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Tuesday, July 11, 2017

2017 CFB Guide to Cord Cutting

Updates (see corresponding symbols below)
*12/18/17 (12@)
-Updated the STREAMING SERVICE & CFB NETWORK CHART to include information for NBCSports.com & the NBC Sports App for both Notre Dame football games & other events, updated DTV NOW & YouTube TV as authenticated providers for CBSSN.

*12/6/2017 (11@)
-Added a chart for the 2017-18 Postseason Bowl Games under "POSTSEASON GAMES"

*9/26/17 (10@)
-Corrected the information re: CBS not streaming games this year via the CBS Sports App in the "TV Everywhere Apps" section under TV CHANNELS (i.e. CBS is streaming SEC on CBS games this year similar to previous years)
-Updated info on DTVNOW carrying CBSSN on Go Big & above as of 9/23/17 under STREAMING SERVICES; also updated the links under CFB CHANNEL INPUT SPREADSHEET to direct to newer files that reflect DTVNOW now carrying CBSSN and edited the description under it

*9/13/17 (9@)
-Updated the information re: CBS not streaming games this year via the CBS Sports App in the "TV Everywhere Apps" section under TV CHANNELS
-Added info re: CBSSN now available on Vue under STREAMING SERVICES; also updated the links under CFB CHANNEL INPUT SPREADSHEET to direct to newer files that reflect Vue now carrying CBSSN
-Added info re: the OTA affiliate list for Stadium under TV CHANNELS

*9/02/17 (8@)
-Updated info on FuboTV now carrying P12N under STREAMING SERVICES; also updated the STREAMING SERVICE & CFB NETWORK CHART to reflect this info
-Updated info on YouTubeTV expanding to 12 additional markets on 8/31
-Updated the links under CFB CHANNEL INPUT SPREADSHEET to direct to newer files that reflect FuboTV carrying P12N

*8/27/17 (7@)
-Added a section about Stadium under TV CHANNELS including links to the games that will be streamed on Twitter & Facebook
-Added Stadium as a partner of the MWC in the MEDIA RIGHTS BY CONFERENCE (GROUP OF 5 CONFERENCES) chart.
-Corrected the information re: CBSSN is streamed via the CBS Sports App in the "TV Everywhere Apps" section under TV CHANNELS
-Added additional information regarding the ACC Network and the coverage of the various games it airs under TV CHANNELS

*8/17/17 (6@)
-Added info about YouTubeTV expanding to additional markets under STREAMING SERVICES and added links to all available YouTubeTV locations & local channels under SOURCES & REFERENCES

*8/13/17 (5@)
-Added links to a spreadsheet I created that allows you to enter in the channels you want and returns all services that carry those channels including the cheapest option in a new section "CFB CHANNEL INPUT SPREADSHEET" before the STREAMING SERVICE & CFB NETWORK CHART

*8/07/17 (4@)
-Added info re: DTVNOW reaching an agreement to carry CBS & CBSSN under STREAMING SERVICES
-Updated the STREAMING SERVICE & CFB NETWORK CHART to reflect that DTVNOW will carry CBS (in certain markets only) and CBSSN (tier not known at this time)

*8/05/17 (3@)
-Corrected an error in the STREAMING SERVICE & CFB NETWORK CHART re: BTN & DTVNOW; BTN is only offered on Just Right or higher, previously it was listed as Live a Little or higher.
-Created new footnote (*****) for LHN on Vue in the STREAMING SERVICE & CFB NETWORK CHART and changed the first footnote (*) back to its original wording.

*7/27/17 (2@)
-Added info re: TV Everywhere app authentication now available with FuboTV, Hulu Live, YouTube TV credentials under STREAMING SERVICES; also updated the STREAMING SERVICE & CFB NETWORK CHART to reflect these changes
-Added info re: Sports Pack now available as part of Vue under STREAMING SERVICES
-Added info re: Root Sports rebranding as AT&T SportsNet under KEY TERMS TO KNOW

*7/14/17 (1@)
-Added info re: BTN now being available on Fox Sports Go (TV CHANNELS)
-Added more info re: ESPN3 additional camera feeds & viewing requirements on connected devices (TV CHANNELS)

I love watching college football especially on Saturdays in the fall when there are games on for 14 straight hours or more.  But I *hate* having to maintain an expensive cable or satellite subscription for an entire year just to be able to watch college football from September-early January.  Well, you and I are in luck because there are now up to seven streaming services available, depending on your location, that can help you watch as much college football as you want.  Sadly, even for some teams in the Power 5 conferences, not every single game is available; however, for most teams all of their games can be viewed on one of the existing streaming services.  Thus, you may still need an antenna to pick up some games if local channels aren’t offered in your market.  So read below for the various options that exist to get your college football fix for as cheap as possible.

DISCLAIMER: This work was put together using data from various sources.  As such, if you come across something that is inaccurate, please feel free to reach out to me to correct it via email realcordcutters@outlook.com or Twitter: @RealCordCutters or by leaving a comment below.  My goal is to make a comprehensive and accurate guide that can help people quickly & easily decide how to watch as much college football as they want for the cheapest possible method.  Unlike other cord cutting websites, we welcome and encourage reader feedback, both positive and negative. 

First, I’m going to give a brief overview of the various options that currently exist regarding CFB broadcasts including defining some terms.  Please note that this guide will focus primarily on the Power 5 conferences (ACC, B1G, Big 12, Pac-12 & SEC).  If you’re already familiar with these terms, services, etc. please feel free to jump down below to the conferences section.

KEY TERMS TO KNOW
Designated Market Area (DMA) – a geographic region, defined by Nielsen Media Research that receives the same (or similar) television stations.  The DMA that you are located in determines which local broadcast stations you receive, although cable companies are free to carry channels from outside the DMA without any type of waiver.  To see a map of all US DMAs from 2015-16, click here.

Regional & National Broadcasts – College football games can either be a regional or national broadcast.  A national broadcast shows one game over the entire country on a given channel while a regional broadcast will have different games showing on a given channel in different parts of the country.  For most, but not all, regional broadcasts, the game not shown on the primary channel is aired on an alternate TV channel.  The most common example of a regional broadcast is the 3:30 PM ET ABC/ESPN2 broadcast window.  Some part of the country receives Game A on ABC and Game B on ESPN2 while the rest of the country receives Game B on ABC and Game A on ESPN2.  Some of the conference networks (BTN, SECN, etc.) also do this when there are multiple games airing at the same time by using alternate overflow channels.  When there is a regional broadcast and the alternate game is not shown on another TV channel or the provider does not carry the alternate channels, the extra game(s) will then be streamed online.

Tier 1/2/3 Media Rights – Tier 1 media rights generally refer to games broadcast on over-the-air (OTA) broadcast networks such as FOX, ABC, CBS, etc.  Tier 2 media rights generally refer to games aired on cable television stations such as ESPN/2, FOX Sports 1, etc.  Tier 3 media rights are the rights to games that are institutionally controlled.  The Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC control these Tier 3 rights for all their member institutions and air these games on their respective conference networks.  The ACC has sold these rights to Raycom for syndication but is re-purchasing them in advanced of the launch of the ACC Network in 2019.  The Big 12 allows each member institution to control one home game and the institution can then choose how & who to sell the broadcast rights to that game to.

Regional Sports Networks – FOX (FOX Sports <channel>), Comcast (Comcast SportsNet <channel> and NBC Sports <channel>), and AT&T (Root Sports <channel> (2@) Note: 4 of the Root Sports channels rebranded as AT&T SportsNet <channel> effective July 14th (2@)) own the most common regional sports networks (RSNs) that air college football games.  Currently, they air games featuring ACC & Big 12 teams in addition to games featuring teams outside of the Power 5 conferences and FCS teams.  The coverage can vary by channel due to other programming commitments such as professional baseball, basketball and hockey; thus, even if a game is designated to be carried by FOX Sports RSNs, your local FOX Sports RSN may not carry it.

Conference Networks – Several conferences (Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC) have created conference networks to exclusively air Tier 3 content in addition to other college sports programming.  These conference networks vary in their structure and also in the number of subscribers each has.  The Big Ten conference launched the Big Ten Network (BTN) back in 2007 while the Pac-12 started the Pac-12 Network (P12N) in 2011 and the SEC started the SEC Network (SECN) in 2014.  The ACC announced last summer that the ACC Network (ACCN) will debut as a linear television channel in 2019.

TV CHANNELS
ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPNEWS – The Disney family of channels (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS) carry games multiple days a week.  In addition to Saturdays, these stations also carry games on Thursday & Friday nights (most weeks), Tuesday & Wednesday nights (usually only October-November) and the first Sunday of the season.  They also carry most of the bowl games, including the College Football Playoff, except for a handful.

ESPN3 – ESPN3 is an online streaming channel that airs many sporting events, including college football games, and does not require login authentication.  To view ESPN3 events, one must either have a participating Internet Service Provider or a cable/satellite/streaming service subscription which includes it though.  For example, Sling TV & PlayStation Vue both include ESPN3 access with their subscriptions.  The list of ESPN3 participating providers can be found here.  All games aired on ABC in your region are also available to watch online via ESPN3.  (1@) ESPN3 also airs additional camera views for important games although mostly for bowl and College Football Playoff (CFP) games. For example, the most recent CFP National Championship Game had 8 different feeds available on ESPN3 including Sounds of the Game, Pylon Cam, Hometown Radio feeds, Spider Cam and others.  Thus, some games that are aired on ESPN cable channels can also be viewed via ESPN3 and do not require a subscription to ESPN, ESPN2, etc. in order to watch.  One other thing to be aware of regarding ESPN3 is that the WATCHESPN app requires an ESPN video subscription (i.e. credentials) in order to view ESPN3 content via a connected device such as Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, or PlayStation 4.  In other words, if you do not have a subscription to a service that includes ESPN (but do have ESPN3 access through your ISP) and try to watch ESPN3 content through the WATCHESPN app on a Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, etc., you will receive an error.  The only way to watch ESPN3 content without an ESPN video subscription is via a computer web browser (www.watchespn.com) or the WATCHESPN app on mobile devices such as phones and tablets.  For more information on this, please see here(1@) 

FOX/FOX SPORTS 1/FOX SPORTS 2 – FOX Sports carries games on the FOX broadcast channel, FOX Sports 1 (FS1), and FOX Sports Regional Sports Networks (for more information on these see Regional Sports Networks below).  Fox Sports 2 (FS2) traditionally has only been used as an overflow channel when games run late but so far for 2017, at least one game (West Virginia vs East Carolina on 9/9/2017) will air on it.  FS1 has games every Saturday, most Thursdays, and occasional Fridays.  FOX generally has games on Saturdays only but not every Saturday due to other sports commitments (NASCAR, MLB Playoffs, etc.).  Two bowl games will be broadcast on FOX channels for the 2017 season.

CBS/CBS SPORTS NETWORK – CBS Sports carries games on both the CBS broadcast channel and CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).  The CBS broadcast channel typically carries one game involving an SEC team per week on Saturdays while also having several doubleheader days where it carries two games. Last year it featured one tripleheader with the third game being Notre Dame vs Navy. CBSSN typically carries multiple games on Saturdays in addition to games on Thursdays & Fridays most weeks.  CBS will carry one bowl game and CBSSN will carry two bowl games in 2017.

NBC/NBC SPORTS NETWORK – NBC Sports carries games on the NBC broadcast channel, NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), and regional sports networks such as NBC Sports (NBCS) <channel> and Comcast SportsNet (CSN) <channel> (for more information on these see Regional Sports Networks below).  NBC usually only broadcasts Notre Dame home games on Saturdays while NBCSN has a few FCS games in addition to broadcasting one Notre Dame game in 2017.

Regional Sports Networks – The two most common types of Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) are FOX Sports RSNs and NBCS/CSN RSNs.  There are also five RSNs owned by AT&T called ROOT Sports <channel> that carry the FOX Sports RSN games, in addition to some other games, but they are currently not available on any streaming service.  Four of these channels are changing their names to AT&T SportsNet <channel> in July 2017 while the fifth (ROOT Sports Northwest) will keep its name for now.  Additionally, some other RSNs like NESN, Prime Ticket, SportsTime Ohio and MASN carry games as well.

Big Ten Network – BTN is a conference network owned by FOX and the Big Ten Conference that airs programming from all sports featuring Big Ten teams.  It usually shows 2-5 games featuring Big Ten teams each Saturday with occasional games on the first Thursday & Friday of the season.  It owns the Tier 3 rights to all games that Big Ten teams “own” the rights to.  BTN Plus is online streaming network offered by BTN for an additional cost but it does NOT air any CFB games on it.  BTN2GO is the website/app that BTN uses to stream its content. (1@) BTN is now also available to watch via Fox Sports Go per a Twitter user. (1@) (2@) The Big Ten confirmed this at its conference media days on July 24, 2017 (2@).

SEC Network – SECN is a conference network owned exclusively by ESPN (Disney) which shows all sports of SEC teams.  It usually airs 2-5 SEC games on Saturdays in addition to games on the first Thursday & Friday of the season.  SECN owns the Tier 3 rights to all games that SEC teams have the rights to.  SECN+ is an online channel that airs extra events and can only be viewed with authenticated credentials (i.e. it requires a subscription to SECN) via the WATCHESPN/ESPN apps and the ESPN website.  SECN+ generally does not air any CFB games.

Pac-12 Network – P12N is a conference network owned exclusively by the Pac-12 conferences that airs Pac-12 sporting events.  It usually shows 2-5 Pac-12 games on Saturdays only.  P12N owns the Tier 3 rights to all games that Pac-12 teams own the rights to.  The network has 1 national feed and 6 regional feeds (Arizona, Bay Area, Los Angeles, Mountain, Oregon, and Washington) with each regional feed covering two teams.  Most CFB games are aired on the national feed and the regional feed(s) of the team(s) participating in the game. 

ACC Network – The linear ACCN cable channel is scheduled to launch in 2019.  Currently, ACCN refers to ACC college football games that are syndicated either via over-the-air (OTA) stations by Raycom or on RSNs, which are generally FOX Sports RSNs plus some others.  The ACCN Game of the Week airs on OTA stations, is syndicated by Raycom, and will start at 12:20 PM ET on Saturdays this year (previously it started at 12:30 PM ET).  Additionally, the ACCN Game of the Week is streamed on the (7@) ACC's website with no authentication required.(7@)  There is also usually one RSN game aired each Saturday at various times, although several weeks two of these games are shown.  The (7@) RSN games (7@) are also available outside of the airing markets on ACC Network Extra which is an online channel that can only be viewed with authenticated credentials (i.e. it requires a subscription to a service which has ESPN) via the WATCHESPN/ESPN apps or the ESPN website.  (7@) What this means is that if a regional sports network in your DMA is airing the ACC game, you can only watch the game on that network; however, if there is no RSN airing the game within your DMA, then you are able to watch it online with proper ESPN-authenticated credentials via WATCHESPN.  This is important to note because if the game is airing on an RSN that your service does not carry (NESN, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, etc.), it means you will not be able to watch the game because you do not receive the station that is airing it in your market and it will be blacked out on WATCHESPN.(7@)  ACC Network Extra begin in 2016 as before that all ACCN games were available via ESPN3 access outside of the local viewing area.  ACC Network Extra also airs other sporting events for ACC teams that do not require authentication.

Longhorn Network –Longhorn Network (LHN) is an ESPN-owned network that focuses solely on University of Texas athletic events and programming.  It generally airs two home Texas football games per year, one non-conference game and one conference game.  The conference game also airs on additional platforms in the home market of the visiting conference team.  It is generally carried as a regional, not national, channel by most providers and is streamed via the WATCHESPN/ESPN apps and the ESPN website.

(7@)Stadium – Stadium released some details about which games they will be carrying for the 2017 season in late August.  They channel will have multiple venues including free Twitter & Facebook live streams and an OTA channel which was previously American Sports Network.  (9@) Stadium finally released a list of OTA affiliates.  The current list can be found here while the webpage with updates can be found here.(9@)  They will be carrying games hosted by Conference USA, Mountain West Conference, and Sun Belt Conference teams.  There will be 15 games aired exclusively on their Facebook page including 9 Conference USA games & 6 Mountain West games; the list of games can be found here.  Additionally, they announced that 28 additional games that will be available via Twitter here and on Pluto TV; these same games will also be available via OTA affiliates but they have not yet announced those affiliates yet as of 8/27/17.  Of the 28 games though, the schedule of which can be found here, only 15 feature Conference USA.  The remaining 13 games all feature FCS teams.(7@)

TV Everywhere Apps – Many cable channels now have a live stream of their channel available to watch online for authenticated subscribers.  ESPN makes all of its programming, including ACCN, SECN, SECN+, LHN & ESPN3 events, available via the WATCHESPN and ESPN apps while FOX uses the FOX Sports Go app for FOX broadcast channel sporting events & FOX Sports RSNs.  BTN uses the BTN2GO app (1@) and the Fox Sports Go app (1@) while P12N uses the Pac-12 Now app.  (9@) CBS & (7@) CBSSN both streams their its college football games through the CBS Sports App (no authentication required for CBS games while authentication is required for CBSSN) while CBSSN does not have an app for streaming; it only streams via the web.(7@) (10@) Effective this year it appears that CBS is no longer streaming its SEC on CBS games through the CBS Sports App.(9@)  CBS Sports is streaming the SEC on CBS games through the CBS Sports Mobile App with no authentication required. (10@)  NBC & NBCSN & NBCS/CSN RSNs all stream their content through the NBC Sports App.

STREAMING SERVICES
Sling TV – Sling TV (Sling) is a streaming service owned by Dish with 2 different base packages, Orange ($20/month) & Blue ($25/month).  The Orange package includes ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN3 + other channels while the Blue package includes FOX (depending on market) & FS1/FS2 + FOX Sports & NBCS/CSN RSNs + other channels.  Both packages together are $40/month ($5/month savings).  ESPNU/ESPNEWS/SECN + P12N + beIN SPORTS (plus other sports channels) are all available in the Orange Sports Extra pack which costs $5/month but requires a subscription to the Orange package; there is another Sports Extra pack for the Blue package that costs $10/month but only includes P12N + beIN SPORTS (plus other sports channels).  The P12N channels offered are the six regional feeds only; the national feed is not included (link here).  ABC (depending on market) is available via the Broadcast Extra pack at $5/month.  The Orange package is limited to 1 simultaneous stream and the Blue package is limited to 3 simultaneous streams.  Sling does not have any location restrictions and can be accessed anywhere in the US.  It’s available on nearly all streaming devices and is setup to authenticate on most TV Everywhere apps, although not the Pac-12 Now app.

PlayStation Vue – PlayStation Vue (Vue) is a streaming service owned by Sony with 4 different packages: Access, Core, Elite & Ultra.  Access starts at $39.99/month and contains ESPN/ESPN2 + ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX broadcast (depending on market) + FS1/FS2 + NBCSN + other channels. Core, at $44.99/month, contains all the channels in Access + BTN + ESPNU/ESPNEWS/SECN + FOX Sports RSNs (if applicable) + NBCS/CSN RSNs (if applicable) + other channels.  Elite ($54.99/month) & Ultra ($74.99/month) contain all the channels in Core plus additional channels.  (2@) Effective July 25th, Vue introduced a Sports Pack as a $10/month add-on (Core or higher subscription required) which will carry LHN nationally to those out-of-market that don’t receive it as an RSN, ESPN Goal Line, and 11 other sports channels including some RSN’s. (2@)  (9@) Effective 9/13/2017, Vue now carries CBSSN on the Core package and higher.(9@)  Vue is limited to 5 simultaneous streams although there are some limitations such as a maximum of 1 PS 3 console stream, 1 PS 4 console stream, and 3 simultaneous streams on any mobile or web based devices (i.e. computer browsers).   Most importantly, Vue is restricted to a subscriber’s “home location” only in that its content can only be streamed at the location determined by the subscribers billing zip code & IP address when the service is first setup.  In other words, if you try to access Vue while on vacation in a different part of the country, you will receive an error, although some Vue channels can be viewed outside of your home location either via a mobile app or in a desktop browser.  For more information, please see here (Supported Devices -> PlayStation Vue Mobile).  Additionally, you can also use a VPN to access your router remotely which will show your current location as your home location.  Please note that you DO NOT need a PlayStation in order to setup or use Vue.  Similar to Sling, it’s available on nearly all streaming devices and is setup to authenticate on most TV Everywhere apps.  Also, Vue is listed as an ESPN3 provider but it is not clear which level of service provides this access.

DIRECTV NOW – DIRECTV NOW (DTVNOW) is a streaming service owned by AT&T with 4 different packages: Live a Little ($35/month), Just Right ($50/month), Go Big ($60/month) and Gotta Have it ($70/month).  Live a Little includes ABC/NBC/FOX (depending on market) + ESPN/ESPN2 + FS1 + NBCSN + other channels.  Just Right includes all channels in Live a Little plus BTN + ESPNU/ESPNEWS/SECN + LHN + FOX Sports RSNs (if applicable) + NBCS/CSN RSNs (if applicable) + other channels.  Go Big includes all the channels in Just Right + FS2 (10@) + CBSSN (officially live as of 9/23/17) (10@) while Gotta Have It include all channels in Go Big + other channels.  (4@) DTVNOW announced on 8/7/17 that it reached a deal with CBS to carry both CBS (originally in owned & operated markets only) and CBSSN.  It is not clear when the channels will be available or which packages will include CBSSN. (4@)  DTVNOW is limited to 2 simultaneous streams and is available on most streaming devices.  There are also some restrictions when it comes to streaming local channels on a mobile device.  It does not have any location restrictions and does have authentication available most of the common TV everywhere apps now.  Also, DIRECTV NOW is listed as an ESPN3 provider but it is not clear which level of service provides this access.

FuboTV – FuboTV is an independent streaming service which announced its official launch on 4/10/2017. Its main package, Fubo Premier, is currently listed at a discounted introductory rate of $34.99/month (regular price supposedly $49.99/month) and includes a number of CBS, FOX & NBC related channels such as CBS/FOX/NBC (in certain markets) + FS1/FS2 + NBCSN + CBSSN + FOX Sports RSNs (if applicable) + NBCS/CSN RSNs (if applicable).  (8@) FuboTV announced on 8/30 that it would carry the P12N with the official announcement coming one day later.  The national channel is available on the Premier package while the 6 regional channels are part of the Sports Plus add-on ($5.99/month).(8@)  It does not include any ESPN channels though.  FuboTV is restricted to a maximum of 2 simultaneous streams and is available on most of the common streaming devices.  It does not appear to have any location viewing (i.e. out of area) restrictions and is listed as an authenticated provider for FOX Sports Go (2@), but is not currently listed for the (2@), BTN2GO and the NBC Sports App (announced 7/25).

Hulu Live –Hulu Live is a streaming service, owned by Hulu that officially launched in Beta mode on 5/03/2017.  There is one package that costs $39.99/month and offers about 50 channels including ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPNEWS/SECN/ESPN3 + ABC/NBC/FOX (in applicable markets) + FS1/FS2 + FOX Sports RSNs (if applicable) + NBCS/CSN RSNs (if applicable) + CBSSN + other channels.  The package is limited to 2 simultaneous streams but offers an Unlimited Screens option for $14.99/month which allows unlimited streams at home and 3 simultaneous streams outside of the home.  There are no location viewing restrictions but it currently is not available on Amazon Fire TV/Stick, Roku, or online via browser.  It currently offers authentication with only WATCHESPN and BTN2GO.

YouTube TV – YouTube TV is another newer streaming service that launched in May 2017 and is currently only available in (2@) five fifteen select markets after ten additional markets were launched in July 2017. , although it was announced in June 2017 that it will be expanding to ten additional markets.(2@)  (6@) 29 markets after 14 were added on 8/17/17 and will soon be adding 17 additional markets soon after to bring it to a total of 46 available DMAs.(6@)  (8@) As of 8/31/17, 12 of the 17 additional markets were available for service. (8@).  It has one package that costs $35/month ($39.99/month if you sign up via iTunes) and includes ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC in (6@) most, but not all,(6@) markets.  For cable channels, it has ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPNEWS/SECN/ESPN3 + FS1/FS2 + BTN + FOX Sports RSNs (if applicable) + NBCS/CSN RSNs (if applicable) + CBSSN + other channels.  It allows a maximum of 3 simultaneous streams, but is not available on any of the common streaming devices (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, etc.) except for Chromecast. It does not have any location viewing restrictions; however, you must be physically located in one of the select markets to sign up and create an account.  Currently, (2@) WATCHESPN is the NBC Sports App is the only app that does not accept YouTube TV credentials.(2@)

CenturyLink Stream – CenturyLink Stream is the newest streaming service that announced its nationwide launch at the end of June 2017.  The Ultimate package, its base offering, is $45/month and offers a number of sports channels including ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPNEWS/SECN/ESPN3 + LHN (in applicable markets) + ABC/NBC (in applicable markets) + P12N (National Feed) + NBCS/CSN RSNs (in applicable markets), with a $5/month discount for CenturyLink internet customers.  There is also a Sports Extra package which costs $10/month that includes NBCS/CSN RSNs (out of market only) + LHN + P12N (Regional Feeds) + beIN Sports.  For the Ultimate package, the availability of LHN varies by location, but nothing is mentioned regarding P12N, indicating the national feed is available to all subscribers.  Thus, it appears that for out-of-market subscribers, they would need to purchase the Sports Extra package to receive LHN.  The package is limited to 3 simultaneous streams and currently is only available on Roku devices and via an app for tablets & smartphones.  The only app that it currently authenticates with is WATCHESPN.

THINGS TO KNOW
There are a lot of nuances and caveats regarding some of these services and channels so please read the following items before you decide to purchase anything.

Issues with local coverage
·       Local stations sometimes air a different game than is advertised
o   There are times where you may not be able to watch a game (or must use the appropriate app to view a game) even though it has been designated to be carried by one of your local channels because the local channel is instead airing other programming such as professional sports or even a different college football game.

For example, in the Pittsburgh market, WTAE ABC (4.1) is the station which has the rights to the OTA ACCN Game of the Week each Saturday @ 12:30 PM ET.  However, ABC usually airs a national or regional college football broadcast starting at 12:00 PM ET.  Thus, the ACCN Game of the Week usually ends up being shown on This TV (4.2), the digital sub channel of WTAE. However, when the ACCN Game of the Week features Pittsburgh, that game is aired on WTAE and the ABC regional/national game is bumped to This TV.  On November 5, 2016, Pitt played at Miami starting at 12:30 PM ET; this game was shown on WTAE which forced Northwestern-Wisconsin (ABC national broadcast starting at 12:00 PM ET) to be shown on This TV.  Thus, if you subscribed to a streaming service which carried ABC (WTAE), you would not have seen the Wisconsin-Northwestern game.  Instead the only way you could have watched it would have been to use the WATCHESPN or ESPN apps or to use an antenna to receive This TV.  It should be noted that all ABC games are available via ESPN3 so this example would not have required a television subscription to view the game, only ESPN3 access.

Similar issues can happen with RSNs as well.  On September 24, 2016, San Jose State at Iowa State was distributed by FOX Sports RSNs starting at 12:00 PM ET.  However, FOX Sports Detroit chose to air the ACCN RSN Game of the Week, Central Michigan at Virginia, starting at 12:30 PM ET on its main channel.  Thus, the San Jose State-Iowa State game was aired on FOX Sports Detroit+.  Again, if you had a subscription to a streaming service that does not carry FOX Sports Detroit+, which is essentially an overflow channel, you would have needed to go to the FOX Sports Go app to be able to watch that game.  Please note that the issues described above are not unique to streaming services, but they are things to keep in mind.    

Overflow channels
·       Conference Networks
o   As mentioned earlier, conference networks will frequently air multiple games at the same time with the primary game for your region usually determined by geography.  This means that if you are interested in watching the secondary game, you must either find the alternate channel for the network or find the online stream of the game via the networks app. 

For example, on September 17, 2016, BTN aired both Georgia Sate at Wisconsin & Temple at Penn State starting at 12 PM ET.  If you lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the main BTN channel showed the Temple-Penn State game while Georgia State-Wisconsin was carried on one of BTN’s overflow channels.  However, not all of these streaming services carry all the overflow channels for networks that have them.  So if you used a streaming service that did not carry all of  BTN’s overflow channels, you would have had to login to the BTN2GO app, using your provider credentials, in order to watch Georgia State-Wisconsin.  It’s similar for the SECN, except that you would use the WATCHESPN or ESPN apps.  Again, this issue is not necessarily unique to streaming services, because some cable providers do not carry all the overflow channels (compared to satellite providers who generally do), but it is something to be aware of.

Game windows
·       Game running late into the start of the next game
o   Most college football games are scheduled for 3.5 hour windows; however, games frequently last longer than 3.5 hours, especially when there are weather delays, which end up delaying the start of the next scheduled game on the same channel.  It also frequently happens with the channels that air the ACCN Game of the Week since that game starts at 12:20 PM ET and thus, only has 3 hours and 10 minutes until the 3:30 PM ET games start.  When these situations happen, the next game is usually started on an alternate network, or if none is available, streamed online via the WATCHESPN or FOX Sports Go apps.  For games on the ESPN channels, ESPNU & ESPNEWS are usually used as overflow channels, although the SECN alternate channel has been used occasionally as well for SEC games.  If there are no overflow channels available, the next game will usually be made available to be streamed on ESPN3. For games on the FOX channels, FOX Sports 2 is usually used as the main overflow channel, although there was once instance where a game (Oklahoma-Texas Tech) was moved to FOX News Channel because the World Series was set to air on FOX that night.  Although each network usually stays with the current game until its conclusion, there are cases where the network will leave a current game to show the start of the next game; this usually happens with networks that are located in the broadcast area for one of the teams that is playing in the next game.  For example, in 2013 there was an ACC Game of the Week between Louisiana Tech and NC State that started at 12:30 PM ET on WTAE (ABC) in Pittsburgh.  However, the game was not over by 3:30 PM ET when ABC was scheduled to air Penn State-Syracuse as part of its 3:30 PM ET regional coverage.  WTAE left the ACCN game and started airing the Penn State game on time since Pittsburgh is considered part of the Penn State viewing area.   However, for most games, especially those on cable channels, unless the game is a large blowout the network will stay with it until its conclusion.  This is something to keep in mind if you decide to subscribe to a streaming service as there may be channels you do not anticipate needing to watch but may occasionally air part of a game you’re interested in because the game before yours ran late, pushing the start of your game to an alternate channel temporarily.

Away Games
·       The TV partners of the home team determine who airs each game.  Generally, the home team has the broadcast rights to each game and thus, one of the channels of those partners will be the one that airs the game.  In the case of a neutral site game, the contract for the game usually designates one of the teams as the “home team” for both uniform and broadcasting purposes.  This is important because even if your favorite team is in a conference who home and/or conference games are only aired on certain channels, they may play a road game (or games) which is aired on other channels because the team(s) they are playing has a different media partner.

For example, Virginia Tech is in the ACC whose conference broadcast partners are ABC, the various ESPN channels and local broadcast networks + RSNs for any ACCN games.  Thus, you might think that a streaming service which includes all of the various ESPN channels + your local FOX Sports RSN would be sufficient to watch all of their games.  However, on September 16, 2017, they are scheduled to play at East Carolina, a member of the American Athletic Conference. This game is scheduled to be aired on CBSSN, one of the broadcast partners of the home team’s conference.  Thus, in order to watch it, one would need a subscription to a streaming package with CBSSN.  Therefore, when deciding which streaming service best fits your needs, you should make sure to research any away games for your favorite team(s) to see which channels you may need to subscribe to in order to watch those road games.

CONFERENCE & CHANNEL CHARTS
Below are several charts to assist with your decision to cut the cord and/or sign up for an online streaming service.  The first one shows the channels which have the Tier 1, 2, and 3 media (i.e. TV) rights for each of the Power 5 conferences.  The second one shows the television partners for the other 5 FBS conferences, aka the Group of 5.  The third one shows the most common channels which carry college football and the level of package (if available) on each streaming service. 

MEDIA RIGHTS BY CONFERENCE (POWER 5 CONFERENCES)

Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Conf Champ Game
ACC
ABC
ESPN/2/U/NEWS
OTA (syndicated by Raycom,
channels vary by market) &
RSN (RSNs vary by market)
ABC/ESPN/2
Big Ten
ABC & FOX
ESPN/2/U/NEWS & FS1/FS2
BTN
FOX
Big 12
ABC & FOX
ESPN/2/U/NEWS & FS1/FS2
*Varies by team –Longhorn Network (Texas) is the only linear cable channel
**FOX & ABC/ESPN/2
Pac-12
ABC & FOX
ESPN/2/U/NEWS & FS1/FS2
P12N
***FOX & ABC/ESPN/2
SEC
CBS
ESPN/2/U/NEWS
SECN
CBS
*Each team is given one game for institutional control which they can then sell the rights to for broadcasting
**This game will resume in 2017 after last being played in 2010. It will be split between FOX (odd years) & ESPN channels (even years)
***This game is split between FOX (even years) and ESPN channels (odd years).

Notre Dame – NBC Sports owns the rights to all Notre Dame home games.  All 2017 home games are scheduled to be aired on NBC broadcast except for the 9/30/2017 game vs Miami (OH) which will air on NBCSN.  Their five away games will air on networks determined by the broadcast partners of the teams they are facing.

BYU – ESPN has the rights of first selection to all BYU home games or neutral site games where BYU is the designated home team.  This includes a minimum of 3 games to air on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 and at least one game to air on ESPNU.  Any home games that ESPN does not televise can be aired on BYUtv, which is a TV channel founded and run by the university.  BYUtv general airs one BYU football game per year and is currently not available as part of any streaming service. 

MEDIA RIGHTS BY CONFERENCE (GROUP OF 5 CONFERENCES)

Partner 1
Partner 2
Partner 3
Partner 4
AAC
ESPN
CBSSN*
-----------
-------------------------
Conf USA
ESPN
CBSSN
beIN Sports
Stadium**
MAC
ESPN
CBSSN*
-----------
-------------------------
MWC
ESPN
CBSSN
Campus Insiders***/
(7@)Stadium**(7@)
TheMWC.com***
Sun Belt
ESPN
Stadium**
-----------
-------------------------
*These games are sublicensed from ESPN which controls the initial rights to them.
**American Sports Network was a syndicated network broadcast over the air that ceased operations in March 2017 and was merged with Silver Chalice & 120 sports. The new venture is called “Stadium” and will stream online 24/7 on Twitter in addition to being available over the air.  For more information on Stadium, see this excellent summary from Matt Sarzyniak (7@) and/or read the updated summary of it under TV CHANNELS above.(7@)
***These games are streamed online only.

(5@)CFB CHANNEL INPUT SPREADSHEET
I have exciting news to announce!!  As of 8/13/17, my CFB channel input spreadsheet is now available for download and use.  Basically this is an Excel spreadsheet that will allow you to input up to 15 channels and will return all streaming service options which carry that group of channels, including highlighting the cheapest available option.  Please read the instructions (located on the 2nd tab in the file) before using but it is fairly straightforward.  You simply enter in the name of each channel (it has to match the name I've assigned to it in the Channel Key in the file) and the spreadsheet will automatically update.  There's also an Out of Market filter which is only used for receiving P12N & LHN on certain services.  (10@) Please note that CBSSN is not included for DTVNOW yet (although CBS is), since they have not announced which tiers it will be featured on. CBSSN is live on DTVNOW as of 9/23/217 so it is now included in the spreadsheet.(10@)
To see a view-only copy of the spreadsheet, click here. (updated 9/26/17)
To download a copy of it (it's a zip file which you must save & unzip to access the Excel file), click here.(5@)(updated 9/26/17)

STREAMING SERVICE & CFB NETWORK CHART
(last updated 12/18/17)

Sling TV
PlayStation Vue
DIRECTV NOW
FuboTV
Hulu Live
YouTubeTV
CenturyLink
Stream
ABC
Broadcast Extra*
Access*
(or higher)
Live a Little*
(or higher)
No
Yes*
Yes
Ultimate*
ESPN
Orange
Access
(or higher)
Live a Little
(or higher)
No
Yes
Yes
Ultimate
ESPN2
Orange
Access
(or higher)
Live a Little
(or higher)
No
Yes
Yes
Ultimate
ESPNU
Sports Extra
(Orange)
Core
(or higher)
Just Right
(or higher)
No
Yes
Yes
Ultimate
ESPNEWS
Sports Extra
(Orange)
Core
(or higher)
Just Right
(or higher)
No
Yes
Yes
Ultimate
SECN
Sports Extra
(Orange)
Core
(or higher)
Just Right
(or higher)
No
Yes
Yes
Ultimate
BTN
No
Core
(or higher)
Just Right
(or higher)
Premier
Yes
Yes
No
FOX
Blue*
Access*
(or higher)
Live a Little*
(or higher)
Premier*
Yes*
Yes
No
FS1
Blue
Access
(or higher)
Live a Little
(or higher)
Premier
Yes
Yes
No

FS2
Blue
Access
(or higher)
Go Big
(or higher)
Premier
Yes
Yes
No
CBS
No
Access*
(or higher)
Live a Little*
(or higher)
Premier*
Yes*
Yes
No
CBSSN
No
Core
(or higher)
Go Big
(or higher)
Premier
Yes
Yes
No
NBC
Blue*
Access*
(or higher)
Live a Little*
(or higher)
Premier*
Yes*
Yes
Ultimate*
NBCSN
Blue
Access
(or higher)
Live a Little
(or higher)
Premier
Yes
Yes
Ultimate
P12N
Sports Extra (Orange or Blue)**
No
No
Premier***
and
Sports Plus***
No
No
Ultimate***
and
Sports Extra***
LHN
No
Core*****
(or higher)
Just Right*
(or higher)
No
No
No
Ultimate****
or
Sports Extra****
FOX Sports RSNs
Blue*
Core*
(or higher)
Just Right*
(or higher)
Premier*
Yes*
Yes
No
NBCS/CSN RSNs
Blue*
Core*
(or higher)
Just Right*
(or higher)
Premier*
Yes*
Yes
Ultimate*
ESPN3
Orange
Access(?)
Live a Little(?)
No
Yes
Yes
Ultimate
TV EVERYWHERE APPS
WATCHESPN
Yes
Yes
Yes
---------
Yes
Yes
Yes
BTN2GO
---------
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
---------
FOX SPORTS GO
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
---------
PAC-12 Now
No
---------
---------
No
---------
---------
No
NBCSports.com/
NBCS App-ND FB only/Other content
Yes/
Yes
Yes/
Yes
Yes/
Yes
Yes/
Yes
Yes/
Yes
No/
Yes
Yes/
Yes
CBSSports.com/CBSS App-CBSSN
---------
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
---------
*Available in select markets only
**Includes all P12N regional feeds only, does not include the national feed.
***Ultimate & Premier packages include the P12N national feed while the Sports Plus & Sports Extra add-ons include the 6 regional feeds
****Available on Ultimate in certain markets only; available on Sports Extra for out of market subscribers
(3@)*****Available in select markets as part of Core; in other markets, requires Core or higher subscription + Sports Pack ($10/month) (3@)

To view this as a PDF, click here.

POSTSEASON GAMES
All bowl games will air on ESPN except for the ones listed below. 
Game
Date
Time
Channel
Celebration Bowl
12/16/2017
12:00 PM ET
ABC
Cure Bowl
12/16/2017
2:30 PM ET
CBSSN
Las Vegas Bowl
12/16/2017
3:30 PM ET
ABC
Foster Farms Bowl
12/27/2017
8:30 PM ET
FOX
Holiday Bowl
12/28/2017
9:00 PM ET
FS1
Sun Bowl
12/29/2017
3:00 PM ET
CBS
Arizona Bowl
12/29/2017
5:30 PM ET
CBSSN
Liberty Bowl
12/30/2017
12:30 PM ET
ABC
Outback Bowl
1/1/2018
12:00 PM ET
ESPN2
Citrus Bowl
1/1/2018
1:00 PM ET
ABC
  
(11@) To see a chart of all Bowl Games with the day, time and services each game is available on, please click here.(11@)


SOURCES & REFERENCES:
The information in the chart above and this entire post came from a variety of sources.  Some websites that are very useful for CFB TV listings are Matt Sarz Sports, FBSCHEDULES.com, and LSUFootball.net.

College Football Game Broadcast Schedules
Matt’s CollegeSports on TV Website - Has CFB & CBB TV listings for each week in addition to archived listings dating back to 2006-07
FBSCHEDULES.com – Has future & past schedules for every team including TV information
LSUFootball.net – Has CFB TV listings for each week for & a schedule of upcoming game replays; also includes archived TV listings back to 2004

ESPN

Sling TV

PlayStation Vue

DIRECTV NOW

FuboTV
CenturyLink Stream

MISC

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