Watch today’s Illinois football game live without cable on the device of your choice, including iPhone, Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, and more.
Table of Contents
Although several live TV streaming services carry the channels you need to watch the Fighting Illini live, our top pick, fuboTV, sets itself apart by offering NBC Sports Chicago 4K and the Marquee Sports Network in the base package, as well as Big Ten Network, WCCU-TV FOX 55 Springfield, CBS, and NBC which are all important channels for watching Illinois football.
ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, NBC, Big Ten Network, NBC Sports Chicago, and more. | $74.99 / month | 7 Day Free Trial |
Watch FOX, ESPN, FS1, regional sports networks, and more. | $99.99 / month | 5 Day Free Trial |
Important channels
Illinois football games may still appear on ESPN when the Illini take on a non-conference foe or when they play in a Bowl Game, but ESPN no longer has the TV rights to air Big Ten Football or basketball games. The four most important channels for watching Big Ten football are FOX, NBC, CBS, and Big Ten Network. In the table below, we have listed the live TV streaming providers that carry all of the important channels for watching Big Ten Football and whether they currently offer a free trial.
| Fubo | FuboTV Sports Lite | DIRECTV STREAM – Choice | DIRECTV STREAM | Hulu + Live TV | Sling Orange & Blue | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| |||||||
| $74.99 / month | $84.99 / month | $99.99 / month | $74.99 / month | $69.99 / month | $50 / month | $72.99 / month |
Illini football player to watch – #4
We will have a close eye on Jer’Zhan Newton, the star DL for the Illini, this season. Newton, who wears #4 for Illinois football, is a beast on the interior of the defensive line and has graded out as the top returning interior DL in the country by Pro Football Focus. Newton has been quoted as saying his goal is to be the number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. When we tune in to Illini games this season, it will be fun to watch #4 chase his dream.
Our picks
Subscribing to fuboTV will get Illini fans all the channels they need to live stream Illini Football all season. The platform carries the Big Ten Network, FOX, NBC, and CBS. Although it’s unlikely the Illini will appear in a Big Noon Kickoff game this season, you can stream FOX’s featured noon game, as well as the Big Ten Championship game, live on fuboTV.
As an added bonus, fuboTV carries NBC Sports Chicago which allows Illinois sports fans to watch the Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox. fuboTV also features the Marquee Sports Network for live streaming Chicago Cubs games and the service is our top pick for watching the NFL, including the Chicago Bears.
fuboTV comes out of the box with 1,000 hours of DVR storage and fans have the option of recording an entire team’s season rather than having to set the DVR for each game. The setup process is easy and intuitive.
Read our fuboTV sports review.
Hulu + Live TV carries all the channels you need to live stream Illini Football in its base package, which includes a bundle with ESPN+ and Disney+.
Like fuboTV, Hulu also offers subscribers who live in Illinois and neighboring regions NBC Sports Chicago, however, Hulu does not carry the Marquee Sports Network for Cubs fans.
Read our Hulu + Live TV sports review.
Although users are required to sign up for a full Google account in order to use the platform which feels like overkilll, we love YouTube TV for watching football. YouTube TV carries all the necessary Big Ten Football channels.
YouTube TV has a growing lineup of 4K sports programming and its Key Plays and Stats View features are the most innovative we have seen in the sports streaming space.
Read our YouTube TV sports review.
DIRECTV STREAM carries all the channels you need to watch Illinois football, however, an upgrade to DIRECTV STREAM “Choice” is required to access Big Ten Network and the Chicago RSNs (NBC Sports Chicago and Marquee Sports Network).
FAQ
Because Sling TV doesn’t carry the local national channels in all markets, Sling TV isn’t a good solution for watching Big Ten Football under the new TV contract. Illini fans in Chicago can get FOX, NBC, and Big Ten Network with Sling TV Blue + Sports Extra, but the platform is missing CBS without the help of an air antenna. Champaign viewers can’t get FOX or NBC with Sling TV. Although Sling Blue + Sports Extra does offer savings over its rivals, most Illini fans will be better served with fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or DIRECTV STREAM “Choice” than with Sling TV.