Where to watch ABC channel October 2026? Live stream TV providers, subscription plans and costs

Best Value Streaming Services for ABC October 2026

For those looking to watch Grey's Anatomy, The Bachelor or their local ABC News bulletins, 2026 has brought a major shift: Disney+ now offers live ABC News in select cities, while the major streamers continue to battle over local broadcast rights.

GOAL Recommends: If you only care about ABC News and high-profile scripted shows, the 2026 update to Disney+ is a game-changer. It is the best "mobile-only" pick because it allows you to watch local ABC News livestreams in major cities without a full cable-replacement subscription. However, for live sports (such as Monday Night Football on ABC) or live reality TV finales, you still need a heavy-hitter like YouTube TV or DirecTV to ensure you don't miss a second.

What is coming up on ABC in October 2026?

A variety of live sports broadcasts, presented by ABC's sister network ESPN, are set to air on the channel during October.

Live coverage of the National Football League (NFL) continues on ABC, with it carrying three Monday Night Football games this month, these being Buffalo Bills @ Los Angeles Rams on October 12, Washington Commanders @ San Francisco 49ers on October 19 and Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles on October 26.

There'll also be live NCAA college football airing across ABC's Saturday schedule, culminating with the primetime Saturday Night Football game. This month's featured matchups include Alabama @ Mississippi State, Florida @ Missouri and Miami @ Clemson on October 3, Oklahoma @ Texas and Georgia @ Alabama on October 10 and Florida @ Georgia on October 31, with more live game selections to be announced ahead of each matchround.

ABC will show two LaLiga soccer games live from Spain this month, these being Real Madrid vs Sevilla on Sunday October 18, then the country's most high-profile match, El Clásico, Barcelona vs Real Madrid on Sunday October 25.

The channel will screen a live doubleheader of women's sporting action on Sunday October 4, beginning with Gotham FC vs Angel City from the National Women's Soccer League. That will be followed by live coverage of the first game from one of the semifinal series from the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Playoffs. ABC may show a further WNBA Playoffs semifinal clash on Sunday October 11 should one of the series go to a fourth game.

Away from live sport, ABC's October lineup includes the return of the 9-1-1 franchise, with flagship series 9-1-1 plus 9-1-1: Nashville; as well as TV's longest-running primetime medical drama Grey's Anatomy, all debuting from Thursday October 15. The channel can also boast a new series of medical sitcom Scrubs; business themed-reality series Shark Tank; Emmy Award-winning comedy Abbott Elementary; plus game shows Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.

Monday Night Football on ABC: Everything you need to know

ABC will simulcast nine of ESPN's 17 live Monday Night Football games from the National Football League (NFL) during the 2026 campaign, a season that will conclude with ABC and ESPN co-broadcasting Super Bowl LXI from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Sunday February 14.

Seven of these nine games will be broadcast during the first nine weeks of the NFL schedule, beginning with Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs on Monday September 14.

The other live Monday Night Football games to be simulcast by ABC during the first half of the regular season are New York Giants @ Los Angeles Rams on September 21, Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears on September 28, Buffalo Bills @ Los Angeles Rams on October 12, Washington Commanders @ San Francisco 49ers on October 19, Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles on October 26 and Buffalo Bills @ Minnesota Vikings on November 9.

ABC will screen its last two Monday Night Football matchups of the season during December, these games being Dallas Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks on December 7 and New England Patriots @ Kansas City Chiefs on December 21.

The channel will also co-broadcast one yet-to-be-confirmed game from an ESPN NFL doubleheader on Saturday January 9, this being the final weekend of the league's regular season.

ABC is also set simulcast all three of ESPN's live games from the NFL Playoffs, fixtures from the Wild Card Round and Divisional Round plus Super Bowl LXI.

Monday Night Football is called by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who enter their 25th season as a commentary duo - the longest-tenured broadcast pairing in NFL history - and their fifth year with ABC and ESPN after making the move from FOX in 2022.

Buck and Aikman will be joined by sideline reporters Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge, with the Monday Night Football games set to kick off at 8.15pm ET most weeks.

What is ABC?

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a commercial broadcast network owned by The Walt Disney Company within its Disney Television Group division. It televises entertainment and news programming, plus sports coverage that is branded ESPN on ABC. ABC is a sister channel of ESPN, with the 24-hour sports network also owned by Disney.

How can I watch ABC for free?

The only truly "forever free" method. If you live within range of a local affiliate, a one-time purchase of a digital antenna allows you to watch ABC live in high definition with no subscription or internet required. Simply scan for channels to find your local station.

If you need immediate access for a specific event, such as Monday Night Football, you can leverage free trials from premium streamers such as DirecTV and Fubo.

Stream ABC with a free five-day trialWatch here

If you are out of the country and would like to watch upcoming ABC content on your favored streaming service, you can do so by bypassing geo-restrictions by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

READ MORE: The best VPNs for streaming soccer and sports

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