Trying to ditch cable, how to stream football games?

[zseese]

First off let me say I am more than willing to pay a subscription and can stream wirelessly from my computer to my tv so I don't have to have a standalone app, but I don't know what site/app to use to stream LIVE football. I hear ESPN3 has a lot of blackouts and OU plays on FSSW often anyways so even though I have ESPN3, it's not always an option, any other good, reliable choices out there?

[8timechamps]

First off let me say I am more than willing to pay a subscription and can stream wirelessly from my computer to my tv so I don't have to have a standalone app, but I don't know what site/app to use to stream LIVE football. I hear ESPN3 has a lot of blackouts and OU plays on FSSW often anyways so even though I have ESPN3, it's not always an option, any other good, reliable choices out there?

The only thing I've ever used is ESPN3. I did download the WatchESPN app (for my phone) this offseason, so I'll be using that some. Check with your cable provider (I know you want to ditch cable), and see if they offer channel streaming. I get FSN, but not all the regional channels (I can pay $5/mo to add them, but unless OU is playing on a regional channel, I won't). So, I'd kinda be interested in more streaming options myself.

[badger]

I wouldn't mind ditching cable, either. There's a lot of nonsense channels that I could do without that I never watch.

Give me the locals and the sports and the rest I can part with.

[yermom]

i've used firstrowsports.eu on my PC on occasion

you should probably secure your browser to block popups and scripts first though. i've seen bad things happen... i've never had a problem though.

(i'm using Chrome, AdBlock+ and FlashBlock)

[CowboyMRW]

firstrowsports gave me a rootkit that took me days to remove. I'm not a fan of that site.

ESPN3 has never blacked out at my place, and many times it will carry the FSSW games and Big 12 network for basketball.

[85sooners]

Do any of y'all pick up the live games on your iPhones ?

[yermom]

firstrowsports gave me a rootkit that took me days to remove. I'm not a fan of that site.

ESPN3 has never blacked out at my place, and many times it will carry the FSSW games and Big 12 network for basketball.

thus the disclaimer :biggrin:

from what i can tell, it's the questionable ads that are the issue

[jkjsooner]

ESPN3 has never blacked out at my place, and many times it
will carry the FSSW games and Big 12 network for basketball.

But you currently have cable TV, right? Do you have Internet through the cable company?

The reason I ask is that ESPN3 authenticates you and verifies that you have ESPN service - at least through many cable companies.

Just looked it up. According to wikipedia the cable provider has to pay ESPN. However, I remember from last year that Time Warner had a separate deal in which they didn't have to pay for ESPN3 and ESPN would provide the service to Time Warner Internet users if and only if they have ESPN channels through Time Warner Cable.

I had DirecTv but Time Warner for Internet and I couldn't get ESPN3.

So to summarize, as I understand it to get ESPN3 one of the following has to be true:

1. Your Internet provider pays a fee per customer to ESPN.
2. Your Internet/cable provider already provides ESPN channels to you and they have a deal with ESPN to not have to charge anything additional for ESPN3 via the Internet.

[CowboyMRW]

I don't pay for cable b/c I'm never at my house because of work. But my internet is through Cox.

Also, a little bit of information that Deadspin posted today.

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=e335d8fd97a669470df1bedbf94e17d4&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shaggybevo.com%2Fboard%2Fshow thread.php%2F116597-Cord-Cutters-ESPN3-will-not-have-the-football-you-want-to-watch-this-season&v=1&libid=1346298061705&out=http%3A%2F%2Fdeadspin.com%2F5938857%2Fespn-prepping-its-talent-for-a-twitter-%24%23%40!storm-after-deciding-to-no-longer-air-must%2Bwatch-games-on-espn3&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shaggybevo.com%2Fboard%2Fforu mdisplay.php%2F7&title=Cord%20Cutters%20-%20ESPN3%20will%20not%20have%20the%20football%20yo u%20want%20to%20watch%20this%20season&txt=http%3A%2F%2Fdeadspin.com%2F5938857%2Fespn-pre...games-on-espn3&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13462981928421

Basically it says that ESPN is pulling all major games from the ESPN3 lineup which blows because all I have is my XBOX. This is a major deal for me only on days when OSU plays away games, but still. It sucks big time.

[cleller]

A couple of years ago I had this down pat, and posted some links, but I can no longer find the thread. Doesn't matter, though, because I think the Feds shut down just about all of them.

I'd google around with "american football" or Ncaa and P2P, to see if anything is out there. A lot of that stuff you had to wait until Sat to see what was going to be posted. My wife got so tired of me searching all that stuff that she ordered Dish.

[zseese84]

Well if I got rid of cable and just had Internet (uverse) I would only get espn 3 which from the listing I see for this weekend does not include the ou/utep broadcast on fssw, so looks like I'm just going to downgrade to basic cable when football season is over then re up to my current package next August, it's the only really good way to be sure to catch all the away games and other teams games, I just wish there was a better way, but alas, there doesn't seem to be, I don't see why espn and fssw don't want MY money!

[yermom]

i guess there is also justin.tv

[8timechamps]

i guess there is also justin.tv

I've watched some games on justin.tv, and I'm sure the OU game will show up there. The only downside to justin.tv, is the quality usually sucks.

[zseese84]

I've heard of justin.tv, but heard the quality sucks too so I haven't tried it, maybe that will be my last ditch effort

[CowboyMRW]

Instead of ESPN3, they have WatchESPN now. But I think there are only like 6 internet providers that have it. I know Cox doesn't.

I was thinking of calling up Cox to see if somehow I could get it.

[8timechamps]

Instead of ESPN3, they have WatchESPN now. But I think there are only like 6 internet providers that have it. I know Cox doesn't.

I was thinking of calling up Cox to see if somehow I could get it.

The whole thing is just strange. Originally, it was ESPN360, then it became ESPN3. Not too long ago, ESPN launched WatchESPN, which I assumed was the same as ESPN3. But it's not. Don't know why ESPN still offers ESPN3 and WatchESPN, but it sounds like all the big games are being moved to WatchESPN.

[zseese]

There are four WatchESPN providers I believe, it is just a mobile way to watch ESPN if you ALREADY HAVE the espn subscription with you participating cable provider...

[8timechamps]

There are four WatchESPN providers I believe, it is just a mobile way to watch ESPN if you ALREADY HAVE the espn subscription with you participating cable provider...

So, ESPN3 is kinda like the "free version" of WatchESPN?

[zseese84]

There are four WatchESPN providers I believe, it is just a mobile way to watch ESPN if you ALREADY HAVE the espn subscription with you participating cable provider...

So, ESPN3 is kinda like the "free version" of WatchESPN?

No, watchespn requires an espn subscription through a specific provider(only 4 right now) and has a lot more content/less blackouts. Espn 3 requires only that you have a specific ISP (quite a few, AT&T and cox are examples) but has less content and live games that are being broadcast in your area are often blacked out