How to Watch NFL Games in 2024 If You Don't Have Cable
The NFL regular season kicks off this weekend: We've got the first Thursday night matchup on Sept. 5 and an international game on Sept. 6 followed by Sunday afternoon games on Sept. 8 and the premieres of "Sunday Night Football" that night, "Monday Night Football" on Sept. 9, and "Thursday Night Football" on Sept. 12. With this year's matchups spread across Fox, CBS, ESPN, NBC, Amazon Prime Video, and The NFL Network plus a handful of games exclusive to Peacock, Netflix, and ESPN+, there is no way to watch every game on a single streaming service or channel.
Unfortunately, piecing together a season's worth of football across streamers does not come cheap-you'll spend around $100 a month to get the bulk of what's on offer-but it is possible. Here's what you can combine to have every single game at your fingertips.
How to piece together the NFL season on streamingIf you want access to almost everything scheduled this season, you can do so by combining Amazon Prime Video, which has exclusive rights to "Thursday Night Football," with a subscription to DirectTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or FuboTV. These streamers include the four major broadcast networks-ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC-for in-market games as well as add-ons like ESPN, NFL Network, and NFL RedZone. Be sure to check the channel lineup in your area for live TV before purchasing a subscription.
Prime Video runs $9 per month. Here's what it'll cost you to add a second service:
DirecTV Stream: DirecTV Stream gets you access to games on ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC (in most markets) as well as ESPN, NFL Network, and NFL RedZone. You'll miss only the few one-off games exclusive to ESPN+, Peacock, and Netflix. DirecTV Stream packages with NFL Network start around $75 per month.
Hulu + Live TV: Hulu + Live TV includes local ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC broadcasts along with ESPN and NFL Network plus CBS Sports and Fox Sports for $77 per month with ads or $90 per month without (increasing to $84 and $96, respectively, in October). NFL RedZone is an extra $10-per-month add-on, so this is a pricier option than DirecTV Stream if you don't already have a Hulu subscription. You can also add ESPN+ ($11 per month) to get the Chargers-Cardinals game in Week 7.
YouTube TV: YouTube TV also offers all four broadcast networks (for in-market local and nationally televised games) along with ESPN, Fox Sports, and NFL Network. The base plan costs $73 per month with the option to add NFL RedZone for $11 per month. YouTube TV is also the only place to get NFL Sunday Ticket, which includes all Sunday out-of-market games and costs $479 per year on its own or $639 when combined with YouTube TV.
FuboTV: FuboTV comes with ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC (in many markets) as well as ESPN and NFL Network for $80 per month or all of the above plus NFL RedZone and additional channels for $100 per month.
Cable alternative Sling TV has a combined subscription to its Blue and Orange plans ($55 per month) for NFL Network and ESPN plus an $15-per-month NFL RedZone add-on. ABC, Fox, and NBC are available in select markets, but you won't have access to Sunday afternoon AFC games shown on CBS.
Even with most of the season covered by the above, there are a few games that can only be found on specific streaming services:
Peacock: Peacock will stream the first Thursday night game on Sept. 5, and the service is the exclusive host of the Eagles-Packers international match (being played in Sao Paulo, Brazil) on Sept. 6 as well as one playoff game later in the season. If you have a Peacock subscription ($8 for the ad-supported tier, $14 for ad-free), you will also be able to watch all games airing on NBC, including every Sunday Night Football broadcast.
Netflix: While not typically known for live TV, Netflix has a three-year deal with the NFL to air at least one game on Christmas Day. In 2024, this will be the only place to watch the Chiefs-Steelers and Ravens-Texans matchups. Netflix costs anywhere from $7 (standard plan with ads) to $23 (premium plan) per month.
ESPN+: As mentioned above, this is the exclusive home of the Week 7 Chargers-Cardinals matchup. You'll also be able to watch some Monday night games and both a divisional and a wild card playoff game.
Paramount+ will stream all AFC Sunday afternoon games (via CBS) as well as a handful of AFC postseason matchups and most NFL pregame content. A subscription costs $8 per month for the ad-supported tier and $13 per month for ad-free Paramount+ With Showtime.
Finally, you can view in-market Sunday afternoon games plus Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night games on NFL+ (but only on mobile) and select games via network-specific apps (but only if you have a cable or satellite subscription).
Alternative 1: Hit up a friend or a sports barOne obvious alternative to piecing together a bunch of streaming subscriptions is to find a friend who has the service showing the game(s) you're looking for and offer to bring drinks or appetizers in exchange for couch space, or find a nearby sports bar, which is likely playing anything you want to watch for the price of a beer or two. You could also look for the bar or restaurant that serves as the hangout for your favorite team, where you can pretty much count on watching every game. Simply Google [team name] + bar + [your city], post on your local subreddit, or peruse fan sites like Packers Everywhere to find the best options.
Alternative 2: Get a digital antennaIf you want to watch football from the comfort of your own couch but don't want to pay for streaming, you could consider a digital antenna for access to local channels via over the air (OTA) broadcasts. Note that your mileage may vary with this technology-we're got a few digital TV antennas we recommend for best results.