There are some ways to watch NFL football games. These are by watching TV, live streaming, or apss. In this article, we will give you information about how to watch NFL games.
Using Live TV Streaming Services
You could subscribe to a live, streaming-only television service from one of the new market entrants, but it wouldn’t be significantly less expensive than getting DirecTV, Dish Network, or Comcast (shudder), which is also a bad option. Oh, and just to show how difficult it is, a few streaming choices actually demand that you have a cable or satellite subscription. Don’t expect the streaming gods to flag it as a personal foul.
The Fox Sports App and FoxSports.com require a cable or satellite television subscription. They more resemble add-ons that you can use after logging in with the information from your television subscription account. Only Sunday afternoon games and a few Saturday games are shown on Fox Sports throughout the regular season, as has been the case for years.
The ESPN App and ESPN.com also require a cable or satellite television subscription. With the exception of two Saturday games on January 7, 2023, ESPN (nearly totally) only broadcasts games on Monday nights.
FuboTV ($70 per month) is the most overtly sports-focused of the live television streaming networks. Access to NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox Sports, NFL Network, and ESPN is included in even the entry-level plan, allowing you to watch games on Sunday afternoon and evening, Monday night, and Saturday. The only method to view Thursday night games (for everyone, not just FuboTV customers) is through Amazon Prime Video, but it’s almost done. More than 130 events in 4K quality are included with the Elite tier for $80 per month, and NFL RedZone is included with the Ultimate tier for $100 per month. You can see each touchdown and “key” play from each Sunday afternoon game on RedZone.
Hulu + Live TV ($70 per month) offers much the same as FuboTV‘s basic tier. Paying an extra $10 a month for the Sports Add-On will also grant you access to NFL RedZone. Access to the standard Hulu is included with the live TV plan. This streaming service is one of our favorites because it offers same-day access to new episodes (like Atlanta), exclusives (like The Handmaid’s Tale), and a huge selection of films for movie buffs. Take note that beginning on December 8, 2022, the monthly cost will rise to $75. Pick this over FuboTV if you’re going to use the integrated Hulu. If not, use FuboTV and save $5 a month (as of December).
Sling TV ($35 per month) has two separate packages, Blue and Orange, both costing $35 per month and offering different channels. While Orange has ESPN games, Blue has Fox Sports, NBC, and NFL Network games. You’ll need to sign up for both at a discounted rate of $50 a month if you want to watch as many NFL games as you can. However, no Sling TV subscription includes CBS games, so you will miss those games that are only shown on CBS. You may access NFL RedZone by purchasing the Sports Extra add-on for an additional $11 per month. If you want to save money and don’t mind missing some of the top games, or if you don’t spend a lot of time at home watching TV on Sundays when CBS is on, then this bundle is for you.
YouTube TV ($65 per month) is a wee bit more affordable than its best competitors. Additionally, it got ABC and ESPN back after briefly losing them at the end of last year. However, there is an additional fee to activate a 4K Add-On; YouTube TV just notes that fees vary. NFL RedZone is an additional add-on that costs $11 per month. You can watch the vast majority of NFL games on YouTube TV just fine if you have other, non-sports-related reasons to think about it. But FuboTV wins out handily if all you want to do is watch football.
DirecTV Stream ($70 per month) doesn’t require a traditional DirecTV subscription. The entry tier, called Entertainment, gives you ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and local Fox, NBC, CBS, and ABC games. You have to step up to the Ultimate tier for $105 per month to add CBS and Fox Sports 2. NFL Network is also missing. In my opinion, there’s no need to spend this much for DirecTV Stream. Go with one of the other options instead.
Using Apps
Want to cut the cord, get rid of all your cable and satellite providers, and still avoid paying about $100 annually for a live-streaming service like YouTube TV or Sling TV? There are somewhat less expensive choices, but none of them will offer as many games as a live TV subscription. To watch the NFL’s whole regular season, though, you’ll still need one or more of the apps listed below, even if you choose one of the options above.
NFL+ ($5 per month or $50 per year) replaced NFL Game Pass this past summer. NFL+ is lacking in a few significant areas, which renders it insufficient. NFL+ only allows you to livestream local and primetime regular season and postseason games on mobile and tablet devices for $5 per month or $40 per year. That implies that you cannot watch it on a computer or television. If you’re a fan-in-exile living far from your home team, you may find yourself out of luck very frequently because “local” games are those that are broadcast on TV in your local market. For new customers, at least, there is a seven-day free trial. You can replay previous games without advertisements by upgrading to NFL+ Premium for $10 per month or $80 per year. It costs twice as much but is not worth twice as much.
ESPN+ ($10 per month or $100 per year) exists to make things complicated. It is accessible through the same app as standard ESPN, but it is a different service that does not require a typical cable or satellite subscription in order to view it. However, ESPN+ doesn’t actually take the place of standard ESPN. There won’t be many games on ESPN+ that are simultaneously shown live on ESPN. However, some will, and one at Wembley Stadium in London is even available just on ESPN+. Check out the game schedule on ESPN+.
Amazon Prime Video ($15 per month or $139 per year) has been also the exclusive provider. Numerous people lament the low quality of the videos. But here’s the thing: If a football fan misses the majority of their team’s games during the year, watching through Prime Video alone won’t make up for it. You can only watch games on Thursday nights. In order to view the crucial Thursday games, you therefore need Prime Video, but you also need other services to watch games the rest of the week.
Paramount Plus ($5 per month or $50 per year) is CBS’s streaming network. Note that it doesn’t cover Sunday night games. For $10 a month or $100, you may also subscribe to Premium, but there is a catch: live television still contains commercials. Therefore, you might as well save money and choose the base tier if your purpose is to use it to watch live football games. At least using it doesn’t require a separate television subscription.
Peacock TV ($5 per month or $50 per year) is NBC’s streaming network. It has continued to show solely Sunday night games, much like CBS and Fox. Games on Sunday afternoons are excluded from that. Not yet clear? You may pay an additional $5 per month or $50 per year to remove advertising, similar to Paramount Plus, but since you’ll still have to watch them during live TV, it’s a waste if you want to watch football games in-person. Peacock TV can be used without a separate television subscription.
