Getty
The Chip Kelly Era begins in Westwood. UCLA has been a mid- to lower-tier Pac-12 team the last three seasons, and they have just two Top-25 finishes in the last 12 years, but Kelly back on a college sideline makes the Bruins a must-watch team in 2018.
Every UCLA football game will be broadcast nationally on one of the following channels: ABC, Fox, Fox Sports 1, any of the ESPN channels, or the Pac-12 Network (full schedule). Fortunately, even if you don’t have cable or a TV, you can watch one, some or all of these channels by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live TV streaming services:
Hulu With Live TV: Includes ABC, Fox, Fox Sports 1, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN News
FuboTV: Includes Fox, Fox Sports 1, Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Regional Networks
Sling TV: Includes Fox, Fox Sports 1, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN News and Pac-12 Network
All of these services allow you to watch live TV without a cable box or satellite or annual contract. All you need is an internet connection. Here’s a rundown of what they include, how to sign up, and how to watch a live stream of UCLA games in 2018:
Hulu With Live TV
Hulu
Hulu with Live TV offers the perfect mix of entertainment and live sports for cord-cutters. Not only does it come with an extensive Netflix-like library of on-demand TV shows (Seinfeld, It’s Always Sunny, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, etc.) and movies, but it also gives you almost all the channels (no Pac-12 Network is the one drawback) that will broadcast UCLA football games in 2018.
If you can get past the lack of Pac-12 Network (none of UCLA’s first four games are on the P12 Network), getting all of that for just $40 per month is great value.
UCLA Football Channels Included: ABC (live in select markets), Fox, Fox Sports 1, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN News. There are a total of 50-plus channels included, as well as Hulu’s on-demand streaming library (a $7.99 or $11.99 per month value).
Pricing Options: Hulu With Live TV (with the “Limited Commercials” on-demand plan): $39.99 per month | Hulu With Live TV (with the “No Commercials” on-demand library plan): $43.99 per month
Extras: The regular Hulu With Live TV plan allows you to watch on two different devices at the same time, but you can watch on unlimited screens at the same time for $15 per month extra; 50 hours of cloud DVR is included, but you can upgrade to 200 hours of enhanced cloud DVR for $15 per month.
How to Sign Up: Go to the Hulu website and select “Sign Up Now”. After creating an account, select your channel package and any extras you want, then enter your payment information.
How & Where to Watch: If you want to watch on your computer, simply return to the Hulu website and select “Start Watching” at the top of the page, and then “Live TV.” Scroll to whatever channel you want to start watching live TV.
If you want to watch on your phone, tablet or other streaming device, you can do so via the Hulu app, which is free to download for the following devices: Amazon Fire TV or TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android phones and tablets, iPads and iPhones, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, select Smart TV’s and other devices.
Additionally, Bruins games that are on ABC or any of the ESPN channels can also be watched on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
FuboTV
Though it also has a good amount of entertainment channels, FuboTV is one of the best streaming services for watching live sports. Among many other sports channels, the main “Fubo” package comes with Fox, FS1, and the Pac-12 Network–and has all of the regional Pac-12 Networks available as an add-on. It also has a lot of nice user experience features, including an interface that lets you search by sport, included DVR, and my personal favorite, a “72-hour lookback” feature, which lets you watch games on-demand up to three days later even without recording them.
The one drawback is that the ESPN channels aren’t included, but for games on the Fox channels and the Pac-12 Network, FuboTV is a really good option–and it’s a very good value for how many channels you’re getting.
UCLA Football Channels Included: Fox, Fox Sports 1, Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Regional Networks
Pricing Options: The “Fubo” package, which has 75-plus channels including the ones listed above, costs $39.99 for the first month, and then $44.99 per month after that. The “Sports Plus” add-on, which has all of the Pac-12 Regional Networks, is $8.99 per month
Extras: Watch on two different devices at once; 30 hours of cloud DVR is included; also includes a “72-hour lookback” feature, which allows you to watch games and shows up to three days after they air, even if you forgot to DVR them
How to Sign Up: Head to the FuboTV website and select “Start Your Free Trial”. After creating an account, select your channel package and any extras if you want. You’ll need to enter your payment information, but if you cancel your subscription within seven days of signing up, you will not be charged.
How & Where to Watch: If you want to watch on your computer, just return to the FuboTV website and navigate to a channel to start watching live TV. The Chrome browser is suggested.
If you want to watch on your phone, tablet or other streaming device, you can do so via the FuboTV app, which is free to download for the following devices: Amazon Fire TV or TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android phones and tablets, iPads and iPhones
Sling TV
The first to dive into the cable-free, live-TV streaming service, Sling TV’s biggest selling point continues to be its low price point. However, while the basic “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” is a cheap entry point, you need to get both base packages plus the “Sports Extra” add-on to get all the channels that will show UCLA football games, which adds up to $50 per month ($55 if you want DVR).
Still, while the value ends up being worse than the first two options, this is the best way to get every channel that will broadcast a UCLA game in 2018:
UCLA Football Channels Included: ESPN and ESPN2 are part of the “Sling Orange” bundle, Fox and FS1 are part of the “Sling Blue” bundle, and ESPNU, ESPN News and Pac-12 Network are in the “Sports Extra” add-on
Price: Sling Orange: $25 per month | Sling Blue: $25 per month | Sling Orange + Blue: $40 per month | Sports Extra add-on: $10 per month ($5 per month if you add it to just Sling Orange)
Extras: Watch on one device at once with Sling Orange or Sling Orange+Blue; Watch on three devices at once with Sling Blue; 50 hours of cloud DVR is $5 per month extra.
How to Sign Up: Go to the Sling TV website and select “Watch Now 7 Days Free.” After creating an account, select your channel package and any extras you want, then enter your payment information to sign up.
How & Where to Watch: If you want to watch on your computer, just return to the Sling TV website and navigate to your desired channel to start watching live TV. If you want to watch on your phone, tablet or other streaming device, you can do so via the Sling TV app, which is free to download for the following devices: Amazon Fire TV or TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android phones and tablets, iPads and iPhones, Fire tablets, and Xbox One.
Additionally, UCLA games that are on ABC or any of the ESPN channels can also be watched on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling TV credentials to do that.
Season Preview
Kelly’s last four seasons of coaching saw him tally just one playoff appearance in four total seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, quickly putting an end to his time in the NFL. But it’s what he did most recently in the college ranks that has fans in Westwood giddy about his arrival:
En route to 46 wins, a trip to the national championship, victories in the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, and three Top-4 finishes in four seasons at Oregon, Kelly established the Ducks not only as a national power, but as one of the most entertaining programs college football has seen.
In Year 1 with UCLA, he doesn’t have nearly the same amount of talent to work with as he did at Oregon, but many are still nonetheless excited to see him re-implement his thrilling up-tempo offense.
“It’s a lot of read option, dish-and-dunk kind of stuff,” receiver Theo Howard said of Kelly’s system. “But we’re all embracing it and we like it.”
At quarterback, the most important position in any offense but especially so in a Chip Kelly offense, there are a handful of different options at his disposal.
Wilton Speight, a grad transfer from Michigan, will start the season opener against Cincinnati, but there are others who will be waiting in the wings should he struggle. Devon Modster completed 64.6 percent of his throws for 671 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in relief of Josh Rosen last year, while true freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the 4-star recruit from Las Vegas who has the skill set that best fits Kelly’s read-option offense, seems to be the future of the program.
The rest of the offense is a bit of a concern, though. The team’s top two receivers from a year ago (Jordan Lasley, Darren Andrews) are both gone, while the running game will have to operate behind a revamped offensive line that loses three all Pac-12 performers (Kolton Miller, Scott Quessenberry, Najee Toran).
Put it all together, and you have a head coach with a history of massive success both nationally and in the conference, but an inherited roster with plenty question marks. It shouldn’t be long before Kelly has this team as a Pac-12 contender, but for at least another year, the Bruins are probably headed for another finish in the middle of the conference.
That said, it’s still going to be wildly fun to watch–it always is with Kelly at the helm.