Fans of Texas football have three choices to watch Longhorn Network (LHN) without cable TV.
Sling TV, and DIRECTV STREAM are the two leading live TV streaming services that offer Longhorn Network in their channel lineups.
If you were planning on using the ESPN app to stream Longhorn Network, not so fast.
The Longhorn Network on the ESPN app is essentially a TV Everywhere platform for cable TV subscribers. Sling TV subscribers that get Longhorn Network can also watch it by activating the ESPN app.
DIRECTV STREAM is the only streaming service that has a free 5-day trial and carries Longhorn Network for Texas customers. You can see the latest offer from Sling TV.
During the 2023 season, Longhorn Network is still a relevant channel for coverage of the 20 UT sports, including games, Texas Gameday and live press conferences.
Does Longhorn Network still exist?
Why it matters:
Where to watch your favorite teams is constantly changing. The state of regional sports networks (RSNs) is in flux, as cord cutting and streaming services have led to a decline in viewership.
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How to Watch Longhorn Network
Smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast or Apple TV support streaming Longhorn Network as a live cable TV channel.
Samsung Smart TVs, and TVs from Sony Bravia, Vizio and LG support most streaming services. Game consoles including XBox and PlayStation support watching TV. You can likewise stream Longhorn Network on an iPhone or iPad (with current iOS), or any Android mobile device.
If you are a sports fan in search of your ideal streaming service that has Longhorn Network, chances are you want other sports channels too.
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network (ACCN), Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and SEC Network cover college football, basketball, baseball games, and other professional sports.
You can get many of these networks without having to pay for an sports add-on package.
Local channels will matter, too. You will need local broadcast networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX to watch NCAA football, and college basketball.
Some of these services have a free trial that lasts a week without any obligation. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends if you decide that the streaming service isn’t for you.
Cord-cutters have a half dozen options to watch Longhorn Network live on their television or smartphone.
Will Texas keep the Longhorn Network?
The University of Texas (UT) will leave the Big 12 for the SEC in 2024. The move will effectively end Texas’ partnership with ESPN and Longhorn Network.
UT-Austin programming will be broadcast on SEC Network starting next year. In the meantime, the Longhorn Network will continue to air University of Texas games for the 2023 college football season.
Sling TV
- Half off for first month
- 50 hours Cloud DVR
- Three simultaneous streams (Sling Blue)
| PLAN | PRICE | CHANNELS |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | $40/month | 32 (No FOX or locals) |
| Blue | $40/month | 40 (Locals included) |
| Orange + Blue | $55/month | 88 |
Sling TV subscribers can watch Longhorn Network by subscribing to the Sports Extra bundle.
A subscription to Sports Extra with Sling costs $51 per month. Sling Orange has 34 channels, including ESPN, ESPN2 and SEC Network for $40 per month.
The Sports Extra add-on bundle adds about 11 channels, including Longhorn Network, ACC Network, ACCNX, NBA TV and SEC Network+ for $11 per month.
Sling Orange subscribers can watch live TV on one screen at a time.
New and returning customers can get half off for the first month of service. You can check the latest offer Sling TV is making this month.
There are no contracts, or extra fees like cable TV. You can start watching with a Roku, Fire TV, Smart TVs, Google Chromecast and smartphones.
Before signing up, you can also look over the channel lineup to see if Sling TV is a good fit for you.
DIRECTV STREAM
- 5-day free trial
- Unlimited Cloud DVR
- Unlimited Screens within household
| PLAN | PRICE | CHANNELS |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment | $79.99/month | 75+ |
| Choice | $108.99/month | 105+ |
| Ultimate | $119.99/month | 140+ |
| Premier | $164.99/month | 150+ |
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) does carry the Longhorn Network, but it is only available to Texas residents.
You have to subscribe to the Choice package, which costs $108.99 per month. You can sign up for a free 5-day trial on all DIRECTV STREAM plans without any obligations.
The Choice package has over 90 TV channels including ACC Network, ESPN, FS1, SEC Network, A&E, BET, Bravo, C-SPAN, CNN, CNBC, FOX News, MTV, History and HGTV. You can also subscribe to two other more expensive plans, Ultimate or Premier, to get Longhorn Network.
Bally Sports Southwest is available to in-market subscribers in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
The Choice package has a wide selection of 40 regional sports channels (RSNs), including Bally Sports networks, NBC Sports, NESN, Marquee Sports Network and YES Network.
You get unlimited Cloud DVR for recording sports and TV shows. There are more than 40,000 on-demand movies and shows.
Subscribers can get three months of Max, Showtime, STARZ, Cinemax and MGM+ for free before the monthly rates kick in.
DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Android TV, Fire TV devices, Apple TV and smartphones and tablets. Subscriptions run month to month and so you can cancel whenever you want.
Unless DIRECTV STREAM has other channels you want in your lineup, Sling TV is the cheaper option to watch Longhorn Network.
Does Hulu carry Longhorn Network?
Hulu Live TV does not carry Longhorn Network.
ESPN and Hulu share Disney as a parent company. So Hulu Live TV does have just about every ESPN network, but Longhorn Network isn’t one of them.
Is the Longhorn Network on YouTube TV?
YouTube TV does not carry Longhorn Network in its channel lineup. However, YouTube TV does carry a number of channels that carry Big 12 football. ESPN, FS1, local ABC and FOX stations are included.
Does fubo have Longhorn Network?
fubo does not have Longhorn Network in its channel lineup. But you can find a number of other sports channels such as ESPN, Big Ten Network, and SEC Network.
Does ESPN Plus include the Longhorn Network?
An ESPN Plus subscription does not include Longhorn Network.
According to Longhorn Network’s own help page, you need to subscribe to either a cable TV provider or live TV streaming service. DIRECTV STREAM and Sling TV are the two streaming services with Longhorn Network.
ESPN Plus does live stream college football games from 11 Big 12 schools. A subscription to ESPN Plus costs $10.99 per month.
ESPN Plus streams more than 300 live college football games throughout the season. Southeastern Conference, LSU, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Ole Miss and Tennessee are among the teams with select live games.
You can read more about how to watch ESPN Plus on any TV.
What channel is Texas Longhorn football on?
You don’t always need the Longhorn Network to watch the Texas Longhorns. In 2023, the Longhorns have games that air on ESPN.
Local channels including ABC and FOX also have some games. You can use a TV antenna to watch those games.
What channel is Roadrunners football on?
The University of Texas at San Antonio also has games on Longhorn Network. But you can also watch games on CBS Sports Network, Stadium and ESPN networks.
What streaming services carry the Longhorn Network?
You can watch Longhorn Network on DIRECTV STREAM, and Sling TV. Sling TV is the cheapest option to watch the Longhorn Network without cable TV.
A subscription to Sling Orange with the Sports Extra bundle costs $51 per month. Sling Orange also has ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and TNT. New and returning customers can look over the latest offer from Sling TV.
Out of the two streamers, DIRECTV STREAM is the only one offering a 5-day free trial.
Updates
The latest update reflects that DIRECTV STREAM is changing prices effective Dec. 31, 2023.
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