Two years ago, Vince McMahon was excited to bring back XFL and provide some much-needed competition to the NFL. He even pumped $200 million into the league and signed deals with ESPN to have the 2019 league aired on the network.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit and the WWE magnate ended up selling the league for $15 million to Dwayne Johnson, RedBird Capital and Dany Garcia. The new owners would certainly have wished to get things started as soon as possible.
But with the pandemic in full force, they settled to skip the 2021 season. That means XFL fans will have until next year to watch the likes of Tampa Bay Vipers and the Dallas Renegades face off. All the same, below is a list of platforms interested in airing XFL matches.
FOX Sports
Before the Dwayne Johnson-led group of investors took over the XFL, Vince McMahon had already signed a deal with Fox Sports to have the network broadcast XFL games. Fox would have aired nine matches through FS1 and a final match on FS2.
When the XFL returns, you’ll have a chance to watch games through one of Fox’s sports channels plus its Fox Sports GO app. The app is mainly available in the US. But you can always install it with the help of Virtual Private Network while abroad for a vacation or work.
ESPN/ABC
ESPN has never shied away from broadcasting any sport event as long as there’s an audience. Unfortunately, the broadcaster of the NFL’s Monday Night Football only has rights to air four regular season XFL games. However, it will show two more games on ESPN 2.
If you prefer to stream sports rather than stick to cable, ESPN has an option to watch XFL games through ESPN+. The cost: you buy a monthly $4.99 subscription plan. If you want to watch more XFL football games, tune in on ABC. The network will televise 14 regular season games, the highest number of matches to be aired on a single network.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a one-stop network for streaming content from 65+ broadcasters. It’s not the cheapest option at $65 per month. But this price lets you stream sports from CBS Sports, the Big Ten Network, NBA TV, Fox, ESPN and MLB Network.
For an extra $10.99 per month, you also get the option to watch Fox College Sports, NFL RedZone, Fox College and more channels. To be clear, you only need a subscription of $65 to stream dozens of TV shows, movies and XFL football through YouTube TV.
Hulu+
Contrary to popular belief, Hulu isn’t limited to movies and TV shows. It works like YouTube TV, allowing you to watch a wide range of sports content on one platform. The basic Hulu package isn’t good enough to watch sports, though.
You must upgrade to the network’s Hulu+ Live TV package. Like YouTube TV, Hulu+ costs $65 per month and comes with a one-week free trial. The package gives you access to 65+ TV channels, from news and TV shows to sports.
For sports fans, Hulu+ includes networks like TNT, NBC Sports Network, FS1, FS2, CBS and ESPN. Alternatively, you can watch XFL games through add-ons. For example, you can pay to get ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu for $12.99 per month. But this would limit you to XFL games aired on ABC and ESPN.
FuboTV
FuboTV has been growing rapidly in the last one year. Unsurprisingly, it recently increased its prices from $59.99 to $65, equaling rivals such as Hulu+ and YouTube TV. The plan comes with a seven-day trial. But get this—it’s probably the most comprehensive plan for sports fans out there.
FuboTV features 100+ channels and roughly 40 of them are sports channels. The company keeps adding new channels. And recently, it partnered with ESPN, ABC, ACC Network, FX, and SEC Network. For clarity, FuboTV also features Fox Sports, NBA TV, CBS Sports, beIN Sports and NFL Network.
In other words, FuboTV is home to leading sports networks. That means you have plenty of watch until the XFL resumes. And when it does, you won’t have to choose which games to watch. The streaming platform will provide access to nearly all XFL games with one subscription.
AT&T Now
Want to watch all XFL matches in one place? Purchase an $80 per month subscription from AT&T Now. Is it expensive? Sure. But this streaming platform features 140+ channels, many of which you can view through its cheaper $55/month plan.
If you want to watch sports, however, you have to buy the Max package. AT&T Now also features several pricier plans. But they don’t provide any new sports channel you can’t view through the Max package. The channels include TNT, Fox, ESPN, CBC Sports Network, and the Olympic Channel.
In case you’re wondering, the pricier option cost between $93 and $183 per month. They come with all the channels most competing platforms provide as add-ons. That means you don’t have to pay extra to watch the NFL, Starz, Showtime, HBO and Epix.
Sling
Most streaming platforms with sports channels are expensive, at least if you want to watch games from multiple networks. At $35 per month, Sling is one of the cheapest XFL streaming platforms. It has 33 channels in the Orange plan and 48 channels if you upgrade to the blue plan.
Most sports networks are covered under the Blue Plan: NFL Network, NBC Sports, Fox, to name a few. However, some sports channels like TNT and ESPN are available in the basic Orange plan. There’s also an option to pay more to get channels on both packages. But still, to be clear, you only get about 54 channels.
Another option is to add $10 to your monthly plan to watch more sports content. Some of the channels included in this add-on are the Golf Channel, NHL Network, NBA TV and the MLB Network. That said, Sling is probably not the best option for someone that plans to watch all XFL games on one platform. It’s an affordable platform, nonetheless.
