Spectrum Customer? Here’s How to Stream Sports for Free This Weekend.
While Charter Spectrum and Disney duke it out over waning revenues from live sports, fans like you are left holding the bag. Sorry, but your college football, U.S. Open, and Monday Night Football (MNF) coverage are all now being leveraged in corporate negotiations.
Carrier disputes like Spectrum vs. Disney are common
Our experts know it can be very frustrating, but this type of dispute is fairly common and is usually resolved within a few days or weeks. In fact, DISH Network and Sling TV had a similar dispute with the NFL in 2020, only to have NFL Network and NFL RedZone returned to their channel lineups just before the season started.
That said, what should Spectrum customers do? Disney is pushing fans toward its Hulu + Live TV bundle. It’s a decent option, but we wouldn’t recommend it … at least at first.
In a nutshell, we wouldn’t hop into another contract before the situation comes to a resolution or unless your monthly subscription is set to expire. According to Spectrum’s website, you “will pay Spectrum in full for Services and Equipment through the end of the then-current monthly subscription service period.”
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Don’t panic … use a free trial instead of signing another contract
In spite of the apocalyptic rhetoric from CEOs, industry operators, and pundits, the situation may very well be resolved soon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney issued a statement early Thursday, “Disney stands ready to resolve this dispute and do what’s in the best interest of Charter’s customers.”
In this particular case, we recommend using a live TV streaming service with a free trial for the next couple of weekends while you wait for a resolution or signing up for a Hulu + Live TV bundle, which doesn’t come with a free trial, when your contract expires (if you’re ready to cut the cord for good and you’re a Disney stan).
Spectrum customers can stream sports for free this weekend
For folks who prefer the traditional look and feel of cable, we recommend DIRECTV STREAM, which offers a five-day free trial. That’ll get you your college football, U.S. Open, and MNF coverage on ESPN without an additional contract or paying double.
The second option is fuboTV, which offers a seven-day free trial and features a ton of other live sports like soccer. Unfortunately, YouTube TV with NFL Sunday Ticket doesn’t offer any free trials at this time, so hardcore NFL fans will have to grin and bear a more expensive sticker price.
Until the tide shifts completely away from linear TV providers like Spectrum, you’ve got options. Just don’t get caught in the riptide of emotion that surrounds a carrier dispute because Spectrum and Disney might very well make up. If they do, you might be the one left holding the bag with two TV payments.
Mike Strayer, PhD, has written and edited TV, internet, and tech content across the interwebs for over eight years. As Managing Editor of CableTV.com, he nerds out dissecting labyrinthian channel lineups and sifting through massive on-demand libraries. Off the clock, catch him on his couch deep in The Twilight Zone or wandering Westworld.
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