How to Watch College Football if Spectrum, Disney Carriage Dispute Causes ESPN and Other Channels to Go Dark
There’s trouble brewing between Disney and Spectrum, the name Charter Communications operates under to offer cable TV plans across the United States. Spectrum’s 15 million cable customers might not have Disney-owned channels available for much longer, as the carriage contract between the two companies expires Thursday, Aug. 31, and no renewal is currently in sight.
As per usual in cases like these, Spectrum is accusing Disney of asking for outlandish retransmission fees for its cable channels. Disney is pushing back by claiming that it’s only asking for fair rates as determined by the market, and both sides appear to be digging in their heels. Spectrum has launched a website outlining its side of the story, and Disney has done likewise.
The channels under threat of removal for Spectrum customers include:
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPN Deportes
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- SEC Network
- ACC Network
- Longhorn Network
- FX
- FX Movie Channel
In addition, the following markets might lose their local ABC affiliate as part of the dispute:
- ABC7 Chicago
- ABC7 Los Angeles
- ABC7 New York
- ABC7 San Francisco
- ABC11 Raleigh-Durham
- ABC13 Houston
- ABC30 Fresno
The impending removal of these channels is far too reminiscent of the retransmission fee dispute DIRECTV is currently embroiled in with Nexstar. That disagreement over carriage fees caused more than 200 local broadcast affiliates around the country to be pulled from DIRECTV, and there is unfortunately no encouraging progress to report in that dispute.
How to Watch College Football if ESPN, Other Sports Networks Are About to Disappear
If you’re ready to cut the cord and leave cable behind thanks to this latest potential retransmission dispute between Disney and Spectrum, there are several live TV streaming services that will allow you to watch the college football season with no interruptions.
Fubo is the best choice, since it includes ACC Network, Big Ten Network, and SEC Network in its base channel lineup, as well as ESPN and ESPN2 and local broadcast channels in most markets. Users will need to add the Sports Plus package for an additional $8 per month to get ESPNU and Pac-12 Network, however. Fubo’s plans start at $85.98 including a regional sports network (RSN) fee.
DIRECTV STREAM is a good choice for watching college sports as well, though users will want to make sure their local channels aren't blacked out thanks to the Nexstar dispute. ESPN and ESPN2 come standard in the DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment plan for $74.99 per month, but users will need to grab the Sports Pack add-on to get ACC Network, SEC Network, and the other top college sports networks for $15 per month extra. That package also includes NFL Network and NFL RedZone, so you’ll be set for college and pro football this season.
The only college channels not included with Hulu + Live TV are Longhorn Network and Pac-12 Network. The others are offered in the service’s base channel lineup with no add-ons required, and Hulu + Live TV also comes with ESPN+ bundled into its price, along with Disney+ and on-demand Hulu. This service costs $69.99 for now but is rising in price to $76.99 per month on Oct. 12.
Sling TV’s Orange plan carries ESPN, but for college sports channels such as ACC Network, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and more fans will need to grab the Sports Extra add-on. The combined price of Sling Orange and the Sports Extra pack is $51 per month, so users can save a little money by going this route.
Much like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV carries all the top college sports channels other than Pac-12 Network and Longhorn Network, in addition to ESPN and local broadcast channels. Its plans start at $72.99 per month, but unfortunately, it doesn’t offer any free streamers bundled into a subscription.