How To Watch the Alamo Bowl
Get ready for the 2025 Alamo Bowl
I always circle the Alamo Bowl on my calendar because it consistently feels like the unofficial championship of college football’s “upper middle class.” It’s that perfect sweet spot where you get two top-ranked teams that just missed the College Football Playoff cut, playing with a massive chip on their shoulders. The atmosphere inside the Alamodome is electric—literally and figuratively—since the indoor setting guarantees a fast pace and zero weather delays, usually resulting in the kind of high-scoring chaos that ruins betting the under.
This year’s game in San Antonio is particularly fascinating because it serves as a zombie reunion for the old Pac-12. Due to a unique contract quirk for the 2025 season, the Pac-12 representative can actually be drawn from a legacy pool that includes former members now playing in the Big Ten or ACC. That means we could see a surreal matchup between a Big 12 heavyweight and a team like USC or Oregon, technically playing as a Pac-12 team one last time. It’s a bizarre, nostalgic, and completely unmissable storyline for any die-hard fan.
My goal with this guide is to make sure you don’t miss a snap of this historical oddity. Whether you’re looking for a quick free trial to catch the kickoff or a long-term streaming plan to get you through the rest of bowl season, I’ve broken down exactly how to watch the Alamo Bowl. Read on.
What channel shows the Valero Alamo Bowl?
You can watch the 2025 Alamo Bowl live on ESPN on Tuesday, December 30. Coverage begins at 9:00 p.m. ET from the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Because this is a primetime ESPN broadcast, you won’t be able to watch it with a standard digital antenna. You will need a pay-TV provider or a live TV streaming service that carries the network.
Best TV plans for watching the Valero Alamo Bowl
If you want the absolute best value for bowl season, I recommend signing up for Hulu + Live TV. Since ESPN and ABC are Disney-owned properties, Hulu offers the most seamless integration for these games. You get over 95 channels, including the essential ESPN suite, plus you get Disney+ and ESPN Select bundled in for free. It’s the smartest play if you want to watch the Alamo Bowl and then binge-watch movies or start a TV show afterwards without switching apps.
For those of you strictly looking to save money, Sling TV‘s Orange plan remains my favorite budget option. It’s the cheapest way to get a live feed of ESPN without paying for a massive channel lineup you won’t use. Just be aware that Sling Orange is a single-stream plan, so you can’t share your password with a buddy during the game.
Alternatively, if you really just want this one specific channel, you can look into the new standalone ESPN Unlimited service, which provides a direct live stream of the network without a full cable package.
How to watch the Alamo Bowl FAQ
How can I watch the Valero Alamo Bowl for free?
You can watch the game for free by signing up for a streaming service that offers a free trial, such as DIRECTV, Fubo, or YouTube TV. Just be sure to cancel before the trial period ends.
Where is the Alamo Bowl played?
The Alamo Bowl takes place annually at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The indoor stadium is located just minutes from the famous San Antonio Riverwalk.
What conferences play in the Valero Alamo Bowl?
The game features the No. 1 selection from the Big 12 Conference against the No. 1 selection from the "Pac-12 Legacy Pool," which for 2025 includes current Pac-12 members and former members now in the Big Ten or ACC.
Why you should trust us
Our CableTV.com editorial team researched the Alamo Bowl’s official broadcast rights and cross-referenced them with the channel lineups of every major TV provider. We then selected our viewing recommendations based on our hands-on testing, identifying the most cost-effective and straightforward ways for you to watch the game.
To learn more about our methods, check out our How We Rank page.
