Peel back the curtain on the legendary football coach with ‘Saban’
Peel back the curtain on the legendary football coach with ‘Saban’
The six episode series features hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage and interviews
One of the most decorated and mysterious coaches in sports history is finally going to peel back the curtain. The six-episode docuseries “Saban” is set to premiere on ESPN platforms on Thursday, Oct. 8. On ESPN, the series will debut at 6 p.m. ET, with subsequent episodes airing over the next few weeks. However, all the episodes will drop at once on ESPN Unlimited at 3:01 a.m. ET. You can stream all the episodes right away with a subscription to ESPN Unlimited, or if you are looking for a live TV streaming service to watch them one by one, we recommend streaming it with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV.
How to watch ‘Saban’
- When: Premieres Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, at 3:01 a.m. ET
- TV: ESPN Unlimited, ESPN
- Stream: Stream and binge with ESPN Unlimited or watch weekly with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to stream ‘Saban’
When do episodes of ‘Saban’ premiere?
ESPN is preparing for a dual rollout for “Saban,” as the entire series will be available to stream at once on ESPN Unlimited at 3:01 a.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 8. However, the worldwide leader in sports’ cable channel will also be releasing the same episodes on a weekly basis, beginning that night at 6 p.m. and running on various nights and times through Thursday, Nov. 5.
| Date | Time (ET) | Episode(s) | Outlet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct. 8 | 3:01 a.m. | Episodes 1-6 | ESPN Unlimited |
| Thursday, Oct. 8 | 6 p.m. | Episode 1: The Process | ESPN |
| Thursday, Oct. 15 | 6 p.m. | Episode 2: Death Valley | ESPN |
| Tuesday, Oct. 20 | 7 p.m. | Episode 3: Black Diamonds | ESPN |
| Tuesday, Oct. 27 | 7 p.m. | Episode 4: Home | ESPN |
| Thursday, Oct. 29 | 6 p.m. | Episode 5: The Mountain | ESPN |
| Thursday, Nov. 5 | 6 p.m. | Episode 6: Pride | ESPN |
Why we recommend DIRECTV to watch ‘Saban’
When it comes to offering the most channels in streaming, every live TV streaming service is chasing DIRECTV. The platform offers most of The Streamable’s top 35 cable channels, so if you are looking for a breadth of programming options, DIRECTV is a surefire hit. In addition, the streamer has the industry’s best guaranteed free trial. While others can roll out longer options depending on what time of year it is and what qualifications you meet as a customer, DIRECTV offers a five-day trial to all new users. So, if you are specifically looking to watch the “Saban” series but don’t want to binge it, this is the option that makes the most sense. You can watch the first episode and see if you want to continue. You also get college football with this option, something fans of the show likely enjoy as well. However, if you want to binge all six episodes at once, ESPN Unlimited is your best and only option.
But DIRECTV is able to offer an even more compelling package of channels for football fans. Earlier this year, DIRECTV launched its Genre Packs that allow people to pick curated channel lineups around central themes and genres, and for sports fans, that means the MySports Pack.
The MySports plan runs $65 a month after the aforementioned five-day free trial, which gives you a way to check out everything that it has to offer before having to pay a penny. However, currently, you can also save an additional $15 off your first month, so you will only pay $50 for the first 30 days of the season.
You’ll also get a bunch of great sports channels with MySports, including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, and USA Network, and depending on your market, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
These channels bring you an incredible selection of games from across pro and college sports, and MySports also comes with a free ESPN Unlimited subscription. Pretty solid. All these channels and features are available for just $65, which is why it’s our favorite way to watch.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch ‘Saban’ for free?
If you are just looking for a streaming service to watch this series and nothing else, there are options available for you. We already mentioned DIRECTV’s industry-leading guaranteed option, but Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all offer free trials as well, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.
Those are pretty straightforward, but when it comes to the sports-minded streamer Fubo, things can get a little complicated. As The Streamable’s expert David Satin discovered when signing up for the service, figuring out how long Fubo’s trial is — even as you are signing up — can be a bit difficult. Nonetheless, it will be at least one day, with the potential to be as many as seven, depending on a wide range of factors that Fubo does not share publicly.
The YouTube TV trial is said to be “up to two weeks,” but can be as short as two days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the sign-up process.
If you are looking to watch the series premiere for free and want to watch the show weekly, I would recommend DIRECTV, because that streamer has the longest guaranteed free trial and gives you the best channel options.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ESPN | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
What are all of the streamers you can use to watch ‘Saban’ ?
Fortunately for fans of the legendary coach, there are five different streaming services that will stream the series, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them.
Ahead of the football season, the worldwide leader in sports launched a first-of-its-kind streaming service. The standalone ESPN Unlimited direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service is the home to everything available on ESPN’s linear channels — including “Saban” — as well as everything that was previously found on ESPN+. The Unlimited tier of the service runs $30 per month, but is available in various bundles to make it even more affordable. If you want to watch all six episodes of the series when it premieres, you can do this on ESPN Unlimited.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
Watch the trailer for ‘Saban’
What is ‘Saban’ about?
Featuring hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage and interviews with more than 70 voices, the series chronicles Saban’s career and legacy, including his championship runs at Alabama and LSU, his other coaching stops and the evolution of his famed “Process.”
The series features extensive new interviews with Nick and Miss Terry Saban, along with Bill Belichick, Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, Kirby Smart, Tim Tebow, Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, and others.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
How to watch ‘Saban’ with a VPN
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the series as you normally would, you can still catch all of the episodes, no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming like DIRECTV in order to stream the series with a VPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most-trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.
While ExpressVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Most Secure: NordVPN | Starting at $3.09 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available
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