Football fans received some scary news on Friday morning that has nothing to do with Halloween.
YouTube TV and Disney are currently in the midst of a contract dispute that serves as a major interruption for YouTube TV subscribers who rely on the channel for ESPN live.
Ahead of the big college football games this weekend, many sports fans are unsure of when the blackout will end and whether they’ll be able to watch their games.
Thankfully, there are a number of solid alternatives to make sure you don’t miss anything — and some of them are free.
Read on for the Watch With Us ultimate guide.
Can I Still Watch ESPN?
YouTube TV isn’t the only platform that offers ESPN. In fact, most other major live internet TV streaming services include it in their basic programming package. While some charge extra for the more niche sports channels, others offer free trials — plenty of time to use it just to catch the games this weekend, or you can continue the subscription if you decide you don’t want the risk of another outage.
Where Can I Watch ESPN for Free?
The free trial with fuboTV is both costless and fairly comprehensive, offering 230 channels like ESPN, ESPN2 and ACC Network, and a complimentary subscription to ESPN Unlimited. But the college sports networks like the ACC Network are also included in its base pricing. You may just want to continue on with fuboTV after your trial, as the channel has a focus on sports and includes exclusive fubo-only sports channels.
If you dig what fuboTV has to offer, they’re offering a first month for only $54.99 after your free trial ends (after which the monthly price goes back to $84.99).
To sign up for fuboTV’s free trial, click here.
Where Can I Watch ESPN for a Low Price?
If you don’t mind paying, Sling TV offers an affordable subscription bundle at $46 per month, which is lower than any of the platform’s major competitors. The Sports Extra pack is needed to get channels like ACC Network, which is an additional $15. But $61 still proves cheaper than many of the other live TV services. You can throw in an HD antenna to get access to the local channels as well.
Plus, upgrading to Sling Orange for the low price of $4.99 includes ESPN, ESPN2 and more of the Disney-owned channels you might be in need of.
To subscribe to Sling TV, click here.
Where Else Can I Stream ESPN and This Weekend’s College Games?
If you don’t mind heading straight to the source, Hulu + Live TV is a great option. While very basic, the $89.99 monthly price includes over 95 channels, which as everything you need to watch the college football games. This is in addition to other Disney-owned channels like FX and a subscription to Disney+ as well. Right now, new Hulu + Live TV subscribers get three months for $20 off at $64.99, which might sweeten the pot.
To sign up for Hulu + Live TV, click here.
Should I Consider Signing Up to ESPN Unlimited?
Sure! You can also get ESPN channels with ESPN Unlimited, although it’s more expensive at a monthly price of $29.99. However, that price includes access to the live channels like ESPN, ESPN2, ACC Network and more.
To subscribe to ESPN Unlimited, click here.
Can I Watch College Football With Regular Cable?
That’s right — you actually don’t need streaming services to watch sports. The current blackout only impacts YouTube TV subscribers, but if you pay for cable, then you are not impacted whatsoever.
