Cord Cutting Guides, News, and Reviews
Last modified: February 12, 2019
By Stephen Lovely
So you don't like cable, but you don't want to go without college sports. In particular, you don't want to miss out on any of the action from the Southeastern Conference. But SEC Network is an ESPN-owned channel that is available only through pay TV services like cable and satellite. So what can you do? Fear not: we're here to show you how to watch SEC Network without cable. Below, we'll lay out everything you need to know in order to grab an SEC Network live stream before the big game starts. We have free trial offers, great cable alternatives, and a host of ways to keep your cord-cutting lifestyle while still catching every big moment from every season of SEC college sports. Here's how to watch SEC Network without cable.
Here are a few of our favorite ways to stream the SEC Network:
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SEC Network is a type of TV channel that we call “network television.” As you may know, “broadcast television” channels can be watched for free over the air. But you can't watch SEC Network free (at least, not forever – more on free trials in a moment!), because it is not broadcast over the air.
But wait — there's some good news, too. You may need a pay TV multichannel service like cable or satellite to watch SEC Network, but that doesn't mean that the pay TV service you use has to be cable or satellite. There's another type of multichannel service around that you really, really need to know about.
We're talking about skinny bundles. What is a skinny bundle? Well, it's a pay TV multichannel service, for starters: it offers live broadcasts from multiple network television stations, and you pay by the month to keep your subscription.
That sounds a lot like cable and satellite, and it is. But there are other ways in which skinny bundles are very, very different from cable and satellite.
Most importantly, skinny bundles are delivered over the internet. They're streaming services — think of them as being like Netflix, but for live television. Since they're online services, you won't deal with any regional monopolies. There's plenty of competition, which means lower prices and no monopolistic practices: for instance, you won't be forced to buy hundreds of channels just to get the few that you actually want to watch (skinny bundles' tendency to offer leaner, more cost-effective channel packages is where they got their “skinny bundle” nickname). Plus, since these are online streaming services, you can watch them almost anywhere and on almost any type of device. When we show you how to watch SEC Network without cable using the services below, we'll also be showing you how to watch SEC Network without cable on your smartphone, tablet, streaming device, smart TV, computer, and more!
Not every skinny bundle can hook you up with an SEC Network live stream, of course. But, happily for us, plenty of these services do have live feeds of SEC Network on offer. Happier still, every one of the services we list below offers a free trial – so you can watch SEC Network online for free while you decide if you want to keep your subscription. Here are the skinny bundles that you should consider as ways to watch SEC Network without cable.
Stream the SEC Network for Free with Hulu
You may already know about Hulu, which has been around for years as an on-demand streaming service that competes with the likes of Netflix and HBO. Hulu with Live TV is comparatively new, but it's already a strong competitor in the skinny bundle market. The $39.99-per-month subscription service (the price will rise to $44.99 per month in late February of 2019), which also includes a subscription to Hulu's on-demand service, is a great solution to the problem of how to watch SEC Network without cable. You can sign up for Hulu with Live TV's free trial offer above, which will give you immediate access to an SEC Network live stream. For more on Hulu and its live TV service, check out our Hulu review.
Stream the SEC Network for Free with Sling TV
Many skinny bundles organize their content in tiers: if you want a channel that is only available in a larger bundle, you have to shell out the cash for that big bundle and get all of its channels together. Not so with Sling TV: while you still start with a base bundle (Sling Orange is $25 per month, Sling Blue is also $25 per month, and both together are $40 per month), you are free after that to add whatever “Extras” you want. Extras are mini add-on bundles that make little groups of like-minded channels available on the cheap. You can get your hands on an SEC Network live stream through Sling TV by starting with Sling Orange (or both base bundles) and then adding “Sports Extra” for $5 per month. Sports Extra also includes SEC Network+. For more on Sling TV, read our Sling TV review. You can check out any combination of Sling TV bundles and Extras for free for a week by signing up for the service's free trail offer using the link above.
Stream the SEC Network for Free with PlayStation Vue
Like some competitors, PlayStation Vue offers subscribers a choice of several different bundles at different price points and with different channel counts. Pay more and, of course, you'll get more. Each larger bundle includes all of the channels that its smaller compatriots do. You'll first encounter an SEC Network live stream in “Core,” which is PlayStation Vue's second-smallest bundle. Core will cost you $49.99 per month — after you free trial is up, of course. Grab the free trial by clicking on the link above, or read our PlayStation Vue review to learn more.
Google's skinny bundle service is not yet available in all markets. But for those who are already included in YouTube TV's regional rollout, the service offers a fantastic solution to the problem of how to watch SEC Network without cable. YouTube TV costs $40 per month, and its channel lineup includes an SEC Network live stream. Like many competitors, YouTube TV offers a free trial period — to get your hands on that offer. Also see our YouTube TV review.
DirecTV Now offer subscribers their choice of four different bundles. The bundles are set up as tiers of service: the more you pay, the more channels you get. Each larger bundle includes all of the channels that its smaller counterparts do, while (of course) bringing a few new ones into the mix. SEC Network makes its entrance with “Just Right,” DirecTV Now's second-smallest skinny bundle offering. Just Right costs $55 per month after your free trial wraps up. We gave this service high marks in our DirecTV Now review, and it's a very strong choice for folks hoping to watch SEC Network without cable.
SEC action was meant for the big screen. So, now that we know how to watch SEC Network without cable, it's time to solve a related problem: how to watch SEC Network without cable on your favorite devices.
Good news: the streaming services we listed above work on a ton of different streaming platforms and devices. Here's what you need to know.
Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Now each offer apps for Roku devices.
Fire TV users have lots of choices, too: Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Now.
Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Now each work on Apple TV devices.
Google Chromecast devices work great with Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Now.
Android TV users have Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and YouTube TV as their options.
Then there's mobile support: you'll be able to download apps for iOS and Android that will let you watch SEC Network without cable using Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Now.
You can, of course, watch your SEC Network live stream on your computer if you so desire! Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Now each work on computers using desktop and/or in-browser apps.
Even video game consoles are in the mix here. You can watch SEC Network without cable on Xbox One using the apps for Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. PlayStation owners can watch PlayStation Vue on their PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 video game consoles. Hulu works on Nintendo Switch, too.
In other words, there are a lot of ways to watch SEC Network without cable! So why not grab a few free trials and see for yourself how easy and affordable it can be to get your hands on an SEC Network live stream?
