Local sports fans can get creative to watch their favorite teams

"During the World Cup, if I was at a place that didn't have ESPN, I would watch the matches on Justin.tv and it actually looked pretty good," said Ryan Bullock of Herriman. "I wouldn't use it as my first source of watching sports, but if you don't have any other alternatives, it works pretty well."

Another option for catching your favorite team live is to network with people that have access to game tickets. During a long season, some season tickets may go unused, and if the owner of those season tickets knows how big of a fan you are, you may get an opportunity or two to see a game for free or at a discounted price. The more gracious you are, the more likely you'll get additional opportunities at scoring more tickets.

"My uncle works for BYU, so he's a great source. I also have a lot of friends. Basically, if you're an extrovert and network with like-minded sports fans, free tickets always seem to come your way," says Blake Snow, BYU fan and father of three.

Streaming content Online or scoring tickets to the live event are not the only options you have when wanting to watch your favorite sports teams play. "I 'borrow' friends cable plans, since I don't have one," says Snow. "I'll also go to sports bars, a great and free place to watch games."

When invited over to a friends house to watch a game, Snow stresses that it's important to offer to bring something such as drinks or snacks in exchange for your friend allowing you to "borrow" their cable plan. "But that's only because I married a thoughtful, grateful, and considerate wife who has taught me well," says Snow.

Mark Ormond is a freelance writer and avid sports fan. He can be contacted at markormond@ymail.com.