Why is The Young and the Restless preempted today (March 20, 2025)? Explained

CBS's The Young and the Restless has been holding viewers in suspense since its premiere in 1973, serving up hot drama, romance, and power struggles in Genoa City. The soap, developed by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, has had viewers on the edge of their seats with surprise twists and character-driven plots.

The Young and the Restless viewers who tuned in Thursday, March 20, 2025, maybe upset that their soap is not airing its regular episode. Fans may be wondering why today's show is preempted, and the reason is CBS is airing the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, also commonly known as March Madness.

This is a one-time preemption, and new episodes of the show will return on Monday, March 24, 2025.

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March madness sweeps up CBS daytime

CBS temporarily pulls out its daytime shows each year to broadcast the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament live. CBS does the same this year once again. The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Beyond the Gates are being pulled from the airwaves on March 20 and 21 to make room for the first-round games.

CBS's official schedule posts the Creighton-Louisville first-round game on March 20. The featured marquee game is played by all-star performers such as Ryan Kalkbrenner, a high-scoring point guard, at 19.4 points per game and an average rebound at 8.8 points.

The March tournament continues with the Baylor-Mississippi State on March 21. This game is just a piece of CBS' generations of tradition where some of the greatest college basketball thrills are lived through by some three million March Madness sports fans.

Since this is a national preemption, there will be no new episodes online or on streaming websites like CBS.com or Paramount+. Viewers looking to get up to speed on current Genoa City drama will have to wait until Monday, March 24, when The Young and the Restless returns to its regular programming schedule.

Even though the rest of the next few weeks will go pretty much as normal, West Coast viewers should be aware that additional preemptions are scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, and Wednesday, April 30, and once more on Tuesday, May 6, and Wednesday, May 7.

They will not be blanketed, so in affected time zones, viewers will have to view those episodes through CBS.com or Paramount+.

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What to expect next week on The Young and the Restless?

Genoa City is rocked into intense drama as secrets are spilled, relationships are put to the test, and shocking discoveries upend lives. Traci Abbott, ecstatic over her engagement to Martin who is pretending to be Alan, starts questioning.

While Chance Chancellor uncovers security tapes that potentially expose Alan as Martin Laurent, putting the stage on for a deadly showdown. Sharon finds herself in a state of despair when Nick nixes an overseas vacation with her, potentially ending up in Chance's arms.

Victor Newman makes headlines about his relationship with businessman Alexander Duma, and his loved ones are troubled as Michael Baldwin comes to offer him advice. Chelsea and Adam's romance is rekindled, but they have a painful past looming.

Phyllis has difficulty adjusting to life after being kidnapped and turns to Billy Abbott for comfort, which can create tension in his relationship with Sally Spectra. Kyle Abbott is between Summer, his past love, and Claire Newman, and Victor's intervention only makes things worse.

With Traci about to depart on a romantic getaway, Chance hurries to reveal Martin before she walks into a death trap, will he make it in time, or will Martin resort to extreme action? With Genoa City's two weeks reaching their climax, massive plot twists and hot confrontations loom.

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Fans can watch The Young and the Restless on CBS.