The 2025 college football season kicks off this August. Is your business game-day ready? Get your sports bar or restaurant in on the action with a winning sports package that draws in fans and drives sales. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the upcoming college football season and how DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS® can help you score new business, encourage repeat customers and boost your food and drink sales.
Ready to make your business the go-to spot for college football fans? Explore our sports TV packages today!
When Does College Football Start?
The 2025 college football season starts on Saturday, August 23. The regular season runs through December 13, with the playoffs starting on December 19, 2025, and running through early January 2026. The season ends with the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 19, 2026.
Why Show College Football at Your Business?
From college towns that live and breathe college football to fans looking to cheer on their alma mater, showing college football games can be a big boost to your business. Just look at the numbers. According to an ESPN press release, ABC averaged 5.8 million viewers during the 46 regular-season games in 2024, which was a 56% increase year-over-year, marking a record-breaking year for college football viewership. ESPN also reported that 2024 was the most-watched season since 2016, averaging 1.9 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. And according to Statista, an average of 16.6 million viewers tuned in to watch the SEC Championship game between Georgia and Texas on December 7, 2024.
Tapping into this passionate fan base could be the play you need if you want to score a win for your bottom line.
How To Watch College Football
DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS has all the games fans want to watch. Here are some of the must-have college networks for businesses wanting to show college football:
- Atlantic Coast Conference Network (ACCN): Give your customers all the ACC excitement with ACC Network. Enjoy more than 500 games from across the conference’s 28 sponsored sports, including college football games. Plus, news, original programming and in-studio analysis.
- Big Ten Network: Comprehensive coverage of the nation’s most storied conference, spanning 18 schools from coast to coast, with 500+ live events, originals, highlights, analysis and more. Offering the largest and most competitive slate, featuring 40+ live Big Ten college football games, 120+ men’s and 50+ women’s Big Ten basketball games.
- Southeastern Conference Network (SECN): Make sure your customers can catch all the SEC games this season. SECN brings you 24/7 coverage and more than 2,000 live events across the SEC’s 22 sports, including more than 40 football games. Gain access to SEC-focused programming like SEC Nation and SEC Storied and more.
Ready to get started? Check out our college sports packages today!
2025 College Football Schedule
Not sure which college football games are on? DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS has you covered with our DIRECTV sports schedule, which includes both college football and NFL games. Plus, our business customers receive customized weekly sports schedules right to their inbox with our DIRECTV MVP Marketing Program.
How to Attract College Football Fans to Your Sports Bar or Restaurant
Here are a few things you can do to help make your bar or restaurant a go-to destination for college football fans.
- Host Game-Day Watch Parties: Give fans a front row seat to every pass, interception and touchdown by offering comfortable seating and multiple TV options.
- Encourage Team Spirit: Offer discounts or raffle entries to customers wearing college football jerseys or other team attire.
- Get your Business Game Day Ready: Deck out your décor with jerseys, team colors and other college football memorabilia, especially if you’re in a college town.
- Offer Touchdown-Worthy Food & Drink Specials: Keep fans coming back with great food and drink specials during college football games.
- Drive the Excitement: Let college football fans know you’ll be showing the games through social media, eblasts, flyers and on your website.
- Get Themed Materials with MVP: DIRECTV customers can order coasters, brackets, posters, banners and more with the MVP Marketing Program.
What Other Businesses Can Benefit From Showing College Football?
It’s not just bars and restaurants that can help boost their bottom line by showing college football. Get some inspiration on how DIRECTV can help your business:
- Show college football games at the gym while your members are working out
- Turn on the games in hotel lobbies so fans can keep up with their favorite teams on the go
- Air the games in college dorms and around campus so students can keep up with their team
- Keep customers entertained while they’re waiting for auto services, at the barber shop or even doctor’s appointments
Score Big with DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS
Ready to turn your business into the ultimate college football hangout? DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS ensures that your customers can watch all their favorite teams. And with 99% worry-free signal reliability, you’ll never have to worry about your customers missing a second of the action. DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS also gives businesses hassle-free customer service and complementary standard professional installation. Plus, DIRECTV’s Sports Bar Finder provides an easy way for college football fans to find bars that offer DIRECTV. Call 888.303.9117 to get started today!
