Florida vs. Georgia in Jacksonville | college football preview video
The Gators head into the annual Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville with an interim head coach hoping to pull off a big upset. Miami travels to SMU.
Watching college football games got even harder when YouTube TV dropped ESPN, ABC and all other channels owned by Disney on Oct. 30. The two companies had been negotiating a new contract that expired just before midnight ushered in Halloween.
Media reports estimate 10 million households subscribe to YouTube TV, one of the most popular streaming services for watching a multitude of games in one place thanks to its wide library that includes NBC, Fox and CBS, as well as NFL Sunday Ticket. But sports fans will need to go elsewhere (at least for the time being) to watch most of the top college football games on the ESPN family of networks.
That includes the wildly popular pregame show “College GameDay” and games for Florida’s four biggest college football teams, none bigger than the Florida-Georgia rivalry and interim coach Billy Gonzales’ debut for the Gators. No. 9 Miami looks to get a step closer to the College Football Playoff (which also will air on ABC and ESPN) against SMU. Florida State hosts Wake Forest in a primetime game that could be vital to whether the Seminoles fire coach Mike Norvell. And UCF travels to Baylor as it tries to get bowl eligible.
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If Disney channels remain dark past this weekend, that will impact the start of college basketball season, as well. Monday Night Football would also be unavailable on YouTube TV, and if it goes even longer, bowl season and several college sports championships, not to mention the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals, would be lost.
Fans in Florida do still have options to watch their teams this weekend. Here’s what to know about the Disney-YouTube TV dispute, plus how to watch each major college football game involving Florida teams:
ESPN-YouTube TV dispute update
Google, YouTube’s parent company, and Disney, which owns ESPN, could not agree on pricing, leading YouTube to carry through its threat to take down Disney programming at the expiration of their current deal Oct. 30. According to the Sports Business Journal, Google was looking for carrier prices similar to what Disney has with cable companies Comcast and Charter. The company also accused Disney of looking to steer customers to Hulu, its own live TV provider.
It’s unclear when ABC, ESPN and other Disney-owned channels could come back to YouTube TV, but there is hope. Both Google and Disney said in public statements they were still working toward a resolution. In its Oct. 30 statement, Google reaffirmed that if Disney channels remain unavailable “for an extended period of time,” it would offer YouTube TV subscribers a $20 credit.
How to watch Florida football vs Georgia
Florida vs. Georgia kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. Fans can tune in with an old-school TV antenna to their local ABC affiliate to watch the game. Streaming options include the Unlimited plan on the new ESPN app, as well as Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
Stream college football games on the new ESPN app
How to watch FSU football vs Wake Forest
Florida State vs. Wake Forest kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network. Fans can watch with the cheaper Select plan on the new ESPN app, as well as Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
How to watch Miami football vs SMU
Miami vs. SMU kicks off at noon on ESPN. Streaming options include the Unlimited plan on the new ESPN app, as well as Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
How to watch UCF football vs Baylor
UCF vs. Baylor kicks off at noon on ESPNU. Fans can watch with the cheaper Select plan on the new ESPN app, as well as Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
How to watch FAMU football vs Jackson State
Florida A&M vs. Jackson State will be broadcast exclusively via streaming on the ESPN app. It is available for those with either a Select or Unlimited subscription plan.