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.
*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.
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.
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 , 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, 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.
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)
(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.
**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@)
(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
|
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
DIRECTVNOW – Master List of RSNs by Zip Code & Team
DIRECTVNOW – Comparison Guide for Channel Packages
DIRECTVNOW – Comparison Guide for Channel Packages
FuboTV
YouTube TV
(6@)YouTube TV – List of all available markets
YouTube TV – List of all markets which do not have all local channels(6@)
YouTube TV – List of all markets which do not have all local channels(6@)
CenturyLink Stream
MISC
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