Did you lose access to ESPN and ABC on YouTube TV? Here’s how to watch college football for free this weekend
Disney-owned channels have been pulled from YouTube TV after contract talks failed, leaving fans without ESPN and ABC during a crucial stretch of the football season.
Given how many television channels and streaming services have rights to live sports these days, it has never been more difficult, or more expensive, to follow your favorite team. Things just got even more complicated for some college football fans who had grown accustomed to watching NCAA action on ESPN and ABC through YouTube TV.
Disney channels pulled from YouTube TV
As of Saturday, Nov. 1, YouTube TV no longer has access to Disney-owned channels, which include ESPN and ABC. The loss of Disney content will not make the platform any cheaper (it still costs $82.99 per month), although YouTube has promised subscribers a $20 credit if those channels remain unavailable for what it calls an “extended period of time.”
YouTube revealed on Oct. 30 that it had been in negotiations to keep Disney content on the platform, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement.
Bad timing for college football fans
Unless there is a sudden U-turn, many college football fans have been left in the lurch just as the regular season heats up. The NCAA regular season runs until Dec. 13, with postseason games taking place between that date and Jan. 19, 2026. For fans hoping to follow their teams, this is a tough time to be scrambling for an alternative.
Streaming options that still include ESPN and ABC
The most straightforward solution is switching to another live TV streaming service that still carries Disney-owned channels. DIRECTV is arguably the best option, with several plans that include both ESPN and ABC:
Entertainment: $49.99 for the first month, then $89.99 per month. Also includes Disney Channel, ESPN2, Freeform, FX, FXX and National Geographic.
Choice: $59.99 for the first month, then $94.99 per month. Also includes ACC Network, Disney Channel, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, FXX, National Geographic and SEC Network.
Ultimate: $84.99 for the first month, then $124.99 per month. Also includes ACC Network, Disney Channel, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and SEC Network.
Disney-YouTube TV did not agree to terms before November 1st. So, millions of College Football fans, like myself, are already waking up confused without College Gameday and the access to watch a majority of today's games.
— Gyrarados.base.eth (@gyrarados006) November 1, 2025
The Nebraska game looks like a banger though. pic.twitter.com/KGUqA89aKJ
Key games affected this weekend
Among the college football games YouTube TV subscribers will miss out on are:
- Vanderbilt vs. Texas
- Miami vs. SMU
- Georgia vs. Florida
- Notre Dame vs. Boston College
- South Carolina vs. Ole Miss
- Oklahoma vs. Tennessee
They will also be unable to watch the NFL’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys.
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