College football season is upon us, and if you’re a fan wanting to watch your favorite school in action, you might think you need to pay for an expensive cable TV package. But there are actually a number of ways you can watch college football online without cable, keeping you from having to break the bank.
Cable TV prices have gotten out of control in recent years, with the average monthly bill now topping $100. And while some people are willing to pay that much for their favorite channels, others are cutting the cord and looking for alternative ways to watch TV.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can watch college football online without having to pay for an expensive cable TV package.
In the last few years, a number of live streaming services have hit the market, letting you get your favorite TV channels without a cable contract. And while most of these services require you to pay a monthly fee (that’s a fraction of the price of cable), there are a few that offer free trials, letting you watch college football online for free for a limited time.
With live streaming services like fuboTV, Hulu Live, Sling TV, and others, you can enjoy a number of benefits, including:
- Huge savings over cable TV
- Get all of your favorite channels, like ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, locals, and more
- No contracts, so you can cancel anytime
- Watch on your favorite devices at home or on the go, including on your TV, phone, tablet, or computer
- Record live TV with cloud DVR service
Of course, if you’re new to the whole cord cutting thing, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out which service is right for you. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
In the guide below, we’ll go over all of your best options for streaming college football games without cable this season for free or very cheap.
What Channels Do You Need to Watch College Football?
Before we dive into the best streaming services to watch college football online, let’s first go over which channels you need.
In order to watch most college football games, you’ll need a few key channels:
- ESPN (including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, and ABC)
- Fox Sports (including FS1, FS2, regional FOX Sports networks, and local FOX)
- CBS Sports (including CBSSN and your local CBS affiliate)
- Conference-specific networks (SEC Network, Pac 12 Network, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, etc.)
- Local channels (NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC)
Here’s the good news: all of these channels are available without cable TV.
The Best Ways to Watch College Football Online Free or Cheap
If you’re looking for ways to watch college football online for free, here are some of the best options:
fuboTV
FuboTV is a streaming television service that offers live and on-demand programming from over 100 channels.
The service primarily focuses on sports, offering channels like ESPN, Fox Sports, and NBC Sports. It also has all of the main local channels and many regional sports networks in markets across the country.
All in all, fuboTV has everything you need to watch college football online without cable without missing any of the key action.
It’s also worth pointing out that fuboTV also carries a selection of news, entertainment, and lifestyle channels, giving you something for everyone in your household.
fuboTV is available on a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
Key Features
- Offers a huge selection of channels you need to stream college football games
- No contract, so you can cancel anytime
- Watch on your favorite devices at home or on the go
- Record live TV with cloud DVR service
Pricing
fuboTV’s main package is $69.99 a month with no contract. Add-on packages are also available, but the base plan has just about everything you need to watch college football without cable.
Click here to try fuboTV free for 7 days.
Sling TV
If you’re looking for the cheapest way to watch college football online this season, Sling TV is your best bet.
Sling TV is a live streaming service that offers a selection of channels for a very low monthly price, starting at just $35.
In fact, it’s the cheapest way to watch ESPN without cable.
The service also offers Fox Sports channels, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, ACC Network, and others.
The only area where Sling TV comes up short is with its availability of local channels. Local FOX and NBC are available in a select number of US markets and you can access any games airing on ABC via ESPN3 (available in their guide), but CBS isn’t available anywhere.
Sling TV is available on a number of devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
Key Features
- Cheapest way to watch college football without cable
- Offers a variety of channels you need to stream college football games
- No contract, so you can cancel anytime
- Watch on your favorite devices at home or on the go
Pricing
Sling TV’s plans start as low as $35 a month, and it has tons of customization options.
Click here to see current Sling TV deals.
Hulu Live
While you might think of Hulu as an on-demand, Netflix-type service, it actually offers a live TV option as well.
For $69.99 a month, Hulu Live gives you access to over 75 channels, including the ESPN family of networks, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and local channels like NBC, ABC, FOX, and CBS.
Not only that, but your Hulu Live subscription also comes with included access to ESPN+ for even more college football action (it also includes access to Disney+).
This makes it one of the most comprehensive ways to watch college football online without cable.
Hulu Live also comes with cloud DVR service, letting you record games and shows to watch any time you want.
Hulu Live is available on a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
Key Features
- Unlimited cloud DVR storage
- Offers a variety of channels you need to stream college football games
- No contract, so you can cancel anytime
- Watch on your favorite devices at home or on the go
Pricing
Hulu Live’s base package is $69.99 a month and includes over 75 channels plus access to the classic Hulu service, Disney+, and ESPN+.
Click here to try Hulu Live free for 7 days.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a great option for cord-cutters looking for a comprehensive way to watch college football without cable.
For $64.99/month, you’ll get over 85 channels to help you watch college football games, including many of the ESPN channels, Fox Sports channels, CBS Sports Network, and local channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX.
The interface of YouTube TV is one of the best in the business, and it’s very user-friendly.
Cloud DVR is included with YouTube TV, so you can record games to watch later.
YouTube TV is available on a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
Key Features
- Offers a comprehensive selection of channels you need to watch college football games
- No contract, so you can cancel anytime
- Unlimited cloud DVR storage to record and watch games on your own schedule
- Watch on your favorite devices at home or on the go
- Slick user interface
Pricing
YouTube TV starts at $64.99 a month and includes most channels you need to watch college football live throughout the season.
Click here to try YouTube TV free for 5 days.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is the last streaming service on our list, but it’s certainly just as good as any of the others for those looking for a college football live stream.
DIRECTV STREAM has huge channel packages that range from $69.99 a month all the way up to $150 a month, giving you just about any channel you could ever want to watch live college football, other college sports, pro sports, news, TV shows, movies, and more.
There’s no contract, so you can cancel anytime.
DIRECTV STREAM is available on a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
Key Features
- Has the biggest selection of major networks of any streaming service
- Gives you all the channels you need to watch college football live without cable
- Unlimited DVR
- Familiar channel guide and interface
Pricing
DIRECTV STREAM offers live TV packages starting at $69.99 a month.
Click here to try it free for 7 days.
Tips for Choosing the Right Streaming Service to Watch College Football Online
One of the great things about streaming services is there are so many options to choose from, unlike cable where there are only 1 or 2 options in your area. This helps ensure you’re able to find a service that truly fits your needs as best as possible.
Of course, having so many options can sometimes be overwhelming.
With that in mind, here are some things you might want to consider when trying to choose a streaming service for watching college football this season:
- Your budget–How much are you willing to spend per month on a streaming service? Are you looking for a long-term solution or just something for this season?
- The channels you want–Make sure the service offers all of the channels you need in order to watch your favorite college football teams. Depending on the team(s) you want to watch this season, you might not need every single channel that offers college football action.
- Device compatibility–You’ll want to make sure the service you choose is compatible with the devices you want to watch on. Most services offer apps for popular streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV, as well as apps for iOS and Android devices.
- DVR options–If you want to be able to record live games and watch them later at your convenience, look for a service that offers cloud DVR. This is a feature that lets you record live TV and store it in the cloud for later viewing.
- Free trial–Many of the services we’ve listed offer free trials, letting you try out the service before committing to it long-term. This is a great way to watch college football online for free for a week or two and see if the service is right for you.
Final Thoughts on Streaming College Football Games without Cable
There’s never been a better time to be a thrifty college football fan. With all of the great streaming options available, there’s no reason to pay for an expensive cable TV package just to watch your favorite teams this season.
Whether you’re looking for a free option or something that’s just a few dollars per month, there are plenty of ways to watch college football online without cable.
In the guide above, we’ve listed some of the best streaming services for watching college football this season.
But we want to hear from you–which service are you planning to use to watch college football without cable?
If you have any further questions about how to watch college football online, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to help you out.
