The Cord Cutting Report

How to Watch Big Ten Network Without Cable

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Big Ten Network (BTN) is a cable sports network available on six live TV streaming services. 

You can watch Big Ten Network without cable on:  

College basketball and football fans following the Big Ten Conference can sometimes catch games and tournaments on local broadcast channels for free by using a TV antenna. 

How to Watch Big Ten Network

It’s time for you to learn how to cut the cord if you’re a college football or basketball fan.

Why? Because Comcast has had an on-again, off-again relationship with BTN. A few years ago, Big Ten Network was dropped across 29 states from Comcast’s basic cable package. That meant paying more to get Big Ten Network with Comcast.

You may also remember the channel blackout scare that happened on the eve of college football season.

Big Ten Network used to be a staple of cable TV, but now you don’t need Comcast (Xfinity), Spectrum or even DIRECTV to watch college football or basketball.

That’s because there are a number of ways to watch BTN and pay less than you are now. You don’t have to sacrifice by missing live games or original programming covering the Big Ten Conference. Aside from basketball and football, Big Ten Network covers live tennis, baseball, and hockey games.

This guide will quickly show you how to live stream Big Ten Network without cable no matter where you live in the United States.

You can use a Smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV devices such as Google Chromecast with Google TV to watch these live TV streaming services. You can use an iPad, iPhone and even game consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation to watch TV.

Subscribers to a number of live TV streaming services have the extra perk of activating activate the BTN TV app or the FOX Sports app, which carries a live stream of BTN.

All of these live TV streaming services have no contracts. But here’s one more tip on how to watch Big Ten football for free.

DIRECTV STREAM

A DIRECTV STREAM subscription includes Big Ten Network and a number of key channels for college football such as FOX, ESPN and FS1.

The Choice plan includes all your local broadcast channels such as ABC, CBS, and NBC. You also get ACC Network, CNN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, and SEC Network.

Subscribers get more than 105 channels, unlimited Cloud DVR to record games and 40,000 on-demand movies and shows. Subscribers can watch live TV channels on up to 20 screens at once.

Subscribers can get three months of HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, STARZ, and MGM+ for free before the monthly rates kick in.

You can sign up for a free 5-day trial without any obligations.

The Choice plan costs $99.99 per month. There are no contracts. You can subscribe month to month and cancel whenever you want.

DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Smart TVs running on Android TV and Google TV.

You can look over the different channel lineups before deciding whether to sign up.

fuboTV

fuboTV has all the channels you will need to watch Big 10 football and basketball.

Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, NBA TV, Pac-12 Networks and local CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX stations are part of the Pro bundle.

There are entertainment channels like A&E, Bravo, FX, two Hallmark channels and National Geographic. The Weather Channel, CBSN and FOX News are among 152 channels in its lineup.

There is 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and you don’t even need to rely on that to record games. fuboTV has “lookback”, an on-demand feature for sporting events that aired in the last 72 hours.

Subscribers can watch live TV on two screens at once.

fuboTV adds a regional sports fee. It costs $10.99 per month for one regional network. It’s $13.99 per month if you have two RSNs in your area. You can look over fubo’s channels to see what locals and regional sports networks are available in your area.

With a fuboTV subscription, you can activate the BTN TV app for live streams of college football games outside of your home. There are about 39 apps that you can sign into total on your streaming device or smartphone.

If you own a 4K TV, then take note: fuboTV is the only streaming service that live streams select sporting events in 4K HDR.

fuboTV has its own app for live streaming on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire Sticks, Apple TV and Android TV devices like NVIDIA Shield TV. You can also live stream Big Ten Network on your iPhone and Android smartphone using the fubo mobile app.

There’s a free 7-day trial for new customers. A subscription costs $74.99 per month.

Hulu Live TV

Hulu Live TV has 75+ live TV channels, including ESPN, Big Ten Network, ESPN College Extra, CBS Sports Network and SEC Network.  

FS1, FS2, MLB Network, and NHL Network are among some of the other sports channels. 

You can watch live TV on up to two screens at once.

Hulu with Live TV comes with unlimited Cloud DVR storage so you can record sports, news, movies or whatever else you want. Hulu carries local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC across the U.S.

A subscription costs $69.99 per month, and now includes Disney+ and ESPN+. With a Hulu Live TV subscription, you can activate the ESPN app and unlock all live sports on ESPN Plus.

So you’re getting more than just live TV channels to watch.

Hulu has local NBC, ABC and FOX stations across the U.S. Hulu no longer offers a free trial for live TV, but you can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to sign up.

Sling TV

Sling TV is now the cheapest option for watching Big Ten Network at $51 per month.

Big Ten Network is on Sling TV’s Sports Extra bundle when you subscribe to the Blue package.

Sling TV can be a good option if you already use a TV antenna or have another way to get local channels that carry NFL games.

A subscription to Sling Blue costs $40 per month and carries 45+ channels including NFL Network. Sports Extra is an extra add-on bundle that costs another $11 per month.

Sling Blue subscribers can watch live TV on three screens at once.

Sports Extra carries 12 channels, NFL RedZone, FS2 and PAC 12 Network.

SEC Network, Big Ten Network, Longhorn Network, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, ESPNU and ESPNews are some of the key channels on Sports Extra that carry college football.

When you sign up for Sling TV, the first month is half price. There are no contracts, or extra fees like cable TV. You can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to sign up.

If you plan on signing up for an entire season of Big 10 football, you might want to prepay for a couple of months and get a free streaming device instead.

Vidgo

You can watch Big Ten Network when you subscribe to Vidgo.

There are 95+ live TV channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, NFL Network, and NFL Redzone.

Vidgo does not carry CBS so you can’t get 100 percent of Big 10 coverage with the service. But ACC Network, Longhorn Network and PAC 12 Networks are included.

Subscribers can watch live TV on three screens at once.

Vidgo works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, PCs and iOS devices. There is a watch-party option if you are using the mobile app.

A Vidgo subscription costs $64.95 per month. You can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to sign up.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV has Big Ten Network as part of a 85+ channel lineup for $64.99 per month. You’ll find some other college football gems like SEC Network, FS1, FS2 and ESPNU.

YouTube TV works with Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV devices such as Google Chromecast with Google TV.

YouTube TV has Big Ten Network and SEC Network in its channel lineup.

If you’re worried about getting local channels, YouTube TV might be a good fit. The streaming service put an emphasis on getting local channels into its lineup when it launched.

Try out YouTube TV free for 7-days.

How to Watch Big Ten Football for free

Some college football and basketball games are on CBS and ABC.  A streaming service may live stream Big Ten Network, but it’s missing that local broadcast channels.

That might not matter because there’s an excellent chance that you can get CBS, FOX and many other local networks without paying anything.

You just need a decent TV antenna to start watching Big 10 games on ABC and CBS for free.

Head over to the free online tool at the Antennas Direct website and punch in your zip code or address. You will see a list of broadcast towers near your home, and even some recommended models.

To get started with a TV antenna, plug it into the coax jack in the back of your TV and under settings scan for channels for OTA (over-the-air) or “Air TV”.

Here are a number of resources that I have assembled over the years based on my own hands-on testing.

How to Watch Big Ten Network Without Cable FAQs

These are questions readers ask when searching for ways to watch Big Ten Network without a pay TV provider.

What is BTN Plus?

BTN Plus is a subscription based service that does NOT have college football games. It’s basically a catch-all for games that aren’t aired on TV. So we’re talking about women’s volleyball matches, not college football.

What streaming service has Big Ten Network?

There are six live TV streaming services that carry Big Ten Network. DIRECTV STREAM, fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, Vidgo and YouTube TV all carry BTN as part of their live TV service.

Can I watch Big Ten Network on Fox Sports app?

Subscribers to a pay TV service can activate the FOX Sports app, and watch a live stream of BTN, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes, and FOX Soccer Plus. The channels have to be part of your pay TV package.

Does Peacock have Big Ten Network?

Peacock does not carry Big Ten Network, but does offer a variety of live sports that you will find on NBC.

Can you get Big Ten Network on Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime Video does not have Big Ten Network. BTN is a cable TV channel that you can find on live TV streaming services.

Does ESPN+ have Big Ten Network?

No. ESPN+ does not carry Big Ten Network, but the sports-only streaming service does carry live college sports for a number of conferences across the U.S.

What schools are on the Big Ten Network? 

The Big Ten Conference is made up of 14 member institutions, and you can find coverage of their college sports teams on Big Ten Network. The conference’s footprint runs from the Atlantic Ocean with universities such as Penn State to the Midwest with the University of Nebraska.

  • University of Illinois
  • Indiana University
  • University of Iowa
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Michigan
  • Michigan State University
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Northwestern University
  • Ohio State University
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • Purdue University
  • Rutgers University-New Brunswick
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison

How can I watch Big Ten Network Without Cable?

DIRECTV STREAM is one of the best ways to get Big Ten Network without cable.

The Choice plan has a number of local channels like ABC and FOX, which you will need for Big 10 coverage. So you don’t have to worry about missing any college football games or even NFL games.

You can get a free 5-day trial. You’ll get 105+ live channels, including sports networks like ESPN, FS1, FS2 and SEC Network.

If I wasn’t going with DIRECTV STREAM for Big 10 coverage, I’d also consider trying fuboTV, which gets you an 152 channel lineup that includes Big Ten Network, FOX, ABC, FS1 and PAC-12 Networks. A subscription costs $74.99 per month after a free 7-day trial.

If you cancel the trial beforehand? No problem. That’s the beauty of using a live streaming service like fuboTV instead of cable. You can cancel whenever you like. Look over fuboTV’s channel lineup and see if it’s worth considering.

Note: This article was published on August 23, 2021, and has been updated to reflect new pricing.

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