How YouTubeTV-ESPN dispute affects your ability to watch South Carolina vs. Ole Miss

South Carolina and Ole Miss are set to face off at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, with ESPN carrying the matchup — that’s a problem if you’re a YouTubeTV subscriber.

As has become a recurring theme with several providers and the major networks, YouTubeTV and Disney, which owns ESPN, are in a carriage dispute that led to channels like ABC, ESPN, SEC Network, and FX disappearing from the platform as Thursday turned to Friday.

Rather than using this space to debate why it’s happened and which company is in the wrong, let’s dive into what it means for Gamecock fans trying to watch the game.

Will YouTubeTV-Disney dispute be settled by kickoff?

Of course, there is a chance that the argument is settled by Saturday — or even that the two sides come to a temporary agreement — but the TV Answer Man website, dedicated to covering such matters, does not see that happening.

“I don’t see this impasse ending before this weekend’s college football action on ABC and ESPN, or even by Monday Night Football,” he said. “The company positions are too rigid now to change much over the next 48 hours.”

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How to watch South Carolina vs. Ole Miss

So what are your options? Here are some I came up with.

— Fubo TV or DirecTV Free trial: If you haven’t been a subscriber to Fubo TV or DirecTV before, both are currently offering a free trial. This would be a simple option. Subscribe to the provider, then cancel before the charge kicks in.

— Sling TV day pass: If you’ve exhausted all free trials, SlingTV does offer a day pass for $4.99 or ($5.99 with additional sports channels). It appears ESPN is covered with the $4.99 option. They also have weekend and even week-long passes.

— Hulu + Live TV or DirecTV at discounted rate: If you’re just fed up with YouTubeTV and truly want to switch providers. New subscribers can get Get Hulu + Live TV for $64.99/mo. for 3 months, a pretty big discount from the regular price. DirecTV also appears to be offering discounts but be careful to make sure the package you pick includes SEC Network if you’re planning to keep it beyond the weekend.

— ESPN Unlimited: This is likely the route Disney/ESPN wants you to take. Their new streamer offers all of the traditional ESPN networks at $30/mo. They also have a bundle with Fox that gives viewers those channels too. It’s the cheapest option, but only if you don’t need other channels at all. I wrote more in August about if this was a good option for sports fans.

There are, of course, potentially other more creative options that we legally probably shouldn’t dive into here.

Regardless of which option is best for you, it does appear that YouTubeTV subscribers will need to make contingency plans to watch their Gamecocks this weekend.

The Insiders Forum: Discuss South Carolina football!