The Ultimate Football Fan Guide: Watch College Football, NFL & More
by Explore Disney+ Contributor
September 4, 2026
Discover iconic football movies and shows like Chad Powers to watch between games, plus learn how to stream unlocked college football and follow the NFL on Disney+
Football season starts now! We’ve got details on how to watch college football*** and the NFL. Between kick-offs, Disney+ has a wide selection of sports movies and shows to hold you over until the next game. This football Watch Guide has important live schedule information, comedies like The Waterboy for a laid-back evening after the game, and shows with football legends like Eli Manning to reignite old debates before the next kickoff.
Follow The 2026 NFL & College Football Seasons With ESPN
Before kickoff, there are two things worth checking: Where the game is streaming and whether your plan gives you access. We’ve pulled the key 2026 football dates and viewing details together below, so you can spend less time hunting and more time watching.
How To Watch NFL & College Football With ESPN & Disney+
Disney+ is home to select ESPN programming, including live sports, for all subscribers.*** For even more football, choose a Disney+ bundle that includes ESPN Unlimited to unlock a wider lineup of ESPN networks and programming without leaving Disney+. Eligible bundle subscribers can watch live ESPN football coverage right in the Disney+ app.**
Get a closer look at Disney+ bundle options and what each one includes in our ESPN Unlimited explainer.
You can also add NFL+ Premium to eligible Disney+ plans.**** The add-on gives you access to NFL+ Premium through the NFL app, including NFL RedZone, full and condensed game replays, and more NFL programming. See our NFL+ Premium guide for more details on what’s included and how to sign up.
College Football: College GameDay, Rivalry Week & CFP
Throughout the season, Disney+ subscribers can stream two ESPN / ABC college football games each week as part of their existing subscription. The first announced College Football Saturdays matchups are below, and remaining games will be selected weekly.***
September 5, College GameDay: ESPN’s Saturday pregame show begins its 40th season with its 500th road show, broadcasting from Baton Rouge, LA, ahead of Clemson at LSU. College GameDay will stream on Disney+ every Saturday from 9am ET / 6am PT throughout the season.***
September 5, Week 1: Oregon State at Houston at 12pm ET / 9am PT. Baylor vs. Auburn follows at 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT as part of the Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
September 12, Week 2: Oregon at Oklahoma State at 12pm ET / 9am PT, followed by Alabama at Kentucky at 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT.
September 19, Week 3: North Carolina visits Clemson at 12pm ET / 9am PT.
More notable weeks to look forward to this season:
November 26–28, Rivalry Week: The final regular-season weekend features many of college football’s traditional rivalry games and can have major consequences for conference championships and the College Football Playoff.
December 4–5, Conference Championships: The major conferences stage their championship games, helping determine the final College Football Playoff (CFP) field.
December 6, CFP Selection Day: The 12-team playoff field is announced, and the bracket becomes official.
December 18–January 15, 2027, College Football Playoff: Six playoff games air across ESPN and ABC, including the National Championship. Check the schedule for each round to see when your game airs.
January 25, 2027, CFP National Championship: The season concludes in Las Vegas, simulcast on ESPN and ABC for the first time.
NFL Opening Week, Monday Night Football & Playoffs
Pro football returns September 9. ESPN’s first Monday Night Football game of the 2026 season follows on September 14, when Denver visits Kansas City at 8:15pm ET / 5:15pm PT. Stream Monday Night Football every week on ESPN. ESPN will also carry one Wild Card playoff game and one Divisional Round matchup.
Football Movies To Watch On Disney+
Some are inspiring true stories, others lean into comedy, but each captures the spirit of the game.
A Remarkable Story Of Courage & Perseverance: Remember the Titans
Two coaches with little reason to trust each other must lead a newly integrated Virginia high school football team through its first season. Denzel Washington’s Herman Boone and Will Patton’s Bill Yoast turn an uneasy partnership into a championship run in this big-hearted movie based on real events.
Add Remember the Titans to Watchlist
A Quarterback Meets His 8-Year-Old Daughter: The Game Plan
Joe Kingman can handle a stadium, but an 8-year-old daughter he never knew existed is another matter. Dwayne Johnson portrays his character’s superstar ego as Joe’s championship chase collides with school routines and the realities of parenting.
Add The Game Plan to Watchlist
The Bartender Who Made The Eagles: Invincible
Imagine walking into an NFL open tryout at 30, with no college football experience on your résumé. Mark Wahlberg plays Vince Papale, a substitute teacher and part-time bartender who takes his shot when Eagles coach Dick Vermeil opens the gates in 1976. The city is hungry for a turnaround, and Papale gives it someone to believe in.
The Bourbon Bowl Gets Weird: The Waterboy, Hulu
Bobby Boucher spends Saturdays handing out water until Coach Klein discovers that he can hit like a truck. Adam Sandler’s Louisiana college football comedy makes no bid for realism, which is exactly the point. The Mud Dogs and the Bourbon Bowl provide the zany backdrop for this football parody where Bobby finally finds his confidence. (Hulu)*
Add The Waterboy to Watchlist (login required) or learn more on Hulu.com
Football Shows On Disney+ & Hulu
Football season isn't just about the games. These shows celebrate the personalities, traditions, history, and larger-than-life stories that make the sport what it is.
A Suspicious New Recruit On Campus: Chad Powers, Hulu
Bad career move: Blow up your college football future. Worse recovery plan: Hide behind a fake identity and walk on somewhere else. In Chad Powers, Glen Powell plays disgraced quarterback Russ Holliday, who adopts the talented alter ego Chad Powers and joins the struggling South Georgia Catfish. The wins make his second chance sweeter, but every bit of attention puts the disguise at risk. Chad Powers Season 2 is now streaming. (Hulu)*
Add Chad Powers to Watchlist (login required) or learn more on Hulu.com
Eli Manning Goes Back To School: Eli’s Places, ESPN
College football has local rituals and history all its own. Eli Manning visits major programs to meet the people who keep the culture alive, with enough mischief to keep the show entertaining. Eli’s Places also gave us Manning’s undercover Penn State walk-on sketch as Chad Powers, giving the fictional comedy its odd origin story.
Available with a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Bundle subscription.**
Peyton Manning Goes Deep On Football Lore: Peyton’s Places, ESPN
Don’t have much time before the next game? Drop into an episode with Peyton Manning as he visits the people and places behind memorable plays and football traditions. His curiosity makes football history fascinating, while the standalone format makes it easy to watch any episode any time.
Available with a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Bundle subscription.**
Add Peyton’s Places to Watchlist
Football Through A True-Crime Lens: FX’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, Hulu
The first installment of FX’s American Sports Story is based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from The Boston Globe and Wondery. The 10-episode limited series charts the rise and fall of NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez and explores the disparate strands of his identity, family, career, suicide, and legacy in sports and American culture. (Hulu)*
Add FX’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez to Watchlist or learn more on Hulu.com
Football Documentaries & Real Football Stories
Want the real stories behind the game? These documentaries explore legendary teams, unforgettable controversies, and the history that continues to influence football today.
A Snowy Call That Wouldn’t Go Away: The Tuck Rule, ESPN
If you can hear the words “Tuck Rule” without immediately choosing a side, then congratulations, you might be the ideal viewer for this one. The 51-minute 30 for 30 documentary reunites Tom Brady and Charles Woodson two decades after the snowy 2002 playoff matchup that changed both of their careers. The former Michigan teammates revisit the controversy alongside the people who were there.
Available with a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Bundle subscription.**
Add The Tuck Rule to Watchlist
The Hurricanes Bring Their Own Soundtrack: The U, ESPN
Miami football did more than win in the 1980s. It built an identity the rest of the country either loved or loathed. Billy Corben’s 30 for 30 traces how Howard Schnellenberger’s South Florida recruiting helped turn the Hurricanes into a national power. It also considers race and class, connecting both to the city’s music and swagger. Watch for the football history, stay for the story of what The U represented.
Available with a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Bundle subscription.**
Why Three Backs Once Ruled Saturdays: Wishbone, ESPN
This 2025 SEC Storied documentary lets coaches explain how the wishbone offense changed college football. The formation helped revive major programs and left ideas that still turn up in modern schemes.
Available with a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Bundle subscription.**
The Slogan Behind A Notre Dame-Miami Classic: Catholics vs. Convicts, ESPN
Notre Dame hosted top-ranked Miami on October 15, 1988, and won 31–30 in a game still argued over today. Patrick Creadon’s 30 for 30 examines the rivalry and the student-made slogan that attached itself to the matchup. It also asks what the provocative label said about perception, identity, and the rivalry itself.
Available with a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Bundle subscription.**
Add Catholics vs. Convicts to Watchlist
More Sports Stories To Enjoy On Disney+
Still have time before kickoff? Browse more sports movies and shows, or dig into ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries. Curious about the fast-paced, no-tackle version of the game? Our Flag Football interview and explainer covers the basic rules and its Olympic future.
*Available for U.S. residents, 18+ only. Location data required to watch certain content. Select Hulu content available via Disney+; additional content only available via Hulu app. Offer valid for eligible subscribers only. Subject to Disney+ and ESPN Subscriber Agreement. Additional terms, app feature and device restrictions apply. For more information visit the Disney+ Help Center. © 2026 Disney and its related entities.
**Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Bundle: U.S. residents, 18+ only. Offer valid for eligible subscribers only. Cancel anytime, through your account settings or by contacting us, effective at the end of your billing period. Location data may be required to watch certain content. Use of the services is subject to the Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu Subscriber Agreement. For more information, including detailed information on billing and cancellation, please visit the Disney+ Help Center
ESPN: ESPN Select includes ESPN+ only; ESPN Unlimited includes all ESPN networks and services, including ESPN+. Content subject to change. For personal and non-commercial use only. Blackouts and other terms & restrictions apply. Additional features and functionalities available only in the ESPN App and on ESPN.com, and do not require purchasing through ESPN. © 2026 Disney and its related entities.
***Content subject to change. U.S. residents, 18+ only. A limited sampling of content from ESPN is now available to all Disney+ subscribers. Upgrade to a plan that includes ESPN to access the full ESPN on Disney+ experience; terms apply. © 2026 Disney and its related entities.
****U.S. residents, 18+ only. NFL+ Premium offer valid for eligible subscribers only; requires certain plans with ESPN Unlimited. Access content from each service separately. Feature and device compatibility varies by service. Each service is subject to its respective terms. For more information, including info on billing and cancelation, visit the Disney+ Help Center.
Discover More
Events & Sports
The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony On ABC & Disney+
September 3, 2026
