What options does Sling TV have to stream college football?
What options does Sling TV have to stream college football?
From cost to channels to subsctiption length, Sling is the ultimate streamer for football fans looking for flexibility.
College football fans, it is time to rejoice, because the offseason is finally over. Week 1 of the season is set to get underway this week, which means that you are about out of time to figure out what your streaming plan will be for the season. But don’t fret, that is what the experts here at The Streamable are for. We have been breaking down all of the options over the past few weeks, but we keep returning to Sling TV, because of all of the various, cost-efficient options that the live TV streaming service offers. Sling balances a strong channel lineup with an unbeatable price, and following the launch of a first-of-its-kind subscription option, you don’t need to be tied in for a full season or even a full month anymore.
How can you watch college football on Sling TV?
What channels do you need?
As has been true since the dawn of the cable industry, sports-focused networks are generally the most expensive channels in any distributor’s lineup. Sling is unique because it has two primary channel lineups: Sling Blue and Sling Orange; each has a distinct focus with some shared channels between them. For sports fans, Sling Orange is the best option, as it comes with the ESPN family of networks. However, you can combine the two for a better variety and bundle price. That’s what we recommend for college football fans, in addition, Sling also offers a Sports Extra package that includes even more college football content.
Sling Orange and Blue each run $46 per month, but you can combine them for $61 monthly, a significant savings over the service’s live streaming competitors. Sports Extra costs an extra $11 when added to one plan and $15 when combined with a Sling Orange + Sling Blue subscription. That means that to get all of Sling’s sports channels, you would need to pay $76 per month, which is not only cheaper than other live streamers’ base packages, but significantly so before factoring in other services’ sports add-ons.
In fairness, there are a handful of channels that cover college football that are not included in Sling’s lineup (either in individual markets or anywhere across the country), but filling in those gaps is relatively easy. However, depending on what conference your favorite team is in, you might not need to stack any more services at all.
Sling’s Sports Extra package includes ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, beIN Sports, Big Ten Network, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, NBA TV, NFL RedZone, NHL Network, SEC Network, SEC Network+, and Tennis Channel.
| “Essentials” | “Select” | “Orange” | “Blue” | “Combo” | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Save with Sling | Save with Sling | Save with Sling | Save with Sling | Save with Sling | ||
| $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $60.99 | ||
| ABC | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ACC Network | - | - | + $11 | - | + $15 | |
| ACC Network Extra | - | - | + $11 | - | + $15 | |
| Big Ten Network | - | - | - | + $11 | + $15 | |
| CBS | - | - | - | - | - | |
| CBS Sports Network | - | - | - | - | - | |
| ESPN | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN2 | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPNU | - | - | + $11 | - | + $15 | |
| Fox | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FS1 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FS2 | - | - | - | + $11 | + $15 | |
| NBC | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NFL Network | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| SEC Network | - | - | + $11 | - | + $15 | |
| The CW | - | - | - | - | - | |
| truTV | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ |
How to watch each conference on Sling TV
Watching the American Conference on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU | ESPN Select, ABC in some markets |
Watching the ACC on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| ABC, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU | ESPN Select, The CW, ABC in some markets |
Watching the Big 12 on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, and NBC | ESPN Select, ABC and FOX in some markets |
Watching the Big Ten on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| Big Ten Network, Fox, FS1, and NBC | Peacock, NBC, ABC, and FOX in some markets, CBS in all markets |
Watching Conference USA on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, and NBC | CBS Sports Network, ESPN Select |
Watching the Mid-American Conference on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU | CBS Sports Network, ESPN Select |
Watching the Mountain West Conference on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| Fox, FS1, and truTV | CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN Select |
Watching the SEC on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and SEC Network, SEC Network+ | ABC in some markets, ESPN Select |
Watching the Sun Belt Conference on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU | ABC in some markets, ESPN Select |
Watching FBS Independent Schools on Sling TV
| Sling TV Channels | Missing Services/Channels |
|---|---|
| ESPN and NBC | CBS Sports Network, ESPN Select, Peacock, NBC in some markets |
Sling TV Local Channel Availability
Sling TV offers local FOX, NBC, and ABC channels in many of the most important markets, though you may need another solution if you live elsewhere (see below).
| Market | FOX Station | NBC Station | ABC Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | WAGA | ||
| Austin | KTBC | ||
| Boston | WBTS | ||
| Chicago | WFLD | WMAQ | WLS |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | KDFW | KXAS | |
| Detroit | WJBK | ||
| Fresno | KFSN | ||
| Gainesville | WOGX | ||
| Hartford/New Haven | WVIT | ||
| Houston | KRIV | KTRK | |
| Los Angeles | KTTV | KNBC | KABC |
| Miami/Fort Lauderdale | WTVJ | ||
| Milwaukee | WITI | ||
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | KMSP | ||
| New York | WNYW | WNBC | WABC |
| Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne | WOFL | ||
| Philadelphia | WTXF | WCAU | WPVI |
| Phoenix | KSAZ | ||
| Raleigh-Durham | WTVD | ||
| San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | KTVU | KNSD | KGO |
| Seattle | KCPQ | ||
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | WTVT | ||
| Washington, DC | WTTG | WRC |
How to Solve Any Viewing Gaps on Sling TV
While Sling TV gives you all the most important college football channels, there are a few gaps, most notably CBS and CBS Sports Network. If you need to catch CBS games, simply pair Sling with Paramount+ and you can watch everything on your local CBS affiliate. Get started with a one-week free trial.
Following the launch of ESPN’s new standalone streaming service, games that had previously only been on ESPN+ are now found on the ESPN Select tier. The ESPN Ultimate tier will have college football exclusives, but as of now, those will only be alternate broadcasts for games that are available on the channels carried by Sling. ESPN Select does not offer a free trial at this point, but you can sign up for one month for $12.
Peacock’s ad-free tier includes your local NBC affiliate and some exclusive games featuring the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and teams from across the Big Ten. Unfortunately, there is no free trial.
Another option for any game airing on a traditional broadcast network not available on Sling in your area is an antenna. This would be an incredibly cost-efficient way to get ABC, NBC, or FOX if Sling doesn’t offer them in your market, or add CBS to your viewing options anywhere in the country. Additionally, Sling makes it easy to integrate local channels via an antenna into its channel guide.
Channel Master Flatenna Ultra-Thin Indoor TV Antenna
Up to 35 Mile Range
Winegard FlatWave Amped Digital HD Indoor Amplified TV Antenna
Up to 60 Mile Range
You can also invest in an HDHomerun if you want to DVR the games on your computer to watch later.
Can you subscribe for less than a month?
While other streaming services are finding ways to pare back the number of channels that they offer, Sling already offers a sleek, budget-friendly balance of networks. So, the platform is attempting to help out customers by making it easier to sign up to see just the content you want. While the standard across the industry has always been one-month subscriptions, this month, Sling introduced Passes, which allow you to sign up for one day, one weekend, or one week.
This way, if there is one game Week 1 game that you absolutely cannot miss, you can pay just $5 to watch it. If you need to catch all of Championship Weekend in December, it costs just $10 from Friday to Sunday. Then, once bowl season arrives, if you want to watch all of the New Year’s Week action, a $15 week pass is your best bet.
Summary
Sling TV's channel options offer you the best value in college football streaming. Yes, there are a few gaps in the coverage, but the savings you get from the service will allow you to fill them in as necessary (if necessary).
Every other streaming option is far more expensive and includes far more channels that you won’t need if college footbal lis your primary concern. If you’re looking for a money-saving solution that keeps you connected to your favorite team, we recommend giving Sling TV a try.
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.