to the next available slot.
It’s always a good idea to check your local TV schedule because coverage can vary depending on where you live.
The Bottom Line
For soap opera fans, March can be a tricky time of year. While the drama in Genoa City, Los Angeles, and Fairmont Crest continues behind the scenes, the TV schedule may look a little different while CBS focuses on the madness of college basketball.
The key thing to remember is that the interruptions are temporary. Once the tournament moves into later rounds and the schedule settles down, The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Beyond the Gates will return to their normal daytime slots.
Until then, fans might have to share their TV time with a few buzzer-beaters and bracket-busters.
Photo is a CBS screenshot.
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