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It all comes down to this. After a long NCAA football season, the final two teams face off for the national championship today, with the Miami Hurricanes taking on the Indiana Hoosiers in Florida.
The hometown Hurricanes are led by star quarterback Carson Beck, while Heisman Trophy-winner Fernando Mendoza leads an eager Indiana team. The game has attracted fans and viewers beyond the sporting world too, with Hollywood stars like Dwayne Johnson, Mark Cuban and screenwriter Angelo Pizzo (who wrote the sports movies Rudy and Hoosiers) all expected to be in attendance for today’s game. And broadcaster ESPN is no doubt hoping for big ratings thanks to the star power of both teams and its celebrity fans.
At a Glance: How to Watch CFP National Championship 2026 Online
The No. 10-ranked Hurricanes (13-2) and the No. 1-ranked Hoosiers (15-0) play against each other in the 2026 Playoff National Championship (CFP) game on Monday, Jan. 19.
On the line: Bragging rights to be the best college football sports program in the nation — and the CFP Trophy. The Hurricanes are looking to win it as an underdog against the favorite Hoosiers, while Indiana wants to go undefeated during the 2025-26 season by ending it with the national championship title.
This is expected to be one of the most-watched college football games in years and there are a few ways to watch the CFP National Championship this year. Here’s what you need to know.
CFP National Championship 2026: Date, Start Time
The two top-ranked collegiate powerhouses face off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida today, Monday, Jan. 19, with kickoff at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET. The CFP National Championship game airs live on ESPN, so you can watch Miami vs. Indiana on TV on ESPN with your cable package.
Cord cutters can watch the Hurricanes-Hoosiers game on any live TV streaming service that carries ESPN, such as DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, ESPN Unlimited and others. All web-based services are accessible on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or smart TV.
Keep reading to find out how to watch the Hurricanes-Hoosiers game with and without a cable subscription, including options to watch the game for free. In addition, you can find where to buy last-minute tickets to the CFP National Championship game in Atlanta.
How to Watch 2026 CFP National Championship Game Without Cable
Since it broadcasts on ESPN, the Hurricanes-Hoosiers game is streamable on web-based streaming cable services, some of which even offer free trials so you can watch the game online for free.
DirecTV
One of the best ways to watch the Hurricanes-Hoosiers games is on DirecTV.
The cable alternative’s “MySports” package offers ESPN, plus more than 20 other channels, such as NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN2, FOX Sports, TNT and more. In addition, the streamer has a five-day free trial available, which more than enough time to watch the CFP National Championship game. You can either cancel or keep the service after the free trial is over, with prices going for $69.99 per month.
ESPN
Best For ESPN
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN Unlimited is the sports network’s new streaming service, and it’s live-streaming the CFP National Championship online without needing a cable subscription. If you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up for ESPN Unlimited for $29.99 per month.
ESPN Unlimited includes all of the sports network’s channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ABC on ESPN, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and others, as well as original programming, such as The Pat McAfee Show, 30 For 30, McEnroe’s Places, Man in the Arena: Tom Brady, Southern Hoops: A History of SEC Basketball, Deion’s Double Play and others. It also comes with streaming access to live sports from NBA, UFC, Formula 1, NHL, MLB and other sports leagues.
Fubo Fubo
We also like Fubo, another live TV streaming service that includes an ESPN feed.
Watch the Hurricanes-Hoosiers game on ESPN, along with more than 200 other news, entertainment and sports channels with a subscription to Fubo, which starts at $48.99 for the first month of service, $73.99 per month afterward (with Fubo’s current deals). You can record more than 1,000 hours of TV shows, movies, games and more too with Fubo’s free DVR. The online TV streaming service offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can watch the CFP National Championship game online for free.
Hulu Hulu + Live TV
You can also watch the Hurricanes-Hoosiers game online on ESPN with a subscription to Hulu + Live TV.
The streaming service has access to more than 95 live channels — like AMC, BET, CNN, Discovery Channel, Food Network and others — starting at $89.99 per month and comes with Hulu’s entire streaming library, as well as Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited. Right now, Hulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial, so you can watch the CFP National Championship game for free.
Sling Sling
Sling might be a good fit to watch the Hurricanes-Hoosiers game. It’s the most wallet-friendly cable alternative, with prices starting at $45.99 for Sling Orange.
The Sling Orange package includes ESPN for 2026 CFP National Championship Game, while it also has AMC, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Freeform, TNT and other channels. Sling currently does not offer a free trial.
Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from TV market-to-TV market. Learn more about Sling Orange here.
Where to Buy 2026 CFP National Championship Game Tickets Online
Want to watch the games in person? Tickets are available for the game at StubHub, Ticket Liquidator, Ticketmaster and GameTime — prices depend on seat location.
One of the best deals on last-minute tickets right now is at TicketNetwork, which offers The Hollywood Reporter readers $150 off orders of $500 with promo code THR150 or $300 off orders that are $1,000 and up with code THR300.
Meanwhile, other deals on tickets can be found at Vivid Seats, where you can save $20 with code THR30; or at SeatGeek where you can use promo code HOLLYWOOD10 to save $10 on eligible purchases of $250 and up.