Are you wanting to watch pro football games? Make sure you check your streaming setup first.
The NFL season kicked off Sept. 10 as the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Houston Texans in a nationally televised game on NBC and beat Houston, 34-20.
Games continue every Thursday, Sunday and Monday in the regular season, which ends Jan. 3
NBC, which will air 17 “Sunday Night Football” games this season, is one of the league’s six television partners. The others are:
• CBS, which holds the AFC package and shows 1 to 2 games every Sunday
• FOX has the NFC rights and also broadcasts 1 to 2 games each Sunday, plus “Thursday Night Football” games beginning with Week 4
• ESPN has 17 “Monday Night Football” games
• NFL Network airs “Thursday Night Football” starting with the Browns vs. Bengals on Sept. 17
• Amazon Prime will stream 11 of those Thursday night games starting with Week 4
Don’t have time to watch entire games? NFL RedZone is a cable channel that shows every touchdown from every game, allowing you to track action around the league and players on your fantasy team.
But what if you’ve cut the cord on your cable or satellite service? Don’t worry. The days of needing either to watch nationally televised NFL games are a thing of the past.
Here’s a look at your options:
Digital antenna
The most cost-effective way is to affix a digital antenna to your TV. You’ll get games over-the-air on CBS, FOX and NBC. And don’t worry about having to find somebody to hold the antenna “just so” while you watch the game. Digital antennas have improved significantly since those days and are capable of transmitting an HD picture from as far as 125 miles from the station’s transmission tower. Prices vary, ranging from $20 to $80 on our site lavasat.com.
Cable replacement services
These companies offer a cable-like experience, without the pesky contract commitments, equipment rentals and hidden fees. But each comes with its own set of pros and cons, so compare them to find the right one for you.
- Pro: CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network and a variety of other sports networks. NFL RedZone is available in the Sports Plus tier for $10.99. Plus, you get a free 7-day trial.
- Con: Expensive at $64.99 and no ABC, which you’ll need come playoff time.
- Subscribe to FuboTV
- Pro: Has every channel you need in the base plan, including all four major broadcast networks, ESPN and NFL Network. Add NFL RedZone in the Sports Plus tier for an extra $10.99.
- Con: Pricey at also $64.99 per month.
- Subscribe to YouTube TV
- Pro: At $40 a month for the first three months ($45 after), this is the cheapest option that offers both NFL Network and ESPN. Add NFL RedZone with the Plus tier, available at $50 for the first three months and $55 after that.
- Con: No local stations in most markets.
- Subscribe to Vidgo
- Pro: Cheaper than YouTube TV and FuboTV at $55, AT&T TV Now offers all four major broadcast networks, plus ESPN and a free 30-day trial of HBO Max.
- Con: No NFL Network or NFL RedZone.
- Subscribe to AT&T TV Now
- Pro: Value. The $54.99 monthly fee includes all four broadcast networks and regional sports networks, plus ESPN and Hulu’s extensive library of originals and classic shows
- Con: No NFL Network or NFL RedZone.
- Subscribe to Hulu + Live TV
- Pro: $30 for Sling Orange gets you ESPN and 30 more channels.
- Con: No local stations, NFL Network or NFL RedZone.
- Subscribe to Sling
CBS All Access lets you live stream all Sunday games airing on your local CBS affiliate, plus original and classic CBS shows, CBSN news, CBS Sports HQ and more for $5.99 per month following a free 7-day trial.
Don’t need a full-blown cable replacement service? Amazon Prime will be streaming 11 Thursday night games beginning Oct. 1 with the Jets-Broncos game. Membership costs $12.99 monthly or $119 annually, and also includes free two-day, same-day or even two-hour shipping, Whole Foods discounts, plus access to Prime originals like “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” and “The Man In The High Castle.”
That’s the [Sunday] ticket
Still not enough football for you? Then NFLSUNDAYTICKET.tv, the online, no-satellite version of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket, is for you. The service gives you access to every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game (NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” is not included). But, because DirecTV would prefer to sell you a satellite dish, not everybody is eligible for the service. To qualify, you must reside in an apartment or condominium where DirecTV service isn’t available or in a home unable to receive DirecTV service due to an obstruction blocking access to satellite signals, or be a college student. If that’s you, congratulations! You can now purchase NFLSUNDAYTICKET.tv for the price of $294 or $73.50 a month for four months. College students get a more palatable deal: $100 or $25 a month for four months. You can also find a promo code that will shave another 25% off that price.
• Subscribe to NFLSUNDAYTICKET.tv
NFL Game Pass
Maybe watching games live as they happen isn’t that important to you. Then give NFL Game Pass a whirl. For $99 for the full season, you can stream every NFL game as soon as the live broadcast ends. So, good luck avoiding spoilers! The service also gives subscribers access to condensed 45-minute versions of each game. The available all-22 angle lets you see the game like a coach.
Here are all of the Week 1 results:
Thursday, Sept. 10
Kansas City 34, Houston 20
Sunday, Sept. 13
Seattle 38, Atlanta 25
Buffalo 27, NY Jets 17
Chicago 27, Detroit 23
Green Bay 43, Minnesota 34
New England 21, Miami 11
Washington 27, Philadelphia 17
Las Vegas 34, Carolina 30
Jacksonville 27, Indianapolis 20
Baltimore 38, Cleveland 6
LA Chargers 16, Cincinnati 13
New Orleans 34, Tampa Bay 23
Arizona 24, San Francisco 20
LA Rams 20, Dallas 17
Monday, Sept. 14
Pittsburgh 26, NY Giants 16
Denver 16, Tennessee 14
Source: Cleveland