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YouTube TV Nearly Matches Cable as Preferred Viewing Source for College Football; How to Stream NCAA Games

A new report from The Athletic indicates that cable is typically used by 37.2% of college football viewers, while YouTube TV is the go-to for 37.1% of respondents.

David Satin
David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
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David Satin

Are you a big fan of college football? If so, you probably go through the yearly frustration of trying to figure out who has which games this season, and where your favorite team will be watching on a weekly basis. Luckily, these days there are plenty of live TV streaming services for cord cutters choose from that carry all the channels needed to stream college football.

  • A report from The Athletic indicates that YouTube TV is nearly as popular among cable viewers as cable for watching college football this season.
  • Nearly 40% of respondents said they subscribe to a streaming service like ESPN+ or Peacock specifically to watch college football.
  • The top live TV streaming services on the market offer a wide variety of college football games, but which is the best choice?

YouTube TV Scores a Touchdown

The 2023 college football season is well underway, which has given outlets enough time and data to compile statistics about how the season is being enjoyed by fans. A new study performed by The Athletic holds some fascinating insights into the ways college football audiences are watching the sport this year, starting with some great news for YouTube TV.

YouTube TV has nearly matched cable as the preferred viewing destination for college football fans. Among respondents to The Athletic’s survey, 37.2% identified cable as their top choice, while YouTube TV came in second at 37.1%. Hulu + Live TV (8%) and DIRECTV STREAM (5.2%) came in third and fourth respectively, but both managed to outdo over-the-air antennas (2.8%) as the preferred source of college football viewing.

The popularity of YouTube TV as a source for college football games is easy to source. The streamer carries Fox, ESPN, and most of the other channels needed to stream the top college games each week, and it offers a multiview function that allows fans to watch up to four games simultaneously.

The Athletic also revealed that more and more customers are following their team to subscription streaming services. Peacock is offering Big Ten games for the first time this season, and ESPN+ has a wide variety of games from conferences like the SEC and the Big 12. According to The Athletic, 38.5% of respondents subscribe to one of these types of services solely to watch college football.

What Are the Best Live TV Streaming Services for Watching College Football?

Fubo is one of the top choices for watching college football available because of how much comes in the base plan. Fubo offers Fox, FS1, ESPN, ABC, NBC, and CBS in most markets, and includes channels like Big Ten Network and SEC Network with no channel add-ons required. The service comes with a free trial, after which plans start at $85.98 per month when factoring in the regional sports network fee.

DIRECTV STREAM is an excellent choice for viewers who want to balance sports and entertainment. Users will have to snag the Sports add-on pack to get channels like Big Ten Network, ACC Network, and other college sports channels, but for a limited time, new customers can get that add-on free for their first month of service if they sign up for a Choice or Ultimate plan. DIRECTV STREAM offers a five-day free trial, and a huge selection of cable news, entertainment, and sports networks.

Hulu + Live TV carries the most popular national sports channels for watching college football, and is one of the few live TV services that carries ACC Network, SEC Network, and other college sports channels in its base package. It starts at $76.99, and as always a Hulu + Live TV subscription includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ at no extra charge.

Sling TV offers cheap, but inconsistent coverage of college football. The real problem is that Sling doesn’t carry broadcast channels in most markets, and only a small handful get ABC, NBC, and Fox at the same time. No Sling customers get CBS, but you can get college football games on that channel in your local market with a subscription to Paramount+ with Showtime. You’ll have to get the Sports Extra add-on pack to watch college sports channels, but even with that add-on a Sling subscription comes to $51 per month ($40 for Sling Orange or Blue, $11 for the Sports Extra pack).

David Satin
David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
Read full bio ›
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DIRECTV STREAM Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new DIRECTV STREAM subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • Purchase must be completed on the DIRECTV STREAM website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Sling TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $25 Uber Eats Gift Card when you sign up for Sling TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Sling TV subscribers to Sling Orange, Blue, or Sling Orange + Blue.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Sling TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Hulu Live TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $35 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for Hulu Live TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Hulu Live TV subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Hulu Live TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.