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How to Watch College Football Live Without Cable 2024
Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

How to Watch College Football Live Without Cable 2024

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There will be a lot of interesting storylines to follow during the college football season, which officially began on Saturday, August 26. The Georgia Bulldogs are fresh off back-to-back national championships. Will they be able to make it a three-peat? With Deion Sanders' arrival in Boulder, every Colorado game this season will be noteworthy and exciting. Luckily, you don't need cable to keep up with all the excitement. Here are some live TV streaming services where you can start watching college football live this upcoming season.

Where to watch college football

There will be widespread coverage of major college football games on broadcast and cable channels like CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC, ESPN, FS1, the Big Ten Network, the SEC Network and the ACC Network. Even spread across a range of channels, watching games live via streaming services offers a convenient, flexible and often more affordable option for sports fans. DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV are some of the streaming services airing college football games this season.


DIRECTV STREAM
Fubo*
Hulu + Live TV
Sling TV
YouTube TV
ABC





CBS





Fox





NBC





ESPN





Fox Sports 1





Big 10 Network





SEC Network





ACC Network





*If you live in an area where a regional sports network (RSN) is available and subscribe to a plan offering RSNs, an additional fee will be added to your monthly price

College football on Sling TV (Our preferred service)

  • Pricing begins at $40.00/mo
  • 31+ live TV channels
  • Free trial currently unavailable

When it comes to streaming live TV, Sling TV is one of the most cost-effective options. Budget-conscious streamers will appreciate the low price, but there are drawbacks like a smaller channel selection and limited local channels, only available in a few select locations. However, Sling TV's packages include ESPN, HGTV, TNT, TBS and many other popular channels. If you are willing to pay a little more, you can customize your service with various add-ons that give you more control over the content you receive.

The sports offerings in Sling TV's base packages are limited. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, MotorTrend, TNT and TBS are the only sports networks in the Orange package. With Sling Blue, you can access all these channels: NFL Network, TBS, TNT, USA and FS1. The Orange & Blue plan combines the two, so if you want a more comprehensive range of college football viewing options, consider investing in the combined package with the Sports Extra add-on for an additional $11 per month. 

The Sling Orange Sports Extra package includes ACC Network, ACCNX, beIN SPORTS, ESPNews, ESPNU, Longhorn Network, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, NBA TV, NHL Network, Pac-12 Network, Tennis Channel, SEC Network and SEC Network Plus.

Sling Blue's Sports Extra add-on provides subscribers with the Big Ten Network, beIN SPORTS, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, NBA TV, NFL RedZone, NHL Network, Pac-12 Network and the Tennis Channel.


College football on DIRECTV STREAM

  • Pricing begins at $79.99/mo
  • 75+ live TV channels
  • Free trial available

DIRECTV STREAM is a live TV streaming service offering access to national and regional networks covering news, entertainment, and sports. The most cost-effective choice is the $79.99 per month Entertainment package, which includes over 75 channels. It provides local broadcasts on networks like ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. There are plenty of popular options, from CNBC to the USA Network and beyond. Keep in mind that this package does not include access to any regional sports networks (RSNs). 

DIRECTV STREAM's Choice plan features more than 105 channels for $108.99 per month, including premium sports networks such as the ACC, ESPNews, ESPNU, MLB Network, NBA TV and the Tennis Channel. The availability of RSNs is a key feature of this plan, and best of all, they come at no extra cost. 

For $119.99 per month, the Ultimate package includes BBC World News, CBS Sports Network, Golf Channel and Nat Geo Wild as part of its more than 140 channels. 

The Premier line-up, available for $164.99 per month, provides access to over 150 channels, including premiums like HBO and Showtime. College football fans would get comprehensive coverage with the Choice plan, which includes CBS, Fox, ABC, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, the Big 10 Network, the SEC Network and the ACC Network.  


College football on Fubo

  • Pricing begins at $79.99/mo
  • 161+ live TV channels
  • Free trial available

Fubo is a sports-heavy live TV streaming service with an extensive on-demand library and, depending on the package, more than 200 channels. The most basic Fubo package is called the Pro package. Subscribers receive 169+ channels for $74.99 per month, including ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, NBC, FS1 and the Big 10 Network.

Fubo subscribers can get all of the channels included in the Pro plan, plus MLB Network, NHL Network, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, ACC Network and more, for $84.99 per month by upgrading to the Elite plan. The plan includes more than 244 channels. 

Adding onto the Pro and Elite packages, the Ultimate plan also includes nine additional SHOWTIME channels and the entire SHOWTIME on-demand catalog. With over 288 Fubo channels, the Ultimate plan costs $99.99 a month. All of Fubo’s English language plans come with 1000 hours of DVR Cloud storage and up to 10 simultaneous streams, which will come in handy for a household with multiple rooting interests. 


College football on Hulu + Live TV

  • Pricing begins at $76.99/mo
  • 95+ live TV channels
  • 3-day free trial

Along with its sizable on-demand collection, Hulu also provides a live TV streaming service called Hulu + Live TV. You can watch live TV from a wide variety of channels, and you can also take advantage of the unlimited cloud DVR to store content for later viewing. If you want to replace your current cable or satellite package with a single streaming service, Hulu + Live TV is a great choice.

Offering over 90 channels across in its lineup, the Hulu channel list includes entertainment must-haves like Bravo, Food Network and Lifetime, plus all the essential channels for college football viewing, such as ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, NBC, FS1, Big 10 Network, SEC Network and ACC Network. Hulu + Live TV also offers a limited selection of regional sports networks for local sports coverage. 

Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive the Disney Plus Bundle that grants them access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. The ad-supported Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu + Live TV bundle includes the live channels, Hulu’s on-demand content, access to the Disney Plus library and ESPN Plus for $76.99 monthly. Hulu's ad-free plan is available for $89.99 per month. The one glaring downside is the two simultaneous streams allowed, meaning that someone may miss out if multiple household members are streaming at once.


College football on YouTube TV

  • Pricing begins at $72.99/mo
  • 100+ live TV channels
  • Free trial available

YouTube TV allows users to stream live programming from a variety of channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and more, directly to their preferred streaming device. There are two YouTube TV packages: the Base Plan for $72.99 per month and the Spanish Plan for $34.99 per month, which is tailored to the needs of Spanish speakers and offers over 30 channels.

With the Base Plan, you can watch over 100 channels. The streamer is well set up for the college football faithful, with access to ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, NBC, FS1, Big 10 Network, SEC Network and ACC Network. YouTube TV also has a Sports Plus add-on which includes Billard TV, Fox Soccer Plus, FanDuel TV, Fight Network, Impact Wrestling, MAV TV, NFL RedZone, Outside TV+, Players TV, Poker GO, Sports Grid, Stadium, Tennis Channel, VSiN and beIN Sports.

The addition of NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on to YouTube TV this fall is a massive win for the streaming service, allowing users to watch every out-of-market game on Sunday afternoons.


College football schedule

The college football season starts on Saturday, August 26. You can find the full schedule on the ESPN website.

What’s the best streaming service for college football?

 The best way to watch college football is through a live sports streaming service. Sports fans can now follow their teams from the comfort of their homes or on the go while retaining access to quality entertainment and news channels. All the streamers listed offer some variation of college football channels, whether through base plans, upgrades, or with the assistance of add-ons. 

DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV all include the complete package of key channels in their plans. Sling TV is the most affordable but necessitates the purchase of add-ons and lacks some local channels. In terms of price, Hulu + Live TV is the clear winner. ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, NBC, FS1, Big 10 Network, SEC Network and ACC Network are all part of the 90-plus channels, and as part of the Disney Plus Bundle, subscribers will receive three streamers in one package for $69.99 per month. 


FAQ

Can I watch college football games live for free?

College football fans can watch games with a free trial from DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, and YouTube TV. Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV do not offer free trials, but it is easy to cancel the service at any time.

What is the cheapest way to stream all college football games?

 The Hulu + Live TV Bundle offers 90-plus channels, including ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, NBC, FS1, the Big 10 Network, the SEC Network and the ACC Network, for $76.99 per month. Subscribers also gain access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. 

Is there a streaming service for all college football games?

 DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV feature all the essential college football channels. However, if you are a fan of Pac-12 football, you will only be able to watch games on Fubo or Sling TV.

Nasha is a travel, sports, and lifestyle writer contributing to Forbes, PEOPLE, Lonely Planet, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel Noire, Thrillist, Business Insider, InStyle, Shondaland, Sports Illustrated, and more.