New Year’s Day promises to be one of the most exciting days of the year, when we get not one but two college football playoff games. And it’ll all kick off at 5 p.m. ET when Michigan takes on Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Michigan vs. Alabama
Date: January 1
Time: 5 p.m. ET
• U.S. channel — Watch on ESPN via Sling TV or Fubo
• Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free
To say the Rose Bowl has been home to a slew of memorable football games would be a giant understatement. And to say that this year’s Rose Bowl will be just as memorable is yet another major understatement.
We’ll start with Alabama, which for the entire college football season, was looking like it wouldn’t make it to the four-team playoff that will ultimately determine this year’s national champion. Alabama had played well all season, but it once again looked like Georgia would take the SEC championship. Then, earlier this month, Alabama stunned Georgia with a 27-24 victory. The college football playoff selection committee was then left with a dilemma: go with the undefeated Florida State or opt for Alabama, the SEC champion. It ultimately chose the latter, sparking controversy across college football.
Truth be told, Alabama is walking into this game against Michigan an underdog. But we’ve seen the team’s astounding resilience all year. And if any team can topple the top football program in the country, it’s Alabama.
Michigan, meanwhile, walks into the Rose Bowl with its own measure of controversy after its coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for three games following a Big Ten investigation that claimed Michigan conducted an “impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years.” Michigan initially denied the allegations, but Harbaugh ultimately accepted the sanction and a Michigan lawsuit was pulled.
Despite that, Michigan is the top-ranked team in the nation for a reason: it’s a very good team. So, the question remains: Can Michigan live up to its top ranking or will Alabama and coach Nick Saban, who has been to a countless number of big bowl games, once again shock the world?
Find out on New Year’s Day. And read on to find out how you can watch the game when it kicks off at 5 p.m. ET.
How to watch the 2024 Rose Bowl from anywhere
If you're traveling on New Year's Day and just can't seem to find any platform to watch the game on, you're not out of luck. With a virtual private network or VPN, you can appear to be surfing the web from your hometown (or somewhere that blackouts won't hit), and access the same streaming services you already paid for.
Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN offers superb speeds and excellent customer service, and there's even a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not happy with it.
How to watch the Rose Bowl in the U.S.
In the U.S., the Rose Bowl will be airing live on ESPN, a network that is generally available on cable and satellite networks. So if you’d prefer to watch the game with your provider, you shouldn’t have any trouble.
ESPN will also stream the game from the ESPN app and the ESPN website, though on the latter, you’ll need to log in and authenticate your cable, satellite, or live TV provider.
You can also find ESPN on several streaming platforms, including Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, and others.
Sling Orange, one of our favorite streaming platforms, offers 40 channels, including ESPN. And at $40 per month, it’s nicely affordable. Another favorite service of ours, Fubo, costs $75 per month and comes with 121 channels, including ESPN.
How to watch the Rose Bowl in Canada
The Rose Bowl won’t be available on cable or satellite in Canada, but Fubo is available in Canada, making it a great option to stream the game.
If you're not a Fubo customer, you may want to opt for our favorite VPN service, ExpressVPN, which will allow you to access another streaming service to watch the games.
How to watch the Rose Bowl in the UK
If you’re in the U.K., the Rose Bowl won’t be aired live, so you’ll need to opt for a VPN like ExpressVPN to access your streaming service and stream from afar.
How to watch the Rose Bowl in Australia
Kayo, which is an Australia-only streaming service, will be streaming the Rose Bowl live. So if you happen to find yourself in Australia during the game, you’ll need to sign up for the service.
If you don't want to sign up for Kayo, you can log on to ExpressVPN and access your streaming service of choice from Australia.
