The ultimate college football streaming guide for the 2025 season
The new college football season is upon us, and as rosters and conferences have changed, so have our viewing options.
More than a dozen networks will broadcast games from 136 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. To be able to watch every college football game this season, you will need access to the major networks and streaming services.
On the heels of ESPN’s launch of its new direct-to-consumer streaming service and the eve of the new college football season, let’s explore your viewing options.
ESPN
ESPN offers the greatest breadth, carrying games from ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network/SEC Network+, and ACC Network/ACC Network Extra. The company holds the rights for three of the Power Four conferences – the ACC, SEC and Big 12 – as well as Conference USA, the American Athletic Conference, Mid-American Conference and the Sun Belt.
Via the unlimited plan offered through its new direct-to-consumer service, ESPN provides access to its full suite of networks for $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year. The pared-down Select plan provides access to all content available on ESPN+ for $11.99 per month or $119.99 a year.
CBS
CBS will broadcast Big Ten, Mountain West and Pac-12 games, which also will stream on Paramount+. Those offerings also include the three Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy games between the service academies on Oct. 4 (Air Force-Navy), Nov. 1 (Army-Air Force) and Dec. 13 (Army-Navy).
CBS Sports Network, its cable offshoot, will air Conference USA, Mid-American and Mountain West games. The network will televise five University of Connecticut games.
NBC
NBC and its streaming service, Peacock, will present more than 25 Big Ten and Notre Dame games. Four of those games will stream exclusively on Peacock during the first three weeks of the season (Western Illinois at Illinois on Aug. 29, Miami University at Rutgers on Sept. 6, and Towson at Maryland and Ohio at Ohio State on Sept. 13). The full slate includes the Sept. 13 matchup between No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 19 Texas A&M, and the Sept. 27 showdown pitting No. 2 Penn State against No. 7 Oregon.
Fox
Mirroring ESPN, Fox launched its Fox One direct-to-consumer streaming service the same day as ESPN. A subscription allows you to stream Fox Sports, FS1, FS2 and the Big Ten Network – of which it owns a majority stake – for $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.
The network holds rights to the Big Ten, Big 12 and a handful of Mountain West games. Its 2025 slate includes the Aug. 30 clash between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State, and Ohio State’s annual rivalry game against Michigan, scheduled for Nov. 29.
Mountain West Network
The Mountain West’s free streaming service will show games from that conference that are not selected for traditional broadcast. Beyond that, six University of Hawaii games will be available via Spectrum Sports.
TNT
TNT will air a handful of Big 12 games that also will stream on HBO Max. The channel, which already sublicenses two first-round College Football Playoff games from ESPN, will continue to do so this season – before adding two quarterfinals and one semifinal game over three seasons starting in 2026.
The CW
Select ACC and Pac-12 games will air on the CW.
Given the glut of networks and services, which combination provides the best option?
One choice could be a combination of YouTube TV, Peacock and ESPN+. YouTubeTV gives you access to all the networks one would need to watch most college football games, including ESPN, Fox and the conference networks. The streaming service is offering a deal for new users through Aug. 31 at $49.99 per month for the first three months, then $82.99 per month after that. ESPN’s Select plan provides access to ESPN+ for $11.99 a month. A Peacock Premium plan costs $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year. This combination could cost you $72.97 a month for the opening three months, and $105.97 monthly after that.
Alternatively, you can opt for a Hulu + Live TV plan alongside Peacock. Hulu’s live-TV streaming service offers all the networks one would need to watch the bulk of the college football action, and Hulu said such plans also include access to ESPN Unlimited offerings within the ESPN app. The streaming service also offers a Hulu + Live TV/Disney+/ESPN Select package for $82.99 monthly. Take the latter plan, add $10.99 for Peacock, and that gives you a $93.98 monthly total.
For some, the forthcoming bundle packaging Fox One and ESPN’s direct-to-consumer app may be the best bet. The combined bundle launches Oct. 2 and starts at $39.99 per month. It enables fans to watch games across multiple conferences through a single, comparatively cost-efficient deal with access to games across ABC, ESPN, FS1 and Big Ten Network, among others.