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College Football · Guide
How to Watch College Football Abroad (2026 Season)
Which service carries which games this season, Playoff and bowl dates, and kickoff times converted for Europe.
New: How to Watch College Hockey Outside the US (2026-27), conference by conference.
To stream college football abroad in 2026, start with which service has the game. College football is split across at least six streaming services: the ESPN app, Fox One, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max for some Playoff games, and smaller services like FloSports. All of them are built for US viewers, so abroad you either find a local broadcaster or use the US subscription you already pay for, if that service’s terms allow it.
First, figure out which service carries your team’s games (table below). Then set up that app and, if you use one, a VPN before you travel. Kickoff times for Europe are at the bottom of this page.
Where to watch college football in 2026: who carries what
| Service | College football it carries | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN app (ESPN Unlimited) | Games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and ESPN’s games on ABC. That includes the SEC, whose games are all on ESPN networks and ABC under its deal that began in 2024. Also The CW’s ACC, Pac-12 and Mountain West games this season. | Most of the Playoff and bowl season. $31.99/month. |
| Fox One | Games on FOX, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network, including FOX’s Big Ten games. | $19.99/month or $199.99/year. |
| Paramount+ (Premium plan) | CBS games, live. CBS has a 22-game 2026 slate, including Big Ten games. | Live CBS needs the Premium plan, not the basic one. |
| Peacock | NBC’s Big Ten primetime games and Notre Dame home games, plus some Peacock-only games. | Some games stream only on Peacock. |
| HBO Max | The Playoff games TNT Sports airs (five this season). | Only relevant in December and January. |
| B1G+ | Next-day replays of televised Big Ten games, plus live Big Ten events that are not on TV. | No live football. $12.99/month or $89.99/year. |
| FloSports | Some smaller-conference and FCS games, for example Maine at Towson in Week Zero. | Check its schedule for your team. |
The Big Ten’s TV deal splits Saturdays three ways: FOX at noon ET, CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET and NBC in primetime, with some games only on Peacock. A Big Ten fan who wants every TV game needs Fox One, Paramount+ and Peacock.
Big 12 games are split between ESPN’s and FOX’s networks. The conference announces most TV picks 6 or 12 days before each game, so check the week of the game.
Bowl season and the Playoff on TV
The 2026-27 postseason runs from December 12 to January 25. All times are Eastern; Paris times are one column over.
| Date | Game | Network | ET | Paris / Berlin / Madrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 12 | Celebration Bowl (first bowl game) | ABC | Noon | 6 p.m. |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Army-Navy | CBS | 3 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
| Fri, Dec 18 | Playoff first round (1 game) | ESPN | 8 p.m. | 2 a.m. Sat |
| Sat, Dec 19 | Playoff first round (3 games) | ESPN, TNT | Noon, 3:30, 7:30 p.m. | 6 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 1:30 a.m. |
| Wed, Dec 30 | Quarterfinal, Fiesta Bowl | TNT | 7:30 p.m. | 1:30 a.m. Thu |
| Fri, Jan 1 | Quarterfinals: Peach, Rose, Cotton Bowls (slots set on Dec 6) | TNT; ABC & ESPN; ESPN | Noon, 4 p.m., 8 p.m. | 6 p.m., 10 p.m., 2 a.m. Sat |
| Thu, Jan 14 | Semifinal, Orange Bowl | TNT | 7:30 p.m. | 1:30 a.m. Fri |
| Fri, Jan 15 | Semifinal, Sugar Bowl | ABC, ESPN | 7:30 p.m. | 1:30 a.m. Sat |
| Mon, Jan 25 | National Championship, Las Vegas | ESPN, ABC | 7:30 p.m. | 1:30 a.m. Tue |
First-round games are played on campus sites, announced on Selection Day, Sunday, December 6. That is also when the three Jan 1 bowls are assigned to the noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. slots. TNT games also stream on HBO Max. Kickoff times can still change; check the College Football Playoff site the week of the game.
College football kickoff times in Europe
Most Saturday games start in three windows. Here is what they mean in Europe during the regular season:
| Eastern time | London | Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Noon | 5 p.m. | 6 p.m. |
| 3:30 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 7:30 p.m. | 12:30 a.m. (Sun) | 1:30 a.m. (Sun) |
Watch out for one odd week. Europe moves its clocks back on Sunday, October 25, 2026, but the US does not until Sunday, November 1. On Saturday, October 31, every kickoff is one hour earlier than the table above: noon ET is 4 p.m. in London and 5 p.m. in Paris. From November 1 the usual gap returns.
Tips for night games in Europe:
- Use your phone’s world clock set to New York, so you can read ET listings without math.
- Late games are better on a laptop or TV than in bed on a phone. Bring a streaming stick for the hotel TV.
- Replays exist. If a 1:30 a.m. kickoff is too much, check whether your service offers a full or condensed replay the next morning.
Streaming college football abroad with your own subscription
Each of these services is designed for viewers in the US, and each has its own terms about location and VPN use. Some block VPN connections, and some forbid them outright: ESPN’s subscriber agreement, for example, prohibits using any technology to disguise your location (details in our ESPN guide). Read your service’s terms before you rely on a VPN. A VPN is still worth having on the trip for hotel and airport Wi-Fi.
We compare five VPNs on device limits, refund windows and TV apps in our VPN comparison. If your household watches on many devices, note that Surfshark allows unlimited devices on paid plans, while CyberGhost has the longest refund window of the five on plans longer than a month.
College football abroad: FAQ
Where can I stream college football outside the US?
College football in 2026 is split across at least six streaming services: the ESPN app, Fox One, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max for some Playoff games, and smaller services like FloSports. All of them are built for US viewers, so abroad you either find a local broadcaster or use the US subscription you already pay for, if that service's terms allow it.
What channel is college football on?
It depends on the game. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and ESPN's games on ABC stream in the ESPN app (ESPN Unlimited). FOX, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network games are on Fox One, CBS games on Paramount+ (Premium plan), and NBC's Big Ten primetime and Notre Dame home games, plus some Peacock-only games, on Peacock. The Playoff games TNT Sports airs also stream on HBO Max.
How can I stream the College Football Playoff from the UK?
Playoff games air on ESPN, ABC and TNT in the US, and TNT's games also stream on HBO Max. These services are built for US viewers, so from the UK you either find a local broadcaster or use the US subscription you already pay for, if its terms allow it. The 2026-27 Playoff runs from the first round on December 18 to the National Championship on January 25.
What time is college football on TV in the UK?
In the regular season, the three usual Saturday windows (noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Eastern) are 5 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. Sunday in London, and an hour later in Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Rome. In the week after Europe changes its clocks but before the US does, kickoffs are one hour earlier.
Can I use my US subscription to stream college football abroad?
Each service has its own terms about location and VPN use. Some block VPN connections and some forbid them outright: ESPN's subscriber agreement, for example, prohibits using any technology to disguise your location. Read your service's terms before you rely on a VPN abroad.