Why Paywalls Are Killing College Football Paywalls and fragmented streaming block fans, raise costs, reduce viewership, and weaken tradition and engagement in college football. Maleehah Shakeel 4 hrs

College football Saturdays used to be simple yet magical. Barbecue in the air, fans wearing team colors, alma mater on TV, and rivalries everyone could watch. Today? That same game might be hidden across 24 different streaming platforms. The tradition hasn’t died; it’s been paywalled.

Welcome to streaming overload

Imagine this: You wake up excited to watch your team, grab the remote… and the game isn’t on ABC, FOX, CBS, or The CW. Instead, it’s scattered across a maze of streaming platforms:

ESPN, Paramount+, Peacock, Big Ten Network, SEC Network, Mountain West Network… and then you realize you also need ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPNU, FS1, HBO Max, YouTube, truTV, TNT, Spectrum Sports, SECN+, ACC Network, and NEC Front Row. In total, 24 platforms. This wide distribution means fans often have to s