Football's footprint on television landscape keeps growing
As football season kicks into high gear, you’ll find games spread out over a huge television landscape.
This season, NFL games are airing across 10 different channels and streaming services. For college football, that number is at least 17 and there’s no single package that covers them all.
Take the Triangle teams for example:
- Duke fans looking to see the Blue Devils win again this weekend will need tickets to the game at Wallace Wade Stadium, or a $10 ESPN+ account.
- Tar Heels fans will need a cable or streaming package with ACC Network to catch their game against App State.
- The NC State-Notre Dame game will be broadcast nationwide at noon on ABC.
However, seeing games on ABC and ESPN’s family of networks will be a challenge for Spectrum customers. All Disney properties are blacked out on Spectrum right now as the two sides negotiate a new agreement.
It’s not like catching all your team’s games is easy to begin with.
"You need a whole suite of stuff," said WRAL Investigative Sports Reporter Brian Murphy. "Even to watch just one conference, you’re probably going to need at least six channels a streamer and a cable service."
Broadcast network CW is a new entry into the college football mix and will air 13 ACC games this year.
The Big Ten is no longer on ESPN, that conference is now spread out across FOX, CBS and NBC with some games exclusively on streaming service Peacock.
In the NFL, Amazon Prime Video becomes the primary home for Thursday Night football and NFL Sunday Ticket moves from DirecTV to YouTube TV.
WRAL 5 On Your Side asked Murphy if this expansion of the sports television landscape is likely to continue.
"What were seeing with some of these regional sports networks is everyone is going to offer you direct to consumer," Murphy said. "Are you willing to pay $25-30 for ESPN, $20 to watch the Hurricanes, $25 to watch maybe the Panthers or one of your other favorite teams?"
Whether you’re getting traditional cable or a streaming replacement, the cost ranges from $40 to $75 and up depending on what add-ons you want.
When shopping, pay close attention to the channels that come with streaming services. They may not have the live local channels you assume they do.
You can also add movie theater to the list of options for Saturday’s NC State game against Notre Dame. Morrisville’s Park West 14 theater will carry the game live.
