How to stream NFL games for the 2023 season
With the 2023 NFL season commencing on Thursday, September 7, football fans may be wondering what’s the best way to watch live games without cable. We’re here to break down where to stream all NFL games and which streaming service is worth subscribing to this season.
Your best bet for catching the most NFL game coverage is on live TV streaming services that offer these four channels:
- NBC: host of 17 Sunday Night Football games as well as the kickoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions.
- ESPN: airs the majority of Monday Night Football games.
- CBS: has AFC games.
- Fox: carries local NFC games.
Additionally, football fans will want to check out the NFL Network as it features exclusive broadcasts, including eight regular season games, four international games, the Thanksgiving tripleheader and more.
There’s also NFL RedZone, which only operates on Sunday afternoons during the regular season and gives fans access to extra NFL content.
How to watch NFL games without cable
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is a solid choice for streaming in-market games since it offers all four channels as well as ABC, which will air four exclusive Monday Night Football games. However, it is the most expensive option.
DirecTV recently added the NFL Network to the Choice plan ($99.99/month) and the Sports Pack add-on package, which costs $14.99 monthly. Plus, this will also be the first time Sports Pack includes NFL RedZone.
Sling TV
Fans looking for a more affordable option can try Sling TV. Viewers need to sign up for the Orange and Blue plan for $60 per month to get the most coverage. The NFL RedZone channel is included in the Sports Extra add-on for $11 per month.
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV costs $69.99 per month and offers CBS, Fox, ESPN and NBC, giving football fans access to local teams. Subscribers must purchase the sports add-on for $11 per month to get NFL Network and NFL Red Zone. Also, Hulu Live TV is one of the few streaming services that doesn’t offer a free trial.
Fubo
Formerly FuboTV, the live TV streaming service offers all local and primetime games. Like Hulu Live TV, it costs $70 per month for the Pro plan and has a sports add-on ($11/month) for fans who want access to the NFL RedZone channel. However, unlike Hulu Live TV, Fubo has a free trial.
Fubo also stands out because it offers 4K viewing, which may be a deciding factor for viewers who care about that sort of thing. Rival YouTube TV also supports 4K, however, subscribers have to pay $19.99/month for the 4K Plus add-on.
Playoff games on Fox and the Super Bowl will be available in 4K.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is yet another platform that provides access to NFL games, including the ones set to broadcast on the NFL Network, Fox, CBS, ESPN and NBC. YouTube TV is priced at $72.99 per month.
Of course, fans that want NFL Redzone need to cough up an extra $11/month for its Sports Plus package.
For subscribers looking to stream out-of-market Sunday afternoon games, NFL Sunday Ticket is their answer. This year, YouTube nabbed exclusive rights to the package, which is available as a YouTube TV add-on or a standalone subscription on YouTube Primetime Channels. NFL Sunday Ticket costs $349 per season.
NFL+
NFL+ is the league’s exclusive streaming service located within the NFL app. At $6.99/month, the service includes live local and primetime regular season games as well as access to the NFL Network and NFL Redzone (only for Premium subs). One caveat is that livestreams can only be viewed on mobile devices.
Amazon Prime Video
For the second consecutive year, Amazon-owned streaming service Prime Video is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football games. Prime Video costs $14.99 per month.
Notably, the streamer will also air the first Black Friday game, which is free for all fans and doesn’t require a subscription.
Peacock
Peacock is the streaming home for all NBC Sunday Night Football games. The streamer is set to host an exclusive NFL regular season game for the first time on December 23. It will also stream a prime-time NFL Wild Card game on January 13.
Subscribers need to sign up for the $5.99 premium plan to get access to NFL coverage.
Paramount+
Paramount+ gives users access to their local CBS station, so they can watch most live NFL games that air on CBS. The streamer also offers CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports Golazo Network and other live CBS programming.
Paramount+ Essential is $5.99/month and Paramount+ with Showtime is $11.99/month.