With college football season underway, you might be looking for a live TV streaming service to catch a number of games from your favorite conferences.
Cable and broadcast networks carry most games within the Power Five Conferences. However, a large swath of football from FBS conferences and schools are streaming on ESPN+.
College football rights have maintained a relatively path with the exception of the Big Ten’s major seven-year agreement announced in August 2022. That put Big Ten games on local NBC, CBS and FOX networks.
If you’re trying to decide whether to make YouTube or Hulu + Live TV your sports streaming service for college football season, here are some key considerations:
Channels Needed & Streaming Services
The channels you need can vary depending on which conferences and teams you want to follow. Cable networks carrying NCAA football this season are ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, CBS Sports Network, Big Ten Network, ACC Network, and SEC Network.
Take note that Longhorn Network and Pac-12 Network have been shut down largely due to the reorganization of conferences.
On the broadcast side, you need ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. The CW airs ACC and Pac-12 games this season; however, these games are not available on the CW app.
Games on NBC can be streamed on Peacock. CBS games can be streamed on Paramount+.
However, ESPN+ will stream more than 900 games from ACC, SEC, Big 12, American, MAC, C-USA, and Sun Belt. Big Sky, Ivy League, MEAC, MVFC, Patriot League, Southland, Southern, SWAC are the FCS schools with games on ESPN+ as well.
Price
YouTube TV costs $72.99 per month. It has more than 100 channels, including all of the needed cable networks and broadcast networks. Subscribers get unlimited DVR and can stream on three screens at once. If you added an ESPN+ subscription separately for $10.99 per month, your total would be $83.89 per month.
Hulu + Live TV costs $76.99 per month. It has more than 90 channels, including all your key cable channels and local broadcast channels as well. Subscribers get ESPN+ and Disney+ included. You can stream Hulu Live +TV on two screens at once. ESPN+ allows for three simultaneous screens on different devices within the ESPN app.
Cloud DVR
In terms of comparing Cloud DVR features, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are pretty much the same. Both services offer unlimited Cloud DVR space, but will erase your recordings after 9 months if you don’t do it first.
Simultaneous Screens
YouTube TV lets subscribers watch three streams at once within their household when subscribing to the base plan.
Hulu + Live TV allows for two screens at once. However, when you are watching ESPN+ through the ESPN app, you can stream on three more screens at once.
Final Takeaway on YouTube TV vs Hulu + Live TV for College Football
YouTube TV has a streamlined approach to delivering a cable-like experience with its channel lineup of cable networks like ESPN and local channels such as NBC and FOX.
But for some college football plans, Hulu + Live TV might be worth spending a few dollars more for its inclusion of ESPN+. Considering that ESPN+ is streaming more than 900 games across FBS conferences and schools, it’s likely to have a least a few matchups you will want to see.
