How to watch NFL games live in 2024

Are you prepared for some soccer? The season kicked off this month in Kansas Metropolis with the Chiefs internet hosting the Baltimore Ravens, and can shut on Tremendous Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, when my Pittsburgh Steelers will tackle…

Hey, a man can dream, OK? 

Till then, we’ll have 18 weeks of professional soccer motion, with 272 video games in complete. CBS, Fox, ESPN, ESPN+, NBC, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, NFL Network, and Netflix will broadcast the common season video games. For the overwhelming majority of video games, although, a live TV streaming service is all you may want — not essentially cable. 

Additionally: This Sony Bravia is the best TV for the money in 2024 – and it’s on sale

Earlier than we dive in, some preliminary suggestions: 

  • The costs of streaming companies fluctuate wildly relying on the kind of subscription and bundle, so make sure you store round to search out some actual offers.
  • You need companies that carry native CBS, NBC, and Fox channels. Not all of them do. For instance, whereas I like Philo, it lacks native stations. Others solely stream native stations for some areas. Earlier than subscribing to any service, verify the nice print and make sure you get your native stations.
  • You may additionally need the NFL Network and ESPN’s nationwide feeds. Once more, not all packages embrace these by default. 

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By and huge, Sunday NFL video games are on Fox; Sunday AFC video games are on CBS, and Sunday night time soccer is on NBC; Monday night time soccer is on ESPN; and Thursday night time video games are on Amazon Prime Video. Listed below are one of the best methods to dwell stream NFL soccer this season with out cable. 

Methods to stream NFL video games in 2024

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Over-the-air TV

Greatest at no cost video games

Earlier than speaking about streaming companies, I would be remiss if I did not point out you could nonetheless get some video games at no cost over-the-air (OTA) with a great outdated antenna. Even rabbit ears from the Sixties will decide up your native CBS, Fox, and NBC video games. 

Additionally: The best TV antennas to buy in 2024

You’ll be able to’t, nevertheless, watch out-of-market video games, Monday Evening Soccer, Thursday Evening Soccer, or NFL Community video games. Nonetheless, OTA video games are free, so you possibly can’t beat the worth! Try our decide for one of the best TV antenna general right here.

TV antenna on a roof

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DirecTV

Greatest for watching a number of video games directly

DirecTV appears to vary its identify each time I flip round, however the service and choices stay the identical.

For NFL followers, meaning you may get the CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, and NFL Community video games on it. Make sure to look carefully on the main community choices, as native channels aren’t accessible in all places. To get the utmost variety of video games, you may must get the DirecTV Alternative Bundle, which incorporates the NFL Community. 

I must also level out that Disney and DirecTV are in the midst of a contract dispute, which means you can’t currently watch ESPN on DirecTV, which in flip means you will not have the ability to watch Monday Evening Soccer. 

Ack! That will change — final 12 months Spectrum subscribers could not watch ESPN briefly, too — however there is not any assure that ESPN can be again on DirecTV in time for the primary Monday night time sport on Sept. 9, the 49ers internet hosting the Jets.

The Alternative Bundle prices $103.98 month-to-month or $74.99/mo for a 24-month subscription. The Leisure Bundle prices much less at $74.99 a month or $59.99 month-to-month with a 24-month subscription, nevertheless it would not embrace the NFL Community.

DirecTV will allow you to and your mates watch as much as 20 simultaneous streams per account on your property community and as much as three exterior of it. Nevertheless, it solely provides you 20 hours of DVR storage. Its lookback and Rewind capabilities allow you to look at content material beforehand proven as much as 72 hours in the past. It additionally permits you to restart dwell streams from their begin, which is helpful for these occasions you could not get to the TV simply as the sport began.

You’ll be able to catch all of your native NFL video games, Saturday and Monday Evening video games, and NFL Community video games. Nevertheless, you will not have the ability to catch Thursday Evening or out-of-market video games. 

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Fubo

Greatest for severe sports activities followers

Are you a severe sports activities fan? By “severe,” I imply moreover watching the US holy trinity of soccer, basketball, and baseball, do you need to watch the English Premier League, F1 racing, and cricket? Then it is best to try Fubo. 

Fubo affords CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC in lots of areas. It additionally affords the NFL RedZone channel by its Sports activities Plus with NFL RedZone add-on, which prices $10.99 per 30 days.

Apart from sports activities, FuboTV is a full-fledged streaming service with all the standard stations. It comes with three English-language plans. 

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The Professional Plan begins at $49.99 for the primary month after which goes as much as $79.99 per 30 days. The Elite with Sports activities Plus plan affords 4K and NFL Redzone with its Sports activities Plus bundle for $69.99 for the primary month after which $99.99 per 30 days thereafter.

All three of its tiers supply 1,000 hours of video DVR storage, and you’ll stream on as much as three screens directly on your property community. It additionally consists of two helpful options: Lookback, which helps you to watch some sports activities applications as much as 72 hours after they aired, and Startover, which, identical to the identify says, lets you restart sure dwell occasions from their begin.

Put all of it collectively, and you’ll see all native video games, Sunday and Monday night time video games, and NFL Community video games. What you possibly can’t get are the Thursday night time video games or out-of-market video games.

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Hulu + Reside TV

Greatest easy-to-use streaming service with numerous video games

Hulu + Reside TV’s massive promoting level is that it combines essentially the most dwell TV and a video-on-demand (VoD) service in a single fulfilling bundle. Apart from nice unique content material, resembling Solely Murders within the Constructing, it has many different on-demand exhibits and flicks. On prime of that, you recover from 75 dwell and on-demand channels. 

Hulu + Reside TV’s interface and efficiency has constantly improved. I discover it the simplest dwell TV service to make use of, and it actually delivers when it comes to the NFL. Like different streaming companies, Hulu affords native CBS, Fox, and NBC channels in most areas. If you would like NFL RedZone, it is accessible now with the Sports activities Add-on.

Additionally: The best live TV streaming services: Expert tested

Its mixture of on-demand video and dwell TV prices $75.99 a month. You’ll be able to stream two classes concurrently and get limitless cloud DVR storage.

Hulu additionally affords bundles with Disney+ and ESPN+ beginning at $12.99 a month. Disney+ affords Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, and Disney films for the members of your loved ones who could not care much less about sports activities. With ESPN+, you may as well watch ESPN’s video games and the unique ESPN+ sport. 

Hulu + Live TV

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Sling TV

Greatest a la carte streaming service

Sling TV’s a la carte strategy to channels separates it from its rivals. It affords two fundamental packages: Blue, with 43 channels for $40, and Orange, with 32 channels for $40. You may get them each as a bundle deal for $55 and add packages of different channels, known as Sling Extras, for small extra charges.

For NFL followers, this can be a combined blessing. I prefer it as a result of it lets me get the channels I need, nevertheless it’s additionally complicated. Some channels can be found on each Sling Orange and Sling Blue. Orange is mainly an ESPN/Disney bundle, whereas Blue affords a Fox/NBC bundle. Blue additionally consists of The NFL Community. If you would like a broad collection of channels, your finest deal is to subscribe to the combo for $55.

Sling TV can be providing a particular NFL deal this season. For $219 upfront, you may get all of the common NFL video games — besides the CBS video games — with a mix of Orange and Blue. This consists of ESPN, FOX, NBC, and the NFL Community. The $11 Sports activities Additional comes with 15 channels for professional ball followers, together with NFL RedZone. 

What you will not get, although, is your native CBS affiliate. For that, Sling TV urges you to make use of an OTA antenna. Another choice to think about is subscribing to Paramount+, which offers you all of CBS’s AFL video games.

With Orange and Blue collectively, you and your folks can watch as much as 4 streams directly. You’ll be able to solely retailer as much as 100 hours on Sling’s cloud-based DVR.

Personally, I’ve preferred Sling TV because it pioneered dwell TV streaming again in 2016. I just like the interface, its velocity, and the power to choose and select my channels, so I get simply what I need. Its mixed Blue and Orange worth remains to be beneath these of its fundamental rivals. However with out CBS, you possibly can’t stream AFC video games, making it a second-choice service for NFL streamers.

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YouTube TV

Greatest for well-liked channels

There’s loads to like concerning the $72.99 month-to-month YouTube TV. With over 100 channels, it affords extra of the most well-liked channels than its rivals. It additionally lets you watch your native ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC channels in most areas and your native PBS stations.

Higher nonetheless, you may get YouTube TV for $64.99 a month for the primary 4 months, which covers the NFL season properly.

Additionally: How to download YouTube videos for free, plus two other methods

The very best deal of all, although, if in case you have the cash for it, is the NFL Sunday Ticket Bundled plan. For 4 funds of $158.99 a month, you get to look at all of the Sunday NFL video games and NFL Redzone as well.

One other neat new characteristic is YouTube TV’s customizable NFL multiview. This permits NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers to look at any accessible mixture of two, three, or 4 NFL Sunday Ticket video games on the similar time. YouTube TV Base Plan members can even have the choice to look at multiview native NFL video games by way of choose stations.

That is backed by YouTube TV, which has unquestionably one of the best cloud DVR. It comes with limitless storage and a beneficiant 9 months to look at recordings. You’ll be able to stream as much as three simultaneous exhibits directly. And, sure, you possibly can zoom by commercials in your recorded exhibits. 

I might simply suggest YouTube TV to everybody if it weren’t for the worth. As it’s, in case you’ve received an even bigger price range and you are a hardcore NFL fan, it is your most suitable option.

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Streaming companies with restricted dwell NFL video games

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Amazon Prime Video

Greatest for Thursday night time video games

If you wish to watch Thursday Evening NFL video games, which begin on Sept.12, Amazon Prime is your solely alternative. Amazon Prime Video is obtainable on primarily all streaming gadgets and PCs for $8.99 a month, along with the required annual Amazon Prime membership, which prices $139 however provides different advantages.

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NFL+

Greatest for reruns and replays of NFL video games for smartphones and tablets

NFL+ sounds good, however a better look reveals it is actually only a repackaging of the outdated NFL Sport Cross. For $7 a month or $30 yearly, you possibly can watch out-of-market preseason video games, native and primetime video games (together with Thursday night time video games), and replays… after the sport’s over. 

However — and that is the sticking level — you possibly can solely watch them in your smartphone or pill. You too can take heed to dwell native and nationwide radio video games. As somebody who grew up in rural West Virginia, the place the radio was the one manner I might “watch” the video games I cared about, that is nonetheless a pretty characteristic. 

Additionally: Apple Sports gets major updates just in time for football season

There’s additionally NFL+ Premium, for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a 12 months, which helps you to watch full ad-free sport replays and see Coaches Movie. 

Onerous-core NFL followers will like this providing, however informal followers can do higher.

NFL+

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Paramount+

Greatest for watching CBS video games

CBS was the primary of the foremost broadcast networks to go massive on streaming with CBS All Entry. Its largest promoting level was CBS’ enormous catalog of previous and new exhibits, in addition to dwell CBS information and sports activities content material. That is nonetheless true below its present identify: Paramount+.

For soccer followers, this implies Paramount+ consists of CBS Sunday AFC video games for $7.99 a month. Earlier than signing up, be certain that your native CBS station is obtainable. If it isn’t, you will not have the ability to watch these video games.

Nevertheless, the Paramount+ Important plan doesn’t embrace your native CBS station, however the NFL on CBS and the UEFA Champions League can be accessible by way of separate dwell feeds. On your native station, you want the Paramount+ with Showtime plan. The previous prices $7.99 a month, or it can save you $59.99/12 months on an annual plan. The latter is $12.99/month or $119.99/12 months.

Paramount+ is working a deal proper now, with plans startting at $2.50 per 30 days for 12 months with the code FALL50. This supply ends September 23.

If you happen to’re a Sling TV buyer, Paramount+ is a wonderful manner so as to add the CBS video games to your Sunday football-watching menu.

Paramount Plus

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Peacock

Greatest for watching NBC video games

Peacock will present all of NBC’s Sunday Evening Soccer video games for $7.99 a month. It additionally will present one — rely it, one — sport that nobody else can be broadcasting. That is the match between the Inexperienced Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday, Sept. 6.

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So, do you are feeling prepared for some soccer now? I do know I do, though, relying on how my Steelers do, I could change my thoughts in a couple of weeks. However that is life as a fan, is not it?

NFL Streaming FAQs

How I selected these NFL streaming companies

At ZDNET, we have been testing streaming companies (together with dwell TV and video on demand) for years. We selected these finest NFL streaming companies primarily based on what channels and video games they embrace, so you may get essentially the most bang to your buck and watch the video games which can be most vital to you.

How a lot Web velocity do you want for streaming?

You may want broadband web to make use of any of those companies. If you happen to’re dwelling by yourself, you might be able to get by with as little as 10 megabits per second. Nevertheless, in case you’re sharing your property with others or need to watch 4K movies, I like to recommend getting not less than a 25Mbps Web connection. 

Undecided how briskly your connection is? Attempt considered one of these Internet speed tests.

Will selecting streaming as an alternative of cable TV prevent cash?

Once I first minimize the cable twine in 2009, I saved over $100 a month and nonetheless received to look at all my exhibits. However now, my web video streaming payments are closing in on cable TV-level payments. Why? Web streaming is copying the drained, outdated cable enterprise fashions. Because of this, virtually all of the dwell TV companies have been seeing worth will increase, and so they’ll most likely go up greater.

However, if you wish to catch as many video games as you possibly can, you haven’t any alternative however to stream them. Going ahead, I count on an increasing number of video games to solely be accessible on streaming companies. 

Briefly, no in relation to watching the NFL, you will not save a lot cash over cable or satellite tv for pc lately.

What {hardware} or gear do you want for streaming?

You could be questioning, what do I would like a streaming gadget for? Cannot I get all of the streaming companies I need from my good TV? Effectively, really, no, you possibly can’t.

I want you possibly can, however typically talking, TV producers nonetheless do a awful job supporting streaming companies. For instance, in 2019, older good TVs from Samsung and Vizio stopped supporting Netflix. No service is secure if they’ll try this to the most well-liked subscription-based video streaming service.

Apart from, some good TVs additionally do not assist newer channels. So, for instance, in case your youngsters are demanding Frozen 2 on Disney+ and you’ve got a non-supported Vizio Smartcast TV, you may have to clarify to your 5-year-old why they cannot watch Anna, Elsa, and Olaf. Good luck with that.

That mentioned, newer good LG TVs, like the guts of my house theater, an LG OLED 77 C1 4K TV, do a superb job of supporting even obscure streaming networks. 

There are lots of streaming gadgets on the market. Personally, I like to recommend any of the Roku devices. They do not price a lot, assist virtually all companies, and are straightforward to make use of. If you happen to’re in search of the absolute best one, I like to recommend the Roku Ultra for $103. If you wish to save your pennies, get a Roku Express 4K Plus for $30.

Be certain you will have a TV capable of handling 4K and high dynamic range (HDR) sports activities to benefit from these companies. Nowadays, although, even a budget TV could also be all you want for a fantastic sport expertise. 

Additionally: The best 4K TVs of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

Lastly, hold your eyes open for sales. You might be able to save a couple of hundred {dollars}, even hundreds, on a TV, which might pay to your whole streaming soccer season.

NFL video games get cut up up

Netflix has professional soccer now? Sure, sure, it does. The streaming large will stream two Christmas Day video games on Dec. 25: the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers at 1:00 PM. ET and the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans at 4:30 PM ET. 

Once I first mentioned NFL streaming football in 2014, it was very tough to stream the video games. A severe NFL fan just about needed to have a cable or satellite tv for pc TV subscription. Right this moment, it is attending to be the opposite manner round. You may want a number of streaming service subscriptions to catch all of the video games in 2024. Cable and satellite tv for pc not minimize it. 

If you happen to needed to look at and/or document each sport, you’d want subscriptions to cable/satellite tv for pc/YouTube TV, Sunday Ticket, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, ESPN+, NFL+, and Netflix. That is seven companies in complete. On the record worth, it can price you over $1,600 for the season. Ow!

Nonetheless, few of us need to watch each sport. For many of us, one of many live TV streaming services will do nicely. However, as Josh Koebert factors out in his detailed examination of the upcoming 2024 NFL streaming season, the followers of some groups might want to pay extra to catch each considered one of their group’s video games. For instance, an unfortunate New York Jets fan should pay a minimal of $58.95 to look at each sport. That is as a result of 5 of their video games can be on ESPN/ESPN+, Prime Video, and NFL Community.

Along with its normal number of sports activities, ESPN+ will air all of the ESPN Monday Evening NFL video games, ABC, and a single unique NFL sport: The Week 7 Monday Evening Soccer doubleheader with the Los Angeles Chargers visiting the Arizona Cardinals.

Bear in mind when cord-cutting promised to slash our TV-watching costs? I do. 

Wasn’t there going to be a brand new all-sports community?

Sure, there was. However Venu Sports, the creation of ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, is stopped in its tracks for now. Had it gotten off the bottom, you possibly can have subscribed to it by now. It could have included video games and exhibits from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Community, ACC Community, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, Massive Ten Community, TNT, TBS, and truTV.

Now, its future lies within the courts. Keep tuned. In 2025, you may want a Venu Sports activities subscription. 

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