Is Notre Dame good enough to compete with Clemson? The Fighting Irish are on the verge of an unprecedented 13-0 season, but the team’s B+ recruiting talent rarely wows on film. The last time America watched Notre Dame compete for a national championship in 2012, Alabama made the Irish look like 2A high school ball. Watch the Cotton Bowl live stream to see which undefeated contender has the will and muscle to win this national semifinal.
Cotton Bowl
- Location: AT&T Stadium, Dallas
- Date: Dec 29, 4pm ET
- Streaming: ESPN
Cotton Bowl: How to watch online for free
1) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $40 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV is a one-stop shop for streaming entertainment. Every subscription comes with free access to Hulu’s deep catalog of on-demand TV shows, 2018 new releases, funny movies, and Hulu original series. That’s in addition to 50-plus channels that include everything you need to stream college bowl games: ESPN and ESPN 2, FS1 and FS2, ABC, Fox, and CBS Sports Network, not to mention SEC Network and Big Ten Network. (Here’s a complete guide to Hulu Live TV channels.)
2) Sling TV
- Cost: $25-$40 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, and iOS and Android devices
- Local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here.)
On paper, Sling TV is your cheapest bet for streaming the 2018 college bowl games. At just $25 per month, Sling Orange offers a suite of ESPN channels, but FS1 and FS2, local channels, and regional sports networks are frustratingly locked behind Sling Blue, also $25 per month. The good news: You can combine the two (Sling Orange + Blue) for just $40 per month. While Sling TV doesn’t carry ABC or CBS Sports Network, new subscribers are eligible to receive a free HD antenna. If you really want to go all-in, be sure to add the Sling Blue Sports Extra pack. It costs an extra $10 per month but gets you Pac-12 Network, NFL RedZone, and specialty channels like NBA TV, beIN Sports, and NHL Network. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels.)
3) YouTube TV
- Cost: $40 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- Local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV offers a comprehensive streaming package for sports fans that’s close to what you’ll find on Hulu with Live TV. One notable difference in YouTube’s favor is the addition of specialty channels like NBA TV and MLB Network. But it’s unlimited cloud DVR and the ability to split each account with six other people that makes YouTube TV worth considering. (You can find the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
4) DirecTV Now
- Cost: $40-$75 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and Amazon Fire Stick
- Local channels: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, the CW (enter your zip code here to check local availability)
If you want to go big, you want DirecTV Now. In fact, one of DirecTV Now’s five channel packages is actually called Go Big, and it’s no joke. The service tops out at more than 125 channels, including everything you need to stream college football bowl games (and a whole lot more you don’t). If you happen to be an AT&T Unlimited customer, you’ll save $25 per month on whichever package you choose. (You can view the full DirecTV Now channels list here.)
5) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- Local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a PlayStation to use PlayStation Vue. The streaming service works with Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, and even Kodi. It’s a tad more expensive than other options, but it offers four different tiers of channels that provide plenty of variety. (Here are all of PlayStation Vue channels.)
Cotton Bowl: Why it matters
Consider Notre Dame the Villanova of college football, winning on good-but-not-elite recruiting, great coaching, and a regular season schedule that skirts the power 5 conferences. I once spent a game day on campus and let me tell you, the Notre Dame student tailgate is basically Jersey Shore. This is a rageful, angry cluster of drunk kids in basketball jerseys—mad at a world that’s passed by their once-visionary institution. They are the same short, mostly white bros who love Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield because he has a flippant spark in his game and a childhood fondness for pro wrestling. My point is that the Irish want this so bad, while Clemson arrives at this national semifinal for the fourth year in a row. For Tigers fans who love their team, that’s an expensive ask to keep following Clemson into pricey seasonal vacations. Expect a thunderdome full of Irish partisans. Without Tigers defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who failed a drug test this week and can collapse offensive lines like a surfacing sea monster, conditions will be ripe for the Irish upset.
For more bowl fun, check out the Daily Dot’s bowl season preview podcast:
New to cord-cutting? Here are our picks for the best movie streaming sites of 2018 and free live TV apps and channels. If you’re looking for a specific channel, here’s how to watch HBO, Showtime, Starz, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, AMC, FX, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, FS1, TBS, TNT, Golf Channel, Syfy, HGTV, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Bravo, Lifetime, Discovery, PBS, the CW, BBC, CSPAN, NBA TV, MTV, Comedy Central, Food Network, TLC, the Weather Channel, and NFL RedZone without cable, as well as free movies on YouTube. If you’re on the move, here’s how to watch Fox Sports Go and live stream NBC Sports.