How to Stream the Rose Bowl Game Live for Free This New Year’s Day

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New Year’s Day is all about one event for college football fans: the Rose Bowl. This year’s matchup takes place on Thursday, January 1, 2026, pitting No. 1 seed Indiana against No. 9 seed Alabama in front of over 90,000 fans at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. Whether you’re nursing a New Year’s hangover or hosting a watch party, streaming the Rose Bowl game is easier than ever—no cable subscription required.

How to Watch the Rose Bowl 2026 at a Glance

Known as “The Granddaddy of Them All,” the Rose Bowl has been a New Year’s Day tradition since 1902, making it the oldest bowl game in college football history. This year’s matchup features undefeated Big Ten champion Indiana facing Alabama in what will be the first-ever meeting between these two programs. The game serves as a College Football Playoff Quarterfinal, with the winner advancing to the semifinals at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on January 9. The broadcast will include extensive pre-game coverage, in-depth analysis, and behind-the-scenes access to one of college football’s most prestigious events.

The Rose Bowl isn’t just about the game itself. The annual Tournament of Roses Parade precedes kickoff, featuring elaborate floats decorated entirely with flowers, seeds, and natural materials. This beloved tradition draws millions of viewers and sets the stage for the football showdown that follows. This year marks a historic moment for Indiana, making just its second Rose Bowl appearance ever and first since 1968, while Alabama seeks redemption after a first-round playoff victory over Oklahoma.

Ready to stream today’s game? Below, you’ll find detailed information about free viewing options and streaming services that carry ESPN, so you can catch the Rose Bowl 2026 without breaking the bank.

How to Watch the Rose Bowl 2026 on ESPN

The Rose Bowl 2026 airs on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. If you don’t have cable, you can still catch the game through streaming services that carry ESPN and offer free trials.

DirecTV Stream is a solid choice, offering ESPN across all its packages with a five-day free trial. Plans start at $89.99 per month after the trial ends. Fubo is another strong option with a seven-day free trial, and ESPN is included in its Pro package for $79.99 monthly. Hulu + Live TV provides access to ESPN at $89.99 per month and sweetens the deal by bundling Disney+, Hulu’s on-demand library, and ESPN Plus together. Sling TV offers ESPN through its Orange package at $45.99 per month, making it the most budget-friendly option for live sports streaming. Keep on reading ahead for a full breakdown of your streaming options.

Best Overall & EDITOR’S PICK

Watch the 2026 Rose Bowl with DirecTV Stream

– Free trial: 5 days
– Includes local networks and 90+ channels

DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial and four plans—Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate, and Premier—all of which include ESPN. Entertainment comes with over 90 channels and costs $89.99 per month (currently $49.99 for your first month); Choice, which comes with over 125 channels and costs $94.99 per month (currently $59.99 for your first month); Ultimate, which comes with over 160 channels and costs $124.99 per month (currently $89.99 for your first month); and Premier, which comes with over 185 channels and costs $169.99 per month (currently $124.99 per month).

We tested every streaming service offering a free trial in 2025, and DirecTV came out on top as our editor’s pick. With its free trial and massive selection of channels and local networks, it’s a great choice for watching the 2026 Rose Bowl on ESPN.

Best Flexible Pick

Watch the 2026 Rose Bowl with Fubo

– Free trial: Up to 5 days
– Includes local networks and 200+ channels

Fubo is a more flexible option for watching the 2026 Rose Bowl with ESPN included in its Sports, Pro, and Elite plans. The service provides four tiers: Sports + News with 29 channels at $55 per month (currently $45.99 for the first month), Pro with 214 channels at $77.99 per month (currently $48.99 for the first month), Elite with 278 channels at $93.99 per month (currently $53.99 for the first month), and Latino with 55 channels at $14.99 per month (currently $9.99 for the first month). New subscribers can take advantage of Fubo’s one-day free trial to watch the broadcast (five days for the Latino plan). With these first-month discounts offering up to $40 in savings, Fubo also delivers plenty of live TV options beyond the New Year’s Day game.

Best Bundle Pick

Watch the 2026 Rose Bowl with Hulu + Live TV

– Free trial: 3 days
– Large library of shows, movies, and Hulu Originals

Hulu + Live TV offers four plans. The cheapest plan, Live TV Only, costs $81.99 per month and comes with access to Hulu’s live TV content. The next cheapest plan costs $1 more at $82.99 per month and comes with Hulu’s live TV content, as well as access to Hulu’s streaming library with ads, Disney+ with ads, and ESPN+ with ads. For Disney+ with no ads, users can subscribe for $87.99 per month. And for Hulu and Disney+ with no ads, the price is $95.99 per month. Viewers can stream ESPN to watch the 2026 Rose Bowl on all Hulu + Live TV plans.

Best BUDGET Pick

Watch the 2026 Rose Bowl with Sling TV

– Daily, weekend, and weekly passes
– 30+ channels

Sling TV offers flexible viewing with multiple plan options that include ESPN. The Sling Orange package costs $45.99 per month with over 30 channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3, making it the most budget-friendly monthly option for live sports streaming. For viewers who want additional sports coverage, Sling offers a Sports Extra add-on for an additional $11 per month, which also includes channels like SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNU, and ESPNEWS. Additionally, Sling now offers short-term options like a Day Pass for $4.99, a Weekend Pass for $9.99, and a Week Pass for $14.99 for viewers who only want temporary access to watch the Rose Bowl.

Where does the Rose Bowl take place?

The 2026 Rose Bowl takes place at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. The historic venue, which opened in 1922, seats over 90,000 fans and has hosted five Super Bowls, the 1994 FIFA World Cup final, and multiple College Football Playoff games. The stadium sits in a natural bowl formation in the Arroyo Seco canyon, providing a stunning backdrop against the San Gabriel Mountains for one of college football’s most iconic settings.

Who is playing in the Rose Bowl 2026?

The 2026 Rose Bowl features No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers facing No. 9 seed Alabama Crimson Tide in a College Football Playoff Quarterfinal. Indiana enters the game undefeated at 13-0 after winning the Big Ten Championship, marking the program’s first conference title since 1967. Alabama advanced to the Rose Bowl with an 11-3 record following a 34-24 first-round playoff victory over Oklahoma. This matchup marks the first-ever meeting between these two programs in football history.

Who is favored to win the 2026 Rose Bowl?

Indiana enters the Rose Bowl as a seven-point favorite over Alabama, according to NBC Sports. The Hoosiers hold -245 to -250 moneyline odds, while Alabama sits at 200+ to 205+ odds. ESPN’s Football Power Index projects Indiana to win by 5.9 points with a 71 percent probability to win the game outright. Despite the odds favoring Indiana, roughly 75 percent of bets and 72 percent of money are backing Alabama. But as we all know, you’ll have to tune in to see who actually takes the cake.