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Whether you’re cheering for Notre Dame to claim their first victory over Ohio State since 1936, a Buckeyes fan hoping to continue their historic dominance in this rivalry, or simply a lover of college football’s final—we’ve got you covered when it comes to how to watch the National Championship live for free.
Related: How to Watch College Football Bowl Games For Cheap
The College Football Playoff National Championship is the finale of the college football season, where the best teams battle it out after a grueling playoff journey. This year’s expanded playoff format has led us to an unexpected but thrilling matchup between two of the sport’s most renowned programs, setting the stage for what promises to be an intense championship game.
This year’s matchup features two teams that have become increasingly familiar with each other. The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish will meet for the third consecutive season, with Ohio State having claimed victory in their previous encounters, including a narrow 17-14 win in South Bend in 2024.
With the national title hanging in the balance, this historic clash promises to deliver—which is exactly why you’ll want to know how to watch the National Championship live for free, so you don’t miss a single moment of the action! Keep on reading ahead for our tips.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game starts on Monday, January 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game 2025 will air on ESPN, which is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Sling Orange, Fubo, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, and starts at $86.99 per month after the trial ends (with $10 off your first three months). Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, and starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends.
Sling Orange and Hulu+ With Live TV don’t have free trials, however, they offer cheaper packages and more bang for your buck than the other options. Sling Orange costs $23 for your first month and starts at $45.99 per month after the first month ends, whereas Hulu+ With Live TV starts at $81.99 per month and offers plans that include free subscriptions to both Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch ESPN live for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. Direct TV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $86.99 per month; Choice, which costs $114.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $129.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $169.99 per month. ESPN is available with all four plans.
As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and Starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the National Championship Game 2025 with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com‘s packages page
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching the National Championship Game 2025
Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch the National Championship Game 2025 live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers three plans: Pro, which costs $79.99 per month, Elite, which costs $89.99 per month, and Latino, which costs $32.99 per month. ESPN is included in the Pro and Elite plans.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Ultimate includes everything in Pro and Elite, as well as a total of 299 channels, Showtime, and Red Zone NFL Network. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the National Championship Game 2025 with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching the National Championship Game 2025
Sling TV is our best budget pick to watch the National Championship Game live for its price and channel selection. Sling TV offers three plans: Sling Orange for $45.99 per month; Sling Blue for $50.99 per month; and Sling Orange + Blue for $65.99 per month. Sling also has a current deal where subscribers can sign up for 50 percent off their first month, bringing Sling Orange’s price down to $23 for your first month; Sling Blue’s to $25.50 for your first month; and Sling Orange + Blue’s to $33 for your first month. Only Sling Orange and Sling Orange + Blue include ESPN. Both of those plans also include ESPN 2 and ESPN 3.
As for the difference between the plans, Sling Orange includes 32 channels and the ability to stream on one device at a time, while Sling Orange + Blue includes 46 channels and the ability to stream on three devices at the same time. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the National Championship Game with Sling.
- Visit Sling.com
- Click “Try Us Today”
- Create an account
- Choose your plan
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching
Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch the National Championship Game 2025 based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $81.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $87.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $95.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. ESPN is included in all four plans. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch the National Championship Game 2025 with Hulu+ Live TV.
- Visit Hulu.com/liveTV
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching the National Championship Game 2025
The No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2) will face the No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-1). This marks the ninth meeting between these historic programs, with Ohio State holding a commanding lead in the series.
Ohio State enters fresh off their impressive playoff run, including a decisive victory against top-seeded Oregon in the Rose Bowl and a dramatic 28-14 win over Texas sealed by Jack Sawyer’s clutch strip-sack and 83-yard touchdown return. Meanwhile, Notre Dame made history as the first program to win two bowl games in a single season, culminating in their thrilling 27-24 victory over Penn State in the Orange Bowl.
The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the nation’s premier sporting venues and a fitting stage for college football’s biggest game of the year.
The National Championship airs on Monday, January 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Here’s how to stream it for free.