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How to watch Colorado Buffaloes football
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

How to watch Colorado Buffaloes football

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There's never been a better time to be a Colorado Buffaloes fan. With early victories against TCU and Nebraska, the team is off to a thrilling start. For Buffs fans, that's welcome news after last year's disappointing one-win season. Much of the hype is thanks to new head coach Deion Sanders (better known as Coach Prime), who has brought a fresh dose of star power into Boulder. 

Still, Colorado faces a tough schedule, with upcoming clashes against conference powerhouses like Oregon, USC and Utah. No matter what, it’s bound to be a fun ride for the team and its fans. If you’re hoping to watch this year's Buffs squad, you've come to the right place. Keep reading to find out which streaming services will be airing Colorado Buffaloes football.

Where to watch Colorado football

Although Colorado’s complete broadcast schedule isn’t available yet, the team has already played several games on Fox and has upcoming appearances on ABC, ESPN, and Fox Sports 1 (FS1). As a member of the Pac-12 Conference, they may also play on the Pac-12 Network this season. You can find these channels on streaming services like DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV (although channel availability will vary by platform).


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



✓*

ESPN





Fox



✓*

FS1





Pac-12 Network





* Select markets only


Watch Colorado football with Hulu + Live TV

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

With 90+ live channels, a vast library of on-demand content and unlimited DVR storage, Hulu + Live TV offers another way to stream Colorado Buffaloes football. There’s one plan available, which costs $76.99 per month.

Like its competitors, Hulu + Live TV lets you customize your plan with optional upgrades. These include unlimited screens, premium networks and extra channels (including the Entertainment, Español and Sports Add-Ons). When you sign up for Hulu + Live TV, you’ll also get access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.

Is Hulu + Live TV a good choice for sports fans?

Sports fans – and in particular, football fans – should find plenty to like about Hulu + Live TV. Its channel lineup includes all major local networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC), where you can watch Buffaloes games this fall. You can also watch other NCAA and NFL coverage, including regular season match-ups, college and pro playoffs, the College Football Playoff National Championship and the Super Bowl.

Want even more football? Hulu + Live TV also comes with the ACC Network, Big 10 Network, CBS Sports Network, the ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ESPNU), Fox Sports networks (FS1 and FS2), NFL Network and SEC Network. Plus, with the Sports Add-On, you’ll get NFL RedZone, so you can watch every touchdown during the NFL season.

With that said Hulu + Live TV does have some limitations for sports lovers. Notably, the platform doesn’t have as many RSNs as some other streaming services. Depending on where you live, you may be able to watch your local NBC Sports RSN (like NBC Sports Bay Area or NBC Sports Boston), but there are no AT&T SportsNet or Bally Sports RSNs.


Watch Colorado football with DIRECTV STREAM

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

Ranging from $79.99 to $164.99 per month, DIRECTV STREAM is a popular streaming service with 75+ channels of sports, news, entertainment and more. DIRECTV STREAM has four plans – Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate and Premier – that cater to streamers’ different interests and budgets.

DIRECTV STREAM has today’s most popular sports networks (including ESPN and FS1), with the option to add premium networks like SHOWTIME and STARZ. There’s also an unlimited DVR feature, so you can record your favorite TV shows, games and movies for future viewing.

Is DIRECTV STREAM a good choice for sports fans?

DIRECTV STREAM is one of the best streaming platforms for sports fans. Not only does it have plenty of mainstream sports channels and local networks, but unlike many competitors, it also has a good selection of regional sports networks (RSNs), such as Bally Sports. You’ll need to subscribe to the Choice package (or a higher-tier one) to get them, though.

College and professional football fans should enjoy DIRECTV STREAM since it has channels like the Big 10 Network, NFL Network and SEC Network. It doesn’t have the Pac-12 Network, but if the Buffs make it to the Pac-12 Championship game, you’ll be able to watch that on ABC through DIRECTV STREAM. As a subscriber, you can also watch the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl on ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.


Watch Colorado football with Fubo

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

With three plan tiers (Pro, Elite and Ultimate), Fubo is a sports-centric streaming platform that costs between $74.99 and $99.99 per month. Want to watch Colorado football on Fubo? You’ll have access to all of the channels that show Buffs games, including ABC, ESPN, Fox, FS1 and the Pac-12 Network.

Fubo’s base plan has 179+ channels, but as a subscriber, you can personalize your plan even more with the company’s many add-ons, including sports, news and premium entertainment channels. Plus, you can record up to 1,000 hours of content on your cloud DVR.

Is Fubo a good choice for sports fans?

Fubo is a solid choice for sports fans – especially if you want to watch the Buffs. It’s one of the only streaming platforms that has the Pac-12 Network, which features live football games, replays and other sports from around the conference. The service also has a good mix of RSNs, including the AT&T SportsNet, Bally Sports and NBC Sports networks. However, you should be aware that there’s an extra charge for RSNs – whether you watch them or not. If your area receives one RSN, the fee is $10.99 per month. If you receive two or more, the charge increases to $13.99 per month.

Fubo’s sports add-ons make the service appealing to all kinds of sports fans – especially those who follow overseas sports (like soccer) since it includes the beIN Sports channels in all plans, as well as an International Sports Plus add-on. 

At the same time, Fubo is also great for domestic sports fans since it has all local channels and the biggest American sports networks, including CBS Sports Network, ESPN, FS1 and Fox Sports 2 (FS2). With a Fubo plan, you can watch major events like the World Series and NBA Finals. However, you won’t be able to catch every MLB or NBA postseason game since Fubo currently doesn’t offer Turner-owned networks (like TBS and TNT). If you follow either of these leagues, you can sign up for MLB.TV or NBA League Pass through Fubo.


Watch Colorado football with Sling TV

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

Sling TV is the most wallet-friendly option on this list. It has two base plans: Sling Orange and Sling Blue, which are both $40 per month. Sling Orange has 32+ channels, including the ESPN networks, and Sling Blue has 40+ channels, which include FS1 and NFL Network

If you’re hoping to watch as many Colorado football games as possible, you’ll want to sign up for Sling Orange & Blue, which offers 46+ channels from both base plans and costs $55 per month. You can personalize any of Sling TV’s plans with individual or bundled channel add-ons, like the Entertainment Extra and Sports Extra.

Is Sling TV a good choice for sports fans?

If you’re a sports fan on a budget, Sling TV could be worth considering. With Sling Orange or Sling Orange & Blue, you’ll get access to a handful of popular sports channels, like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TBS and TNT. Also, Sling Blue or Sling Orange & Blue subscribers can tune into FS1, NFL Network, TBS and TNT. 

You can watch plenty of high-stakes sports action on these channels, including some postseason games in most major sports. However, RSNs and local networks on Sling TV are limited (and not available at all in many markets). So, while you’ll be able to watch the Rose Bowl or the Sugar Bowl (depending on your Sling TV plan), you can’t watch the Super Bowl through this platform.

For more sports coverage, you can opt into Sling TV’s Sports Extra add-on, which costs $11 per month. With a Sling Orange plan, this add-on includes channels like the ACC Network and Longhorn Network. With Sling Blue, you’ll get the Big 10 Network, FS2, MLB Network and NFL RedZone. Both come with beIN Sports, NBA TV, NHL Network, Pac-12 Network and more.


Watch Colorado football with YouTube TV

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

YouTube TV is another streaming platform where you can watch Buffs games. It has one plan with 100+ channels, with prices beginning at $72.99 per month before any optional add-ons.

As a YouTube TV subscriber, you can watch Colorado football on channels like ABC, ESPN, Fox and FS1. Aside from that, you can also watch live and on-demand sports, news, reality and lifestyle programs, movies and more – and record it on your unlimited DVR.

Is YouTube TV a good choice for sports fans?

While YouTube TV is a good choice for all types of sports fans, football enthusiasts will probably get the most value out of it. That’s because the platform is the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket, which lets you watch every out-of-market NFL game on Sunday afternoons (for an extra fee). 

You’ll get access to other football-focused networks as well, such as the ACC Network, Big 10 Network, NFL Network and SEC Network. Outside of football, the channel lineup includes CBS Sports Network, the ESPN channels, the Fox Sports channels and the Golf Channel. If you opt into YouTube TV’s Sports Plus Add-on, you can also get channels like beIN Sports, NFL RedZone and VSiN.

Unfortunately, YouTube TV is lagging behind services like DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo when it comes to RSNs. It carries the NBC Sports RSNs (like NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Philadelphia) but not much else.




FAQ

Where can I watch the CU Buffs game?

This year, you can watch CU Buffs games on ABC, ESPN, Fox, FS1 and the Pac-12 Network. If you don’t have a cable subscription, you can stream these channels on services like DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo and YouTube TV.

Can you watch any football game with Hulu?

You can’t watch football games with a regular Hulu subscription, but you can watch certain match-ups on Hulu + Live TV. For example, you can watch Colorado vs. Stanford on ESPN using your Hulu + Live TV subscription.

Can I watch Colorado football on ESPN Plus?

At the moment, ESPN Plus isn’t set to air any live Colorado Buffaloes games. If you want to watch Buffs games this season, you can always sign up for Hulu + Live TV, which includes access to ESPN Plus.

Taylor Freitas is a freelance writer with more than 10 years of professional journalism experience. She has contributed to publications, including LA Weekly, CNET, ZDNET, and Bankrate. She holds a B.A. in Print and Digital Journalism from the University of Southern California.