How to watch NFL games: Live stream football without cable from anywhere

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The NFL is finally back, and football's regular season officially returns for a full run from September 5 to January 5. The viewing options for the season are vast and can get a bit complicated. Fortunately, we've combed through all of the watch options and the 2024-2025 schedule to identify everything you need to know about how to watch NFL games. 

All 32 teams are slated to play 17 games in the 2024-2025 regular season, plus the wild card, divisional rounds, conference championships, and Super Bowl. This means that there are just under 300 NFL games that you can watch this season. The games are spread far and wide, appearing on regional sports networks, nationally broadcast networks, and streaming services (with some games exclusively available on streamers).

The regular season kicks off on Thursday, September 5, with a Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs game, but the usual Thursday Night Football watch options will not work for this particular match-up. Instead, the game will air on NBC, so any of the Sunday Night Football/NBC options we outline below (including Peacock) will be able to help you out.

The viewing options get tricky, so we'll break down absolutely everything you need to know about watching the NFL this season. We've highlighted cable networks and live streaming options in the US, as well as international streaming options. We'll keep this guide updated throughout the season, so you can always check back for more information.

How to watch all NFL games on every major platform

Look below for a detailed breakdown of which networks and streaming services will air specific NFL games. This chart is for local in-market and national broadcasts during the regular season. Out-of-market games are not available with these services.

How to stream NFL games without cable

Below, we'll dive deeper into all your NFL streaming options. We'll show you how to watch Thursday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and more, whether you want an all-inclusive streaming service or cheaper monthly subscriptions.

Sling TV

If you're looking for a live TV streaming service to watch football, Sling TV is a great budget option that gives you most of the channels you need at a cheaper price than Hulu or Fubo. There are three different plans, depending on what channels you prioritize. Sling Orange and Sling Blue each cost $40 a month, while the combined Sling Orange + Blue plan costs $55 a month. Additionally, you can purchase the Sling Blue Sports Extra package to add NFL RedZone to your plan for $11 a month.

The Blue plan has NFL Network, as well as Fox and NBC in select markets, while the Orange plan has ESPN. Notably, Sling doesn't offer CBS. We recommend going with Sling Orange + Blue to get access to the most NFL content Sling offers all season long. Sling often offers 50% off your first month.

What you get:

• Local games on Fox (select markets)
• Sunday Night Football on NBC (select markets)
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• NFL Network games

What you don't get:

• Local games on CBS
• Thursday Night Football games
• Out-of-market games

Fubo

At $80 a month for the Pro plan, Fubo TV offers the same selection of NFL games you can find on Hulu + Live TV and more options than Sling TV. It boasts all the network and cable channels you need to watch local and primetime games. If you want Red Zone, you can add the Sports Plus package for $11 per month. First-time customers can try out any of the base plans free for one week.

What you get:

• Local games on Fox 
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• NFL Network games

What you don't get:

• Thursday Night Football games
• Out-of-market games

Hulu + Live TV

In addition to all of its other offerings, Hulu + Live TV has nearly everything you need to stream NFL games for $77 per month. Hulu + Live TV gets you access to all local NFL games in your area, with the exception of any blackouts. In addition, you get ESPN and NFL Network. The service even comes with a Disney+ and ESPN+ subscription (plus regular on-demand Hulu) for no extra cost. You can also add the Sports add-on package to get NFL Redzone for an extra $10 a month.

What you get:

• Local games on Fox 
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• NFL Network games

What you don't get:

• Thursday Night Football games
• Out-of-market games

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is another service that offers access to local and primetime NFL games. It costs $73 a month, but new members can get their first four months for $53 a month after a free trial. This is $80 in savings before the plan begins to charge you at the standard rate. Additionally, the service offers NFL Redzone in their Sports Plus package for an additional $11 a month.

Starting with the 2023 NFL season, YouTube TV began offering NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on. This extra package lets you watch all out-of-market games. Without a YouTube TV account, NFL Sunday Ticket costs $119.75/month for four months (or $479 a year), but there are some savings if you bundle a YouTube TV account with NFL Sunday Ticket.

What you get:

• Local games on Fox 
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• NFL Network games

What you don't get:

• Thursday Night Football games
• Out-of-market games*

*Out-of-market games are available with the NFL Sunday Ticket package.

Peacock

Peacock will stream all games slated to air on NBC during the 2024 season, including all Sunday Night Football games and the Thursday Night kickoff on September 5. It will also exclusively stream the NFL First Friday game on September 6. Last year, Peacock also streamed a playoff game. Subscriptions start at $8 a month for ad-supported viewing and $14 a month for ad-free streaming (although the ad-free terms usually only apply to on-demand content).

What you get:

• The entire Sunday Night Football schedule
• Exclusive September 6, 2024 game

What you don't get:

• Local games on CBS
• Local games on Fox 
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• Thursday Night Football games
• NFL Network games
• Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games

Paramount+

If you're just interested in watching CBS games, a Paramount Plus subscription could be all you need. The service lets you stream live CBS television and a growing library of on-demand shows and exclusive titles. 

Paramount Plus Essential is available for $8 a month with commercials or $13 a month with ad-free on-demand streaming and Showtime included. You can try the service free for one week. Right now, there are some major savings on annual plans. All live broadcasts, including NFL games, still feature commercials with the ad-free plan.

What you get:

• Local games on CBS

What you don't get:

• Local games on Fox 
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• Thursday Night Football games
• NFL Network games
• Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games

Prime Video

Prime Video is now the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, with regular-season matchups starting September 12. Thursday Night Football has expanded to 16 games this season, with former Sunday Night Football play-by-play announcer Al Michaels joining Kirk Herbstreit in the broadcast booth, with Kaylee Hartung on sideline reporting. This year, Prime Video will also stream an exclusive Wild Card game.

A standalone Amazon Prime Video membership costs $9 a month, and the service is included as part of an Amazon Prime subscription for $139 per year or $15 a month.

What you get:

• Thursday Night Football games
• Exclusive Wild Card game in January 2025

What you don't get:

• Local games on CBS
• Local games on Fox 
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• Sunday Night Football games on NBC
• NFL Network games
• Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games

NFL+

If you're only interested in streaming NFL games on your phone or tablet, a subscription to the NFL+ service is your best bet. The platform will let you watch local and primetime broadcast games (regular and postseason), NFL Network games, and out-of-market preseason games.

To access games, you'll need to ensure that your location services are activated on your phone or tablet. NFL+ subscribers also get access to a large library of documentaries and shows from NFL films and the NFL Network, all of which can be found in the NFL app. 

NFL+ Premium is also available for $15 a month or $100 per year. This plan lets you watch replays of games after they air and provides access to game film that's usually reserved for coaches and analysts. Most importantly, NFL+ Premium grants you access to NFL RedZone.

What you get:

• Local games on Fox (mobile only)
• Local games on CBS (mobile only)
• Sunday Night Football on NBC (mobile only)
• Monday Night Football on ESPN (mobile only)
• Thursday Night Football games (mobile only)
• NFL Network games (mobile only)

What you don't get:

• Out-of-market games

ESPN+

ESPN+ doesn't offer NFL games every week, but there are a handful of games that will be streamed on the service during the season. ESPN+ will even live stream divisional round playoff games once the regular season concludes. ESPN+ costs $11 a month or $110 per year, and can also be bundled with Disney Plus and Hulu.

Other Monday Night Football games airing on ESPN+ in 2024 include the Jets vs. 49ers on September 8, Commanders vs. Bengals on September 23, Seahawks vs. Lions on September 30, Ravens vs. Buccaneers on October 21, Chargers vs. Cardinals on October 21, Giants vs. Steelers on October 28, Bengals vs. Cowboys on December 9, Bears vs. Viking on December 16, and the Lions vs. 49ers on December 30.

What you get:

• Select ESPN and/or ABC Monday Night Football games.
• A divisional playoff game.

What you don't get:

• Local games on Fox 
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football games that aren't listed above
• Thursday Night Football games
• NFL Network games

DAZN

Starting with the 2023 season and continuing in 2024, NFL fans outside the United States and China can tune into every single game—including playoffs—using NFL Game Pass International on DAZN. The sports streaming service is the exclusive provider of this comprehensive coverage. Prices vary in each region, but as an example, DAZN offers Game Pass International in the United Kingdom for £15.99/month in a 12-month contract or £14.99/week with no commitment. You can watch games live and on-demand. Viewers in the UK may see up to two Sunday games per week on a 24-hour delay. And viewers in Canada can catch all of the NFL action through their regular DAZN subscription, so there's no need to get Game Pass.

You can access Game Pass International through the DAZN app, available on Apple, Android, and Amazon mobile devices; Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV devices; Smart, Sony, LG, Panasonic, and Roku smart TVs; and PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Antennas

You can purchase an antenna, like our best overall pick (the Channel Master Flatenna), to add to your TV for about $29, giving you access to local channels within a certain distance. For more recommendations, check our guide to the best digital antennas. 

An antenna lets you watch all the regional games broadcast from whichever market you're located in. You also get the weekly Sunday Night Football matchup that airs on NBC. Because it's only a one-time payment, this is a great option if you're solely interested in watching the team in your area.

What you get:

• Local games on Fox
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC

What you don't get:

• Out-of-market games
• Monday Night Football
• Thursday Night Football
• NFL Network games

Blackout and out-of-market games

Even with comprehensive streaming packages, some conditions may prevent you from watching certain games. The most common is the availability of out-of-market games. Many basic streaming options restrict your game choice to those that would normally air in your city on local, over-the-air network television.

Conversely, all-in packages like Sunday Ticket will only allow you to view out-of-market games, forcing you to turn to traditional options for local games. The networks use several factors to determine which markets their broadcasts will air in.

Blackouts are different. A blackout game means local affiliate stations will decline to show the game, which typically only happens if the team in that market fails to reach a certain number of ticket sales. This tactic is designed to incentivize fans to attend games. But blackouts can also trigger due to contractual disputes and under other rare circumstances.

Additionally, it can be hard to keep up with your favorite teams while traveling, even if you buy every streaming service on this list. Enter VPNs, which we'll discuss at the bottom of this article.

How to watch NFL games for free

If you're not interested in cable, streaming services, or even getting a digital TV antenna, you'll want to know of a few options for watching free NFL games every week.

• Thursday Night Football: In 2023, free games aired on Twitch in the United States, courtesy of Amazon. You can read more about it in our guide on how to watch Thursday Night Football games for free, and we'll update this space if it looks like that's the case again this year.
• Early afternoon Sunday games: Australian streaming service 7Plus streams a handful of games every week for free. Check the schedule in your local timezone, noting that Australia currently operates in AWST.
• Monday Night Football: Channel 5 in the UK streams ESPN's Monday night games every week. Learn more about how to tune in with our guide on how to watch Monday Night Football for free.

How to watch NFL games from anywhere

If you happen to be away from any of the regions showing these broadcasts at game time or you're trying to keep up with your subscriptions while traveling, you'll want to know your way around a VPN. VPN is short for virtual private network. It's a software tool that allows you to change the location your device appears to be connecting from. In addition, it secures your connection using high-level encryption. For example, if something is showing on a UK website but you're traveling outside the country, just connect to a UK-based server, then revisit the website. In most cases, it'll let you right in to watch whatever you want.

Our go-to is ExpressVPN. It's one of the best VPNs we've tested, and there's no risk in trying it thanks to a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN is currently offering 49% off annual subscriptions, and you'll get an extra three months free. That nets you 15 months of service in total. Read our ExpressVPN review to learn more, and check it out for yourself by clicking the link below.

How to watch NFL games with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
• Install it on the device you're using to watch the game.
• Turn it on and set it to your desired location.
• Go to the streaming service or website you want to watch.
• If you're signing up for a streaming service, you will need to sign up using a local postal/zip code and payment method. Sites streaming NFL games for free may also require creating an account.
• Watch the game and enjoy.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.