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There are several different ways to watch the 2018 college football championship between Alabama and Georgia on ESPN’s family of networks, but one way that has become increasingly popular is the coaches film room, which features a handful of college head coaches breaking down the game from an X’s and O’s standpoint as it plays out.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch a live stream of this particular special broadcast online without cable:
Live Stream Info
The “Coaches Film Room: Pregame” will be broadcast from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, while the Coaches Film Room for the actual game will start at 8:15 p.m. ET and be broadcast on ESPNEWS. That means you can watch a live stream via WatchESPN if you have a cable subscription that includes these channels, but if you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still easily watch ESPN2 and ESPNEWS online, on your phone or on another streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services. They cost a monthly fee but all come with a free trial, so you can watch tonight’s broadcast for free:
DirecTV Now: There are four main channel packages. ESPN and ESPN2 are included in every package, while ESPNEWS is part of the “Just Right”, “Go Big” and “Gotta Have It” bundles. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, plus you can get $25 off your first month if you enter promo code “BDAY2017”. You can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app
Sling TV: ESPN and ESPN2 are included in the “Sling Orange” base package, while ESPNEWS can be included if you add the “Sports Extra” add-on. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, then you can watch on your computer via the Sling website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app
PlayStation Vue: There are four main channel packages. ESPN and ESPN2 are included in all of them, while ESPNEWS is a part of the “Core”, “Elite” and “Ultra” bundles. You can sign up for a free 5-day trial right here, then you can watch on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the PlayStation Vue app
Also note: You can also watch on your computer via the WatchESPN website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the WatchESPN app. When you’re asked to verify your cable provider, you’ll just use your DirecTV Now, Sling TV or PS Vue credentials to sign in
Preview
This year’s film room broadcast will feature a roundtable that includes Colorado State’s Mike Bobo, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald, former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, Duke’s David Cutliffe, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and Ole Miss’ Matt Luke. ESPN’s Tom Luginbill will host.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound as though TCU’s Gary Patterson, who stole the show during the semifinal film room broadcast, will be there predicting plays before they happen on Monday night, but there will still be plenty to watch.
Mike Gundy and his mullet might just be worth the price of admission alone, while it will also be the first time we see Sumlin since he was fired in November after six seasons with the Aggies. Additionally, Bobo, Sumlin and Luke can all provide unique perspective, as they faced off against Alabama this season.
And even beyond those specific storylines of the individuals involved, the film room broadcast is simply a joy to watch. You’re guaranteed to learn something, as you have a handful of the smartest football minds in the country breaking down the X’s and O’ in real-time, but it’s also fun to see how much these guys genuinely enjoy the game, and genuinely enjoy watching talented players.
If you haven’t yet witnessed this unique broadcast, make sure to change that on Monday night.