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The 2026 season kicked off on Saturday, Aug. 29 as the UNC Tar Heels faced the TCU Horned Frogs in Dublin, Ireland. As always, this year’s NCAA games will be broadcast across a variety of networks and streaming services — See below for the full breakdown.
At a Glance: How to Watch 2026 NCAA College Football Season
- Season starts: Saturday, Aug. 29
- TV channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, The CW, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, truTV
- Stream online: DirecTV, Fubo, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, ESPN Unlimited, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock, Fox One, HBO Max
Where to Watch College Football 2026 Season: Channels, Streaming Services
NCAA football airs across a host of networks and accompanying streaming services (both live TV streamers and on-demand services).
TV channels include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, The CW, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, SEC Network, TBS, TNT and truTV, which are also available to watch live on any streaming service that carries said networks, including DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Fubo (with a five-day free trial), Sling and Hulu + Live TV. Networks’ accompanying streaming services also share NCAA football broadcast rights. These include ESPN Unlimited, Disney+ (two per week, as the service pushes to be seen as a live sports hub), Paramount+, Peacock, Fox One and HBO Max.
As for the spread of games, ABC, ESPN, Fox, CBS and NBC carry the bulk of major games during high viewership windows. Since all of these networks (and then some) are included in any of DirecTV’s signature packages — Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate and Premier — the service is a solid choice for those streamlining their subscriptions. All plans include a five-day free trial. More on each streaming option — and their new subscriber discounts — below.
DirecTV
Five-day free trial; packages from $19.99 per month
DirecTV packages offer all the aforementioned college football channels (ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, The CW, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, SEC Network, TBS, TNT and truTV), most of which are included in DirecTV’s signature packages, though select channels require additional add-ons. Plus, DirecTV offers a five-day free trial for any of its streaming plans.
Learn more about each plan option, including how to build your own channel lineup (starting at just $19.99 per month), at directv.com.
Fubo
One-day free trial; packages from $64.99 per month ($54.99 for first month)
ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, The CW, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC and SEC Network are available to stream with a subscription to Fubo, which offers a one-day free trial for new subscribers. After the trial, plans start at $54.99 for the first month and $64.99 monthly thereafter.
Sling
Plans from $4.99 per day or $19.99 per month
Between its base packages and add-ons, Sling’s affordable streaming plans carry nearly all of the channels that broadcast college football: ACC Network, Big Ten Network, The CW, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, TBS, TNT and truTV, plus ABC, Fox, FS1, FS2 and NBC in select markets.
Plans start as low as $4.99 per day and $19.99 per month — visit Sling.com to check station availability and learn more about each package.
Hulu + Live TV
Three-day free trial; packages from $89.99 per month
Just like DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV offers all the channels college football airs on. It also offers a three-day free trial. Subscriptions come bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, and start at $89.99 per month.
Alternatively, ESPN Unlimited, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock, Fox One and HBO Max also air NCAA football games:
- ESPN Unlimited: This is ESPN’s official streaming service, which, thanks to a streaming partnership with The CW, is also home to games that air on said network.
- Disney+: Two ABC and/or ESPN games per week will be simulcast on Disney+.
- Paramount+: Since Paramount+ is affiliated with CBS, fans can watch CBS and CBS Sports games live via the streaming service.
- Peacock: As the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service, Peacock will livestream games airing on NBC.
- Fox One: The streaming service is home to all games airing on Fox-owned stations.
- HBO Max: TNT, truTV and TBS games will be available via HBO Max.
