Ready to watch NCAA football? At The Streamable, we love helping people save money while staying connected to the sports and entertainment they love. Yes, it is possible to watch college football without spending money. We’ll show you how.
Most live TV services offer a free trial. The length of the trial varies, depending on the service. Here’s an overview of the services that carry the most college games.
| Feature | DIRECTV STREAM | Hulu Live TV | Sling TV | Fubo | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | 5 Days | 3 Days | No | 1 Day | Yes |
| Base Price | $79.99 | $76.99 | $40 | $94.99 | $72.99 |
| Base Channels | 200 | 106 | 49 | 178 | 114 |
| Max Channels | 264 | 143 | 143 | 206 | 166 |
| Local Channels | Yes | Yes | In select markets | Yes | Yes |
| Sports Channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Regional Sports Networks | 37 | 8 | 0 | 35 | 7 |
| DVR | Unlimited | Unlimited | 50 Hours (upgradable) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| On-Demand Services | No | Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ | No | No | No |
| Free channels | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
DIRECTV STREAM: 5 Free Days
DIRECTV STREAM is a sports lover’s dream, and you can get started with a 5-day free trial. The service includes an unlimited DVR, 20 simultaneous streams, and a huge channel lineup. Even on the most basic level, you’ll get 31 of the top 35 cable channels channels. If you max out your options, you can get as many as 264 channels.
We like DIRECTV STREAM for its great picture and an unbeatable lineup of regional sports networks. If you sign up now, you can get $30-39 off each month for your first three months.
New subscribers also get three free months of Cinemax, HBO, MGM+, Parmount+ with SHOWTIME, and Starz. That includes all the offshoot channels like HBO Comedy and Showtime Family Zone. We tried the service and loved what we saw.
College Football Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, SEC Network, The CW, and truTV
Hulu Live TV: 3 Free Days
Another top option for football is Hulu Live TV. You can try it free for 3 days. In addition to 33 of the top 35 cable channels, you’ll also get the great on-demand libraries of Hulu, Disney+, and the live sports of ESPN+. That’s a fantastic value for 3 free days.
ESPN+ is home to many college games, so this is a fantastic option. Just be aware that the price of Hulu Live TV will go up in October.
College Football Channels: ABC, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, NBC, SEC Network, The CW, and truTV
Fubo: 1 Free Day
Fubo tends to dial down its free trial periods at the start of football season. You usually get 7 free days, but it’s just one free day right now. Subscribers get 19 of the top 35 cable channels and immediate access to the hard-to-find Bally Sports networks.
College Football Channels: ABC, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, NBC, SEC Network, and The CW
ESPN+: 3 Free Days
While there is not standalone free trial for ESPN+, you can watch it for free as part of the Hulu Live TV 3-day trial. Having ESPN+ is a great option for college football fans. In Week 1 alone, it’s home to 46 games!
Paramount+: 7 Free Days
Paramount+ is a top-notch video streaming service, but if you upgrade to the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME tier, you get your live, local CBS affiliate.
YouTube TV: 2 Free Days
YouTube TV is a live TV service that does everything well, but we prefer DIRECTV STREAM for a superior TV experience.
College Football Channels: ABC, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, NBC, SEC Network, The CW, and truTV
Low-Cost College Football Options
After the free trials dry up, you still have options to save money. If you play your cards right, you don’t have to pay a lot to watch NCAA games.
Sling TV
Sling is the king of saving money with live TV. Because you can scale your channel packages up or down, it offers more flexibility than any other TV option. Right now, you can get Sling’s top combination of sports channels for $50/month if you’re willing to sign up for a 4-month agreement.
It’s important to note that availability of NBC, FOX, and ABC will depend on where you live. Be sure to confirm your desired channels are offered in your area.
Also important: Sling does not offer CBS on any package. Sling subscribers should consider Paramount+ with Showtime to get their live, local CBS affiliate.
College Football Channels: ABC, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, NBC, SEC Network, and truTV
Peaco*ck
This streamer will give you games that air on NBC, which is great if you have Sling TV in an area where NBC may not be available. Peaco*ck is inexpensive to start, and you’ll also get lots of great movies, sitcoms, and content for kids.
Get a Digital Antenna
Although this does require a one-time investment, you’ll get years of free viewing after that. An antenna will pull in anything that airs on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and The CW, assuming you’re close enough to the transmission towers.
You can also pair the antenna with something like a HDHomerun box so you can watch games on any Wi-Fi enabled device in your home.
If you do want to try an antenna, these are great choices:
Channel Master Flatenna Ultra-Thin Indoor TV Antenna
Up to 35 Mile Range
Winegard FlatWave Amped Digital HD Indoor Amplified TV Antenna
Up to 60 Mile Range
