How to stream the 2019 Cotton Bowl game online if you don't have cable

Cotton Bowl Memphis Penn State ESPN App banner on TV

Source: CordCutters (Image credit: CordCutters)

College Football Bowl season is in full swing, and this weekend the Cotton Bowl Classic will claim the spotlight. This bowl has a great history behind it, but this year it features a matchup between a traditional power team from a Power Five conference against an upstart team from a conference reborn in 2013. You can stream the 2019 Cotton Bowl game on ESPN even if you've cut the cord.

When is the 2019 Cotton Bowl

The 2019 Cotton Bowl, featuring the Memphis Tigers vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions, will be at Noon Eastern on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019. This game will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

2019 Cotton Bowl — Memphis Tigers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions preview

The Memphis Tigers (12-1) are the 2019 American Athletic Conference champions, and they're looking to claim a big postseason win as a team outside of the Power Five. These Tigers could have been setup for an even bigger opponent this bowl season if it weren't for their Oct. 12 loss to the Temple Owls. Memphis still recovered for a strong finish, including back-to-back wins over a ranked Cincinnati team.

Penn State star Micah Parsons discusses his thoughts on the Cotton Bowl matchup against Memphis.

The Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) had hopes for a Big Ten championship and maybe even a College Playoff berth, but it didn't work out that way. After an 8-0 start to their 2019 season, Penn State lost two of their next three games to Minnesota and Ohio State. While they rallied to win their final game of the year against Rutgers, the Nittany Lions dropped out of the top ten rankings and landed a pre-New Year's Day bowl game. However they are still well positioned to end the season with a victory, as they are favored by seven points.

Stream the 2019 Cotton Bowl on ESPN

When you watch Memphis Tigers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2019 Cotton Bowl, all you need is a way to stream ESPN. This is the flagship network for the worldwide leader in sports, and it is available on four of the largest live TV streaming services. Of these options, Hulu offers a popular full featured package while Sling TV offers the lowest regular price. Many of these services have a variety of free trials. Here are the details to help you decide which option is best for you.

Hulu with Live TV

  • The cost: $55 a month after a one week free trial
  • Watch Hulu on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, web browsers
  • Local channels on Hulu: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and others. Find your local channels here — scroll down and click "View channels in your area".
  • The 2019 Cotton Bowl on Hulu - ESPN comes on the base Hulu Live TV plan.

More on Hulu with Live TV:

  • See all Hulu channels
  • What's new on Hulu this month

Sling TV - Sling Orange

  • The cost: $30 a month after your first month for $20
  • Watch Sling TV on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox One, LG, Samsung or Vizio smart TVs, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire tablets, browsers and more
  • The 2019 Cotton Bowl on Sling TV: The Sling Orange package includes ESPN, and is a low cost way to stream this Bowl game without cable.

More on Sling TV:

AT&T TV Now - Plus Plan

  • The cost: $50 a month after a free trial
  • Watch AT&T TV Now on: Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TVs, iOS, Android, web browsers
  • Local channels on AT&T TV Now: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and more. Find your locals here .
  • The 2019 Cotton Bowl on AT&T TV Now: ESPN is in the Plus package, giving viewers a way to stream Memphis Tigers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions.

More on AT&T TV Now:

YouTube TV

  • The cost: $50 a month after a free trial
  • Watch YouTube TV on: Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Samsung, LG, HiSense or Vizio smart TVs, Chromecast, iOS and Android
  • Local channels on YouTube TV: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and more. Find your locals here .
  • The 2019 Cotton Bowl on YouTube TV: ESPN is on YouTube TVs plan, making it a great option to watch college football Bowl games without cable.

More on YouTube TV:

How to watch the 2019 Cotton Bowl with a VPN if you're outside the United States

You could be traveling outside of the United States this weekend but I bet you still want to watch Memphis Tigers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions in the Cotton Bowl. Sometimes streaming these big games overseas can flip from an easy score to a major penalty. Streaming services will often block their feeds if you're not in America.

There is a way to get things working again by using a VPN. That stands for "Virtual Private Network," and it'll send your internet through a specific set of servers. It zaps your internet traffic back into the United States even while you're abroad. That means you can head off to the islands, while your internet stays in the heartland.

Want to get a good VPN? It's easy with a subscription services that, for a few bucks a month, tunnels your traffic through different locations. It can also give you security and peace of mind on open WiFi connections. Give one a try to see if it works for you, and then put it to good use. Even enjoy your football from a half a world away.

Roy Delgado is a freelance writer for WhatToWatch. His focus is streaming, specializing on sports. He binge-streams 32 games over the first two days of NCAA March Madness annually. He built his own DVR 15 years ago, and still tinkers to make his media setup its best.