How to Live Stream the 2019 College Football Championship

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Here's how you can stream the Jan. 7 national championship game, using either a mobile app or a streaming service.

There's just one game left in the college football season, but it figures to be a doozy. And you won't have to miss a minute if you've got the right streaming app or service.

Credit: Jamie Lamor Thompson/Shutterstock

(Image credit: Jamie Lamor Thompson/Shutterstock)

After three dozen bowl games filled up the calendar between mid-December and New Year's Day, we're left with Alabama defending its national title against Clemson in the college football championship game this Monday (Jan. 7) from Santa Clara, Calif. The action kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. And you don't necessarily have to be near a TV to see if the Crimson Tide or the Tigers come out on top.

The rise of mobile apps and streaming services means you no longer have to stay glued to a TV set just to see your favorite college football teams in action. Fire up the mobile app of the network carrying your game of choice — or, if you don’t have cable, your favorite streaming service — and you can follow every last tackle and touchdown.

How to Watch

Since we're talking the national championship game, make sure you have access to ESPN. The self-proclaimed "worldwide leader in sports" is broadcasting Monday night's championship.

The easiest way to watch the big game is to fire up the WatchESPN app, available for both Android and iOS. ESPN's streaming app also works with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Roku and Xbox One. There's a catch, though, that even a top wide receiver would find daunting: You'll need to sign in with the credentials from your cable provider to stream either game, so cord cutters will have to go a different route.

And that route is over-the-top streaming services. Fortunately, all the big players — DirecTV Now, Hulu Live, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV and YouTube TV — include ESPN in their packages. Prices start at $25 a month for Sling TV's Orange package, which features ESPN. Elsewhere, you'll pay $40 to $45 for a package that includes access to ESPN.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Streaming ServiceTierRelevant Channels IncludedMonthly Price
DirecTV NowLive a LittleESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Fox, FS1, CBS$40 DirecTV Now
Hulu LiveHulu with Live TVESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Fox, FS1, CBS, CBSSN$40 Hulu Live TV
PlayStation VueAccessESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Fox, FS1 CBS$44.99 PlayStation Vue
Sling TVSling OrangeESPN, ESPN2$25 Sling TV
YouTube TVYouTube TVESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Fox, FS1, CBS, CBSSN$40 YouTube TV

You might think the sports-focused Fubo.TV streaming service would be a good option to catch a bowl game, but we’d suggest giving Fubo a pass for that purpose. Fubo.TV doesn’t include any of ESPN’s channels, and with the national championship airing there, that’s a big miss.

Four of the five streaming services listed above offer free seven-day trials (PlayStation Vue is the exception, at five days). So in theory, you could start your trial during when the Jan. 7 championship kicks off and cancel soon after.

When to watch

Here's when you can catch the remaining bowl games.

  • National Championship Game: Jan. 7, 8 p.m, Alabama vs. Clemson (ESPN)
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Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.