You're sitting on the couch, the wings are cooling, and kickoff is roughly twelve minutes away. You grab the remote, start scrolling through the guide, and... nothing. No Mizzou. It's the classic Saturday afternoon panic. Honestly, trying to figure out where can i watch the mizzou game has become a bit of a moving target lately. Between the SEC's massive new TV deal with Disney and the rise of "digital-only" broadcasts, you've gotta be part detective just to find the Tigers.
The old days of just checking "the local channel" are dead. Ever since the SEC moved away from CBS entirely in 2024, everything lives under the ESPN and ABC umbrella. But that doesn't mean it’s all in one place. One week you’re on ABC in primetime, and the next you’re digging through the "Extra" tab of an app on your smart TV.
The ABC and ESPN Migration
Basically, if you want to see every snap this season, you need a plan that covers the Disney-owned networks. The big matchups—think the Battle Line Rivalry against Arkansas or those high-stakes games against Oklahoma—usually land on ABC or ESPN.
These are the "linear" channels. If you have a standard cable package or a live TV streamer like YouTube TV, you're usually set for these. But here’s the kicker: the kickoff times and specific channels for the later half of the season often don't get announced until six to twelve days before the game. It’s frustrating. You’re trying to plan a watch party and the network is still "To Be Determined."
What About the SEC Network?
This is Mizzou's second home. A huge chunk of the schedule, especially for basketball and "non-marquee" football games, ends up here. Most fans think they have it, then realize their cable tier doesn't actually include it. You’ll want to double-check your "Sports Pack" if you’re using traditional cable.
The SEC Network+ vs. ESPN+ Trap
This is where people get incredibly confused. I’ve seen it a hundred times. You see a game listed as "SECN+" and you think, "Okay, I'll just subscribe to ESPN+."
Stop. They aren't the same thing.
- SEC Network+ is a digital-only stream included at no extra cost if you already pay for the SEC Network through your TV provider. You just log into the ESPN app with your cable or YouTube TV credentials.
- ESPN+ is a separate, paid subscription service.
Sometimes a game is "simulcast" on both, but often, if you don't have a TV provider, ESPN+ won't help you with an SECN+ game. For example, during the early 2025-26 basketball season, several Mizzou non-conference games were tucked away on these digital platforms. If you were looking for them on your cable box, you were out of luck. You had to have the ESPN app fired up on a Roku, phone, or laptop.
Watching Mizzou Without Cable
If you’ve cut the cord, you aren't out of the hunt. You just have to be strategic. Honestly, the "best" service changes based on what else you watch, but for the Tigers, these are the heavy hitters:
YouTube TV is probably the most seamless. It carries ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and the SEC Network. Plus, their "Key Plays" feature is kind of a lifesaver if you tune in late and want to see how Mizzou jumped out to a 10-point lead.
Fubo is another big one, especially if you’re a sports junkie. They have the SEC Network, but you usually have to get a specific sports add-on package to see it. It can get pricey, but the picture quality is generally solid.
Hulu + Live TV is the sneaky winner for a lot of people because it usually bundles in Disney+ and ESPN+. Since some Mizzou games (especially smaller sports like wrestling or softball) end up exclusively on ESPN+, having that bundle included saves you from paying two separate bills.
Sling TV is the budget pick. You want the "Sling Orange" package plus the "Sports Extra" add-on. It’s the cheapest way to get the SEC Network, but you might miss out on local ABC games depending on where you live.
The Radio Backup (The "Mike Kelly" Factor)
Let’s say you’re stuck in the car or the internet goes down right at the fourth quarter. You’ve still got the Tiger Radio Network. Mike Kelly has been the voice of the Tigers forever, and honestly, sometimes the radio call is more exciting than the TV broadcast anyway. You can find the stream on the Varsity Network app or the official Mizzou Tigers app. It’s free, it’s reliable, and you don’t have to deal with buffering.
Finding the "Minor" Sports
If you’re trying to find where to watch Mizzou gymnastics or baseball, it’s almost exclusively digital. The "Friday Night Heights" gymnastics meets are a huge deal in Columbia, and those often get a prime spot on the SEC Network. For everything else, get comfortable with the ESPN app.
Practical Steps for Game Day
To make sure you're ready when the ball is kicked, do these three things:
- Check the Mizzou Athletics website (mutigers.com) about three days before the game. They post a "how to watch/listen" guide for every single matchup that specifies the exact channel.
- Download the ESPN App now and log in with your provider. Don't wait until five minutes before kickoff to realize you forgot your password.
- Confirm your ABC access. If you use an antenna, do a channel scan. If you use a streaming service, make sure your "local" channels are actually showing the game and not a different regional matchup.
The landscape is definitely more fragmented than it used to be. You've got to juggle apps and subscriptions. But once you realize that almost everything flows through the ESPN ecosystem, it gets a lot easier to track down the Tigers.
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Check your current streaming subscription for "SEC Network" availability. If it’s missing, look into the "Sports Extra" or "Max" tiers before next Saturday. Verify your login credentials on the ESPN app today so you aren't stuck troubleshooting while the Tigers are lining up for the opening drive.