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Looking for an easy way to save money? Ditch cable! There are so many other great options now that you won’t even miss it… even if you are a sports fan!
Here are some ways to stream games so you can watch all the football you want without spending top dollar to do it.
Do keep in mind that whatever service you pick, you’re going to need an internet connection of at least 3 Mbps for 720p or 5-6 Mbps for HD 1080 p.
Streaming Devices
With any of these options, you’ll need a device to watch content on. Going super basic you could stream from your smart phone or laptop. If you want to watch it on your TV, here are some options:
Chromecast
Roku
Fire Stick (works with Alexa)
Amazon Fire TV
PS4
Smart TV
Hulu with Live TV
Price: $40 per month
Hulu with Live TV is the best of both worlds in terms of content. You can watch things as they air but you will also have access full seasons of shows that have already aired as well as movies. You can record live TV starting with 50 hours of storage.
Sports Channels Included: CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN College, ESPN News, ESPN U, and SEC Network.
YouTube TV
Cost: $40+ per month
You Tube TV allows you to stream live TV from 60+ networks plus local sports and news. You can have up to 6 accounts per household and there is a Cloud DVR with no storage limits.
Sports Channels Included: CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN College, ESPN News, ESPN U, and SEC Network.
Sling TV
Cost: $25+ per month (Sling Orange)
Sling TV allows you to stream live TV. You will get different channels based on which package you get. Note that Sling doesn’t offer ESPNU, the SEC Network and a few others even on their top tier package. Depending on who you pull for this may be a deal breaker.
Sports Channels Included: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN 3, and ACC Network Extra.
ESPN+
Cost: $4.99 per month
ESPN+ is a brand new service that with live streams of sports that aren’t on other channels. They do have a contract with most of the smaller football leagues if you are cheering for a team in: America East, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Horizon, Metro Atlantic, MAC, Missouri Valley, Southland, SoCon, Sun Belt and The Ivy League.
For larger leagues you could use ESPN+ to have access to other ESPN Channels, but you will need basic service to be able to unlock those channels. One great way to use this would be getting the Sling Orange level at $25 and then adding ESPN+ to it to unlock all the programming. It would be cheaper than doing the top tier of Sling (currently $40).
Currently ESPN+ is offering an extended 30 day free trial! The offer ends 9/2 and will go back to a 7 day trial, so it doesn’t hurt to at least see what you think!
Direct TV Now
Price: $40+ per month
You can get 65+ channels with Direct TV Now. There is no satellite or annual contract required. It includes DVR cloud access. In select markets, you can add on an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription if you have at least the $55 Direct TV Now package. The current markets include Greater Los Angeles, Phoenix, Boston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Hartford, and Louisville areas.
Sports Channels Included: ESPN & ESPN2
Included in the $55 Package: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN U, SEC Network.
PlayStation Vue
Price: $45+ per month
Live stream more than 45 channels with the basic package.
Sports Channels Included: ESPN & ESPN2
Sports Channels Included in $50 Package: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN U, NFL Network, & SEC Network
Philo
Price: $16
One more company worth mentioning is Philo. They are new to the market with 40 channels for $16, however they don’t currently offer any sports channels. We will be sure to keep an eye on this one to see if they add sports channels!
My Pick
In my opinion Hulu or Youtube TV wins. You get more sports channels than other providers for $40. With Direct TV Now you would need to get the $55 package to equal it. Sling doesn’t offer ESPNU, the SEC Network and a few others even on their top tier package.
They do all offer free 7 day trials… if you want to get creative that would at least give you 5 weeks of free streaming!
