I’ve seen approximately 14 million posts regarding the broadcast of Saturday’s game, with some confusion and misinformation in some threads, so I decided to type up a primer for everyone who may or may not still be confused.
First off, SEC Network +. This is NOT The SEC Network Alternate channel. You can’t find SECN+ on your channel guide on DIRECTV or Xfinity. You can find it on any ESPN app and online at espn.com/watch. If you have a cable or satellite provider with SEC Network, you can watch SEC Network + stuff for free, all you have to do is sign in with your TV provider. If you have ever watched a Georgia non-conference basketball or baseball game online or through the ESPN app, it most likely was through SECN+. Our non-football sports have been on SECN+ a lot for the last 7 years, this platform is not new, just new for football games.
Secondly, ESPN+. This is ESPN’s premium subscription service. This is different from having a cable or satellite provider, this is completely independent of that. If you have SEC Network, you don't even need ESPN+ to watch the game. Regarding ESPN+, I think they still have a one-week free trial, so that’s an option for some people, but if you have the Disney bundle, you will have ESPN+ with your Hulu and Disney + as well. I don’t have the Disney bundle, so I’m not sure how exactly logging in with the Disney bundle works, but if you just have an ESPN account you use for fantasy football, etc. that’s the same log in you can use to sign-up for ESPN+. If you have the Disney bundle, you can watch ESPN+ on Hulu right now. You can’t watch ESPN+ on Hulu if you have it separate from the Disney bundle, per their FAQ’s. That means, for example, if you have Hulu Live TV with the Disney bundle and that’s how you watch games normally, you won’t even have to change apps to watch this game.
Now, let’s say you have a computer where you can watch SECN+ or ESPN+ content, but don’t know how exactly to get it to your TV. If you have cable or satellite, this may be you. If you have a smart TV, the ESPN app should be available pre-loaded on your TV’s Smart Hub. Every Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TV I have ever seen has it already there. If you don’t have a smart TV, I would recommend getting a streaming device like a Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast, but a simple HDMI cable from your computer to your laptop will suffice as well. Roku and Apple TV work like a smart TV, all it needs is to be hooked up to your internet and you can access the ESPN app easily. The ESPN app also comes preloaded on the home screen on both Roku and Apple TV devices. You can find a cheap Roku at Walmart for like $25-35. If you’re doing the computer route, most new laptops don’t have an HDMI port, so you might need to get an adapter. Once again, there are some cheap ones at Walmart. With Chromecast hooked up, you can play the game on your computer or phone and if it’s on the same wifi network, it can cast to your TV. If you’re confused about all of this, just call your kids or grandkids.
If you’re like me and watch games through a streaming device already, Saturday will be nothing new. However, if you rely on cable or satellite for your games, welcome to the new age of sports broadcasting. It may be a hassle, but there shouldn’t be a hassle too big to prevent any of us from watching the Dawgs.
First off, SEC Network +. This is NOT The SEC Network Alternate channel. You can’t find SECN+ on your channel guide on DIRECTV or Xfinity. You can find it on any ESPN app and online at espn.com/watch. If you have a cable or satellite provider with SEC Network, you can watch SEC Network + stuff for free, all you have to do is sign in with your TV provider. If you have ever watched a Georgia non-conference basketball or baseball game online or through the ESPN app, it most likely was through SECN+. Our non-football sports have been on SECN+ a lot for the last 7 years, this platform is not new, just new for football games.
Secondly, ESPN+. This is ESPN’s premium subscription service. This is different from having a cable or satellite provider, this is completely independent of that. If you have SEC Network, you don't even need ESPN+ to watch the game. Regarding ESPN+, I think they still have a one-week free trial, so that’s an option for some people, but if you have the Disney bundle, you will have ESPN+ with your Hulu and Disney + as well. I don’t have the Disney bundle, so I’m not sure how exactly logging in with the Disney bundle works, but if you just have an ESPN account you use for fantasy football, etc. that’s the same log in you can use to sign-up for ESPN+. If you have the Disney bundle, you can watch ESPN+ on Hulu right now. You can’t watch ESPN+ on Hulu if you have it separate from the Disney bundle, per their FAQ’s. That means, for example, if you have Hulu Live TV with the Disney bundle and that’s how you watch games normally, you won’t even have to change apps to watch this game.
Now, let’s say you have a computer where you can watch SECN+ or ESPN+ content, but don’t know how exactly to get it to your TV. If you have cable or satellite, this may be you. If you have a smart TV, the ESPN app should be available pre-loaded on your TV’s Smart Hub. Every Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TV I have ever seen has it already there. If you don’t have a smart TV, I would recommend getting a streaming device like a Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast, but a simple HDMI cable from your computer to your laptop will suffice as well. Roku and Apple TV work like a smart TV, all it needs is to be hooked up to your internet and you can access the ESPN app easily. The ESPN app also comes preloaded on the home screen on both Roku and Apple TV devices. You can find a cheap Roku at Walmart for like $25-35. If you’re doing the computer route, most new laptops don’t have an HDMI port, so you might need to get an adapter. Once again, there are some cheap ones at Walmart. With Chromecast hooked up, you can play the game on your computer or phone and if it’s on the same wifi network, it can cast to your TV. If you’re confused about all of this, just call your kids or grandkids.
If you’re like me and watch games through a streaming device already, Saturday will be nothing new. However, if you rely on cable or satellite for your games, welcome to the new age of sports broadcasting. It may be a hassle, but there shouldn’t be a hassle too big to prevent any of us from watching the Dawgs.
