Watch First Responder Bowl Without Cable: Great Streaming Options to Catch It Live On ESPN

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Written by Frank Moraes Senior Content Editor

I can watch the First Responder Bowl on ESPN through my cable subscription, but even without cable, I have several options for catching the game. I plan to tune in to see Texas State take on Rice on Tuesday, December 26th at 5:30 pm (EST).

Streaming services all the rage right now, services that allow you to watch the Servpro First Responder Bowl online without cable. Keep reading to find out how.

In a hurry? All you need is ESPN, but these streaming services offer far more than that — try it for yourself:

Watch Live Tonight

All three services carry . Pick based on your budget:

Best Overall

185+ channels including , all major sports networks, and local channels. 7-day free trial – watch tonight, cancel anytime. Best if you want one service that “just works”, without piecing together bundles.

From $79.99/mo after free trial

Start Fubo Free Trial ↗︎

Includes 7-day free trial · Read our review

Lowest Price

Carries from $45.99/mo – roughly half the price of Fubo. Add channel packs if you want more. The lowest-cost route for , if you are happy with a smaller bundle.

Try Sling TV Now ↗︎

Read our review

Away from home? If your content is blocked, a VPN helps you keep streaming. Our top pick is ExpressVPN.

✓ Prices verified 8 May 2026

ESPN has traditionally been considered a cable channel, but now that streaming services are becoming a popular option for watching television, you can get the network without cable.

Many streaming services offer ESPN and various other channels. The following article has all the details you are going to need to determine if streaming is right for you, and if so, which service will be best.

Start Fubo Free Trial ↗︎

Includes 7-day free trial · Read our review

First Responder Bowl Schedule

The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is played annually at SMU Gerald J Ford Stadium in University Park, just outside Dallas, Texas. If you’re looking to watch this football game live, you’ll need to know exactly when and where it is airing:

  • Date: Dec 26, 2023
  • Kickoff Time: 5:30 pm EST
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Teams: Texas State (45) vs Rice (21)
  • Last Year’s Results: Memphis Tigers (38) vs Utah State Aggies (10)

There are a variety of services you can use to watch the game, as well as other content on ESPN. If you are a sports fan, even beyond watching the First Responder Bowl live stream, there is plenty of other sports content on the channel all year round.

Start Fubo Free Trial ↗︎

Includes 7-day free trial · Read our review

How to Watch the First Responder Bowl Without Cable

Two other services you can use to watch the First Responder Bowl games are Fubo and Sling TV. You can find an affordable alternative to cable through streaming services when you want to watch ESPN and other traditional cable channels.

By the end of this article, you should have a good idea about all of the services that are offered for you to watch ESPN and the First Responder Bowl live stream without cable.

Streaming services are a cheap and simple solution for watching cable channels without a costly cable bill. With cable, you’re often locked in a contract for at least a year, but streaming services don’t typically have contracts to sign or additional fees. On average, streaming services cost around $69.99 per month, which is much cheaper than cable.

There are variety of streaming devices you can use to watch streaming services. You might already have some of these devices such as your personal computer, mobile device, or gaming console.

Beyond that, you can stream these services on Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV devices, and more.

Watch the First Responder Bowl Online with Fubo

fubotv logo

Fubo (formerly FuboTV) is the best streaming service for college football and other sports. For $79.99/month you get 150+ channels including over 35 that are sports-focused.

Start Fubo Free Trial ↗︎

Includes 7-day free trial · Read our review

  • 150+ live channels
  • All of Fubo on-demand content is included
  • Watch ESPN, FS1, USA, and several other channels
  • Save 1000 hours of content in the cloud-DVR
  • Plans starting at $79.99/month
  • No contracts!
  • Watch the First Responder Bowl online with Roku, Chromecast, Android TV, Apple TV, mobile devices, etc.

Our Fubo review has all the details.

Watch the First Responder Bowl Live Stream on Sling TV

sling logo

Another streaming service option is Sling TV. This is truly the cheapest way to watch the First Responder Bowl live stream without cable. Your package, the Sling Orange package, costs $45.99/month and comes with over 30 channels, including ESPN. You can also add on channel bundles and individual channel options for an additional price, which allows you to customize your package. Here are more specs:

Try Sling TV Now ↗︎

Read our review

  • Pay $45.99/month for Sling Orange, which comes with 30+ channels, and includes ESPN
  • Combine the two packages Sling Orange + Sling Blue for $60.99/month for even more cable channels
  • Use TV Everywhere apps such as the WatchESPN app using your Sling TV login
  • The cheapest way to view college football live without cable
  • Stream on mobile devices, Apple TV, your home computer, and more
  • Get Sling TV.

If you have any questions about this service, don’t forget to check out our informative Sling TV review. And for bowl season specifically, see Sling TV Bowl Game Guide.

Watch the First Responder Bowl with DIRECTV

DIRECTV

DIRECTV has roughly 75 channels for $84.99/month including ESPN. Many RSNs available for $20` per month extra.

Start DIRECTV Free Trial ↗︎

Includes 5-day free trial · Read our review

Its features:

  • ESPN and ESPN2 in the base package
  • More channels on Choice package including the RSNs for more coverage on sports
  • Unlimited hours of cloud DVR only if you sign up online
  • Huge on demand content on DIRECTV
  • Stream on unlimited devices
  • Watch on Chromecast, Samsung TV, Roku, mobile devices, etc

Find out more in our DIRECTV review.

Watch the First Responder Bowl Streaming on Hulu Live

hulu logo

One of the more popular ways to watch ESPN is Hulu + Live TV. Pricing starts at $82.99/month for over 85 channels. You can add on additional, premium channels like HBO for an extra fee. The service comes with unlimited cloud-based DVR with 9 months of storage.

Start Hulu + Live TV Free Trial ↗︎

Includes 3-day free trial · Read full review

You also get the popular Hulu on-demand service with thousands of hours of television and movie content. You will also get multiple other cable channels like FOX Sports.

More details:

  • Pay $82.99/month for 85+ channels
  • Add premium channels and pay a little more
  • No contracts so cancel anytime
  • Comes with Hulu on-demand and unlimited cloud DVR with 9 months of storage
  • Stream on mobile devices, Apple TV, Roku and more

Find out more details about the service in our Hulu + Live TV review.

More Ways to Watch the First Responder Bowl Online

By now you should know ways to watch the First Responder Bowl online without cable. In the event Fubo, Sling TV, DIRECTV and Hulu TV do not work for you, here are a few other services that will allow you to watch ESPN without a cable subscription:

  • YouTube TV – Pay $82.99/month for over 100 channels.

Texas State Bobcats vs Rice Owls

The 2023 First Responder Bowl features the Texas State Bobcats of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) and the Rice Owls of the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

The Bobcats ended their season in second place in the West Division of the SBC with a record of 7-5 (4-4 in-conference). It is the first winning season they’ve had since 2014.

The Owls only entered the AAC this year (from Conference USA). They ended the season with a record of 6-6 (4-4 in-conference) for sixth place in the AAC. As with Texas State, it is their best season since 2014.

Texas State Bobcats Personnel

The Bobcats’ coaching leaders are all brand new this season with head coach GJ Kinne, offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich, and defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke. They all came together from the University of the Incarnate Word.

The Owl’s offense is led by sophomore quarterback TJ Finley. He is joined by running back Ismail Mahdi, wide receivers Joey Hobert, Ashtyn Hawkins, and Kole Wilson, and tight end Konner Fox.

The defense features linebackers Brian Holloway and Dan Foster Jr, defensive backs Kaleb Ford-Dement, Joshua Eaton, Kaleb Culp, Chris Mills, and Shawn Holton, and linemen Ben Bell, Jordan Revels, and Tavian Coleman.

Rice Owls Personnel

Head coach Mike Bloomgren is in his sixth season with the Owls having previously been Assistant Head Coach at Stanford. He is supported by offensive coordinator Marques Tuiasosopo and defensive coordinator Brian Smith.

Quarterback JT Daniels had headed the Owls’ offense early on but repeated injuries have caused him to stop playing football. Freshman AJ Padgett will lead the offense for the First Responder Bowl. With him are running backs Dean Connors and Juma Otoviano, wide receivers Luke McCaffrey, Rawson MacNeill, and Landon Ransom-Goelz, and tight end Boden Groen.

On defense are linebackers Myron Morrison, Chris Conti, Josh Pearcy, and DJ Arkansas, defensive backs Tre’shon Devones, Gabriel Taylor, Sean Fresch, Plae Wyatt, and Jonathan Jean, and linemen Coleman Coco, De’Braylon Carroll, and Blake Boenisch.

Our Choice

After testing a bunch of streaming services, Fubo came out on top for watching the First Responder Bowl. The channel lineup is stacked—over 150, including ESPN—so I never have to worry about missing the game. The cloud DVR is a beast with 1000 hours of storage, perfect for catching replays. It runs smoothly on everything from Roku to smartphones, making it easy to watch wherever I am. Fubo hits the sweet spot with the best mix of channels, features, and flexibility.

FAQ

Who has won the First Responder Bowl in past years?

Last year’s matchup had the Memphis Tigers edging out the Utah State Aggies 38-10. Previous results of the game are:

  • 2022: Air Force Falcons vs Louisville Cardinals (31-29)
  • 2020: Louisiana vs UTSA (31-24)
  • 2019: Western Kentucky vs Western Michigan (23-20)
  • 2018: Boise State vs Boston College, no contest (game canceled on account of weather)
  • 2017: Utah vs West Virginia (30-14)
  • 2016: Army vs North Texas (38-31)
  • 2015: Washington vs Southern Miss (44-31)
  • 2014 (December): Louisiana Tech vs Illinois (35-18)
  • 2014 (January): North Texas vs UNLV (36-14)
  • 2013: Oklahoma State vs Purdue (58-14)
  • 2012: Houston vs Penn State (30-14)
  • 2011: Texas Tech vs Northwestern (45-38)

How will I watch the 2022 bowl games?

Here is our comprehensive guide on how to watch FBS College Football Bowl Games — including the College Football Playoff and Championship Game — this year:

Update history

This page was revised 7 times between November 2021 and February 2023.

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