You can still waych NFL games if you’ve ditched your cable company in favor of video streaming services. On-demand platforms like Disney+ and Netflix don’t offer live sports, so you must subscribe to a live TV streaming service to catch the gridiron action. Video streaming is a huge and complicated category, especially when it comes to confusing and expensive live sports broadcasts. Fortunately, PCMag knows video streaming inside and out. We’ve covered video streaming services for more than a decade, so our independent reviews will help you find the libraries with the best content, features, and price. The NFL is choosey about the platforms that carry its games, but multiple video streaming Editors’ Choice winners (Hulu, Peacock, YouTube TV) are good starting points. So, are you ready for some football?
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Best for NFL Coverage and On-Demand Shows
Hulu
Pros & Cons
Excellent selection of TV series
Extensive live TV channel lineup
Robust cloud DVR option
Available on nearly every media streaming device
Appealing bundle deals
Base on-demand plan includes ads
Offline downloads feature requires premium account
Fewer high-quality originals than competitors
Missing most SportsNet and all Bally Sports RSNs
Why We Picked It
Hulu + Live TV features all the channels you need to watch NFL games, including CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC. Hulu added the NFL Network channel, and offers a Sports add-on ($10 per month) that includes NFL RedZone. Other sports channels on the service include BTN and the Golf Channel. You can also subscribe to the Español add-on ($4.99 per month) to get international sports coverage from ESPN Deportes.
Who It’s For
Hulu + Live TV is an excellent choice for general audiences, with many popular news and entertainment channels. A subscription unlocks Hulu’s expansive library of on-demand shows and movies, too. All subscribers now enjoy Enhanced Cloud DVR that increases the available DVR storage from 50 hours to 200 hours. You can also add the Unlimited Screens package (it allows an unlimited number of concurrent device streams in your home, and up to three outside of it) to your plan for $9.99 per month. Although Hulu’s on-demand content is available in 1080p, a few on-demand originals support 4K streaming on select platforms. The service supports 1080p/60fps live streams on some platforms, too.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$7.99 per month; $75.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
FOX and NFL Network
Sunday Football
CBS and FOX; NFL RedZone (via Add-On)
Sunday Night Football
NBC
Monday Night Football
ESPN
DVR Storage & Retention
50 or 200 hours; Indefinitely
Concurrent Streams
2 or Unlimited (at home) and 3 (mobile devices)
Best for Sunday Night Football
Peacock
Pros & Cons
Affordable base tier has no major limitations
Popular movies and network shows
Flexible plan pricing
Live sports
Supports multiple account profiles
New users can’t create a free account
Constantly changing movie library
Why We Picked It
If you subscribe to Peacock’s Premium or Premium Plus plans, you can watch every Sunday Night Football game and the Super Bowl. Anyone can watch the season’s first game between the Cowboys and the Buccaneers for free, too.
Who It’s For
Aside from its NFL coverage, Peacock has streaming rights to Indy Car events, Premier League soccer matches, PGA Tour golf, and WWE content (including PPV events). Peacock is also home to a substantial library of popular on-demand shows and movies, including some original titles. You won’t get any additional sports coverage by paying for the $13.99-per-month Premium Plus tier, but you will gain the ability to download titles for offline viewing on mobile platforms and to watch most on-demand content without ads.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$7.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
None
Sunday Football
None
Sunday Night Football
NBC
Monday Night Football
None
DVR Storage & Retention
None
Concurrent Streams
3
Learn More
Peacock Review
Best for Recording NFL Games
YouTube TV
Pros & Cons
Excellent lineup of sports, news, and entertainment channels
Robust and easy-to-use DVR features
Intuitive interface
Supports three simultaneous streams per account by default
Excellent add-ons
Select a la carte channel options
Lacks most SportsNet and all Bally Sports RSNs
Basic parental control options
Why We Picked It
For NFL coverage, YouTube TV offers CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC in its lineup. It even includes the NFL Network, which is great for die-hard NFL fans. If you want the NFL RedZone channel, you can pay for YouTube’s $10.99-per-month Sports Plus add-on.As for other national sports, the service includes the Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, Olympic Channel, and Tennis Channel. You can pay an extra monthly fee for the FOX Soccer Plus ($15 per month) and NBA League Pass ($39.99 per month) add-ons. YouTube TV also includes top news and entertainment channels.
Who It’s For
YouTube TV is for viewers who want to record football action for later. With YouTube TV, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage (recordings are kept for up to nine months), up to three simultaneous device streams, and support for six user accounts. All those features are useful for when family members want to watch different programs that are set to air at the same time. YouTube TV is notably one of the few services that streams live channels in 1080p. A new 4K Plus add-on lets you stream select live channels in 4K, watch DVR recordings offline, and stream from an unlimited number of devices on your home network.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$72.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
FOX and NFL Network
Sunday Football
CBS and FOX; NFL RedZone (via Add-On)
Sunday Night Football
NBC
Monday Night Football
ESPN
DVR Storage & Retention
Unlimited; 9 Months
Concurrent Streams
3 or Unlimited (at home)
Learn More
YouTube TV Review
Best for Thursday Night Football
Amazon Prime Video
Pros & Cons
Excellent original content
4K and HDR streaming
Live Thursday Night Football and WNBA games
Supports offline downloads, multiple viewer profiles, and audio descriptions
Lets you rent or buy movies and TV shows
Continues to lose third-party content to other services
Not as many high-quality TV shows as competitors
Why We Picked It
Amazon Prime Video now holds exclusive rights to Thursday Night NFL games, making it an essential streaming platform for NFL fans. Prime Video also added other live sports to its lineup, most notably WNBA games and select MLB games.
Who It’s For
Amazon is for people who want to pay for sports-focused channels on the platform, including Paramount+ (and its Sunday NFL coverage), NBA League Pass, and PGA Tour Live. Amazon also produces the All or Nothing series, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at various professional sports teams. Amazon Prime’s on-demand library of TV shows and movies (and especially its originals) make it an excellent choice for your on-demand streaming needs, as well.Amazon Prime works on the web, mobile platforms (Android and iOS), media streaming devices (Apple TV 4K, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku), game consoles (PlayStation, Wii, and Xbox), and smart TVs. With Prime Video, you can stream content on up to three devices at the same time.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$8.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
Prime Video
Sunday Football
None
Sunday Night Football
No
Monday Night Football
No
DVR Storage & Retention
None
Concurrent Streams
3
Learn More
Amazon Prime Video Review
Best for Watching the NFL and Other Sports
Fubo
Pros & Cons
Lots of live sports and on-demand entertainment
Reliable streaming
Excellent web interface
Capable DVR functionality
Some 4K content
Most live streams limited to 720p
Lacks A&E, Turner, and WBD channels
Why We Picked It
Fubo is an excellent option for NFL fans; it includes CBS, FOX, NBC, and the NFL Network. Fubo added Disney channels (including ESPN) to its channel lineups, which considerably improves the service’s NFL coverage. You can also get the NFL RedZone channel via the $10.99 per month Sports Plus with NFL RedZone add-on.
Who It’s For
Fubo is for all sports fans. It excels in its other sports coverage though with the Golf Channel, MLB Network, and NBA TV. International sports channels on the service include beIN Sports, GOL TV, and TUDN. Fubo’s news and entertainment offerings are strong especially with the addition of Discovery and Viacom, even though it no longer has A&E or Turner channels.Fubo’s plans let you record up to 250 hours of DVR content, which it keeps forever. The Cloud DVR 1000 add-on ($16.99 per month) increases that limit to 1,000 hours. All packages let you stream on three screens at once, but the Unlimited Screens add-on ($9.99 per month) increases that limit to 10 devices on your home network and two off of it. Other cool features of Fubo are Lookback, which lets you watch select sports programs up to 72 hours after they aired, and Startover, which enables you to restart certain live events from the beginning.Fubo is available on the web or via dedicated apps for Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and Roku devices. Note that while most of Fubo’s live streams are limited to 720p, it airs select live programming in 4K, including NFL games. Most of its on-demand content can be streamed in at least 1080p.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$79.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
FOX and NFL Network
Sunday Football
CBS and FOX; NFL RedZone (via Add-On)
Sunday Night Football
NBC
Monday Night Football
ESPN
DVR Storage & Retention
Unlimited
Concurrent Streams
2 or 10
Best for Monday Night Football With the Mannings
ESPN+
Pros & Cons
Lots of live sports, particularly college sports
Reliable streaming performance
On-demand access to ESPN’s high-quality archives
Supports offline downloads on mobile
Does not include most of ESPN’s core programming
No live NFL or NBA games
Lacks DVR functionality
Why We Picked It
ESPN+’s value to NFL fans is that it includes simulcasts of ESPN2’s Monday Night Football broadcast with Eli and Peyton Manning this season. Otherwise, ESPN+ has a few NFL commentary shows in its lineup, including NFL PrimeTime and The Fantasy Show. As for other live sports, ESPN+ includes tons of out-of-market NHL games, select MLB games; national and international soccer league matches, and various NCAA events. UFC fans must also go through ESPN+ for PPV events.
Who It’s For
ESPN+ is for viewers who the polished experience they expect from such a big name. ESPN+’s live streams appeared to hit the 1080/60fps mark, which is great for sports fans. A higher streaming resolution means a more detailed picture, while higher refresh rates help smooth out fast action. It supports up to three simultaneous streams per account, but it does not offer DVR storage. ESPN+ is available on the web, but you can download a dedicated app on mobile platforms (Android and iOS), media streaming devices (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku), and gaming consoles (PlayStation 4 and 5; Xbox One, Series S|X; and Oculus Go).
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$10.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
None
Sunday Football
None
Sunday Night Football
None
Monday Night Football
Simulcast of ESPN2’s Monday Night Football Broadcast With the Mannings
DVR Storage & Retention
None
Concurrent Streams
3
Best for Replays of Every NFL Game
NFL+
Pros & Cons
Full and condensed replays of every NFL game
Live local, prime-time, and out-of-market preseason games
Supports streams of up to 1080p/60fps
Live audio for every game
No limits on simultaneous streams
Affordable way to watch out-of-market games
Picture-in-picture viewing option on mobile
Can’t watch all live games on all devices
Replays locked to higher service tier
No longer lets you simultaneously stream multiple games via web browser
Lacks audio replays
Replaces a free tier with a paid one
No offline playback
Why We Picked It
NFL+ (previously NFL Game Pass) gives NFL fans access to replays of every NFL game (including playoff matchups and the Super Bowl) each season regardless of their location. No other streaming service offers that capability. Game replays are typically available shortly after the live broadcast concludes. The service also includes live audio feeds of games and in-market preseason games, and live local and primetime games on mobile devices.
Who It’s For
NFL+ one of the best options for people who do not live in their favorite team’s local market. Although some football fans might not like the prospect of watching games after they air. NFL+ supports streams of up to 1080p/60fps depending on the broadcast, but it no longer offers some of the genuinely useful playback features that it previously did. The condensed replay mode is still available, but the options to watch multiple replays simultaneously and listen to audio replays are gone. The service should also let subscribers download game replays on mobile devices for offline viewing.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$6.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
All Replays
Sunday Football
All Replays
Sunday Night Football
All Replays
Monday Night Football
All Replays
DVR Storage & Retention
None
Concurrent Streams
Unlimited
Best for Out-of-Market Regular-Season Games
NFL Sunday Ticket
Pros & Cons
Lets you legally watch out-of-market games
Reliable streaming performance in testing
Excellent playback modes and closed caption customization options
Taps YouTube’s intuitive interface and features
Unlimited simultaneous streams
Expensive
Prime-time, in-market, or postseason NFL coverage requires extra tiers
Why We Picked It
NFL Sunday Ticket is the only service we’ve reviewed that lets you watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on Sunday. It’s the best option for football fans who don’t live in their favorite team’s broadcast market. However, NFL Sunday Ticket is very expensive and does not include live Thursday night, in-market Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, or Monday night football games by default.
Who It’s For
If you want to watch out-of-market Sunday football games legally, NFL Sunday Ticket is your only option. Fortunately, the move from creaky cable to online YouTube has given the service a nice boost. We like features such as customizable closed captions, unlimited simultaneous streams, and the ability to watch multiple games at once through the intuitive interface. You can access NFL Sunday Ticket on any mobile or streaming platform that supports YouTube TV.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$349
Thursday Night Football
No
Sunday Football
Out-of-market games
Sunday Night Football
No
Monday Night Football
No
DVR Storage & Retention
None
Concurrent Streams
2 or Unlimited (at home)
Learn More
NFL Sunday Ticket Review
Best for NFL Broadcasts on CBS
Paramount+
Pros & Cons
Broad library of on-demand content across many genres
Premium tier now includes Showtime
Live sports coverage
Supports offline downloads and 4K streaming
Allows three simultaneous streams and six profiles per account
Excellent closed captions options and parental control tools
Fewer high-quality originals than competiing services
Offline downloads and 4K streaming are restricted to premium tier
Only premium subscribers get local CBS broadcast channels
Why We Picked It
Paramount+ enables Premium subscribers ($12.99 per month) to stream a live feed of local CBS broadcast channels, which means you can watch live NFL games. You can also watch on-demand episodes of NFL Slimetime. Other sports on this service include the NCAA March Madness tournament, select PGA Tour events, and lots of national and international soccer (Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Concacaf, Liga Profesional de Fútbol, National Women’s Soccer League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League).
Who It’s For
As the streaming hub for CBS, Paramount+ has more to watch for viewers who care about content beyond football. Paramount+ includes access to a decent library of on-demand network TV shows and original too, such as The Good Fight, Star Trek: Discovery, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. In addition to watching Paramount+ on the web, you can download apps for mobile platforms (Android and iOS), media streaming devices (Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku), gaming consoles (Xbox and PlayStation 4), and smart TVs (LG, Samsung, and Vizio). The service supports up to three simultaneous streams per account on all plans, but the ability to download titles for offline viewing and access 4K content is restricted to the more expensive ad-free plan.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$7.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
No
Sunday Football
CBS
Sunday Night Football
No
Monday Night Football
No
DVR Storage & Retention
None
Concurrent Streams
3
Learn More
Paramount+ Review
Best for Monday Night Football on the Cheap
Sling TV
Pros & Cons
Good channel selection
Flexible subscription options
Free tier
Reliable streaming performance
Movie rentals
Prices continue to increase
Limited offering of local channels and regional sports networks
Confusing channel distribution
Why We Picked It
Sling TV splits its sports coverage across its Orange and Blue plan, with ESPN channels on the former, and NFL Network and NBC on the latter. You have to pay for the combined Orange + Blue Package ($60 per month) to get its complete NFL coverage. NBC and FOX affiliates are available in select markets for those with at least a Sling Blue plan, but if you want to watch games that air on ABC, you need to set up an antenna, which partially defeats the purpose of getting a video streaming service in the first place. Sling also lacks CBS affiliate channels.
Who It’s For
Sling TV empowers viewers who want to customize their streaming packages. Sports fans may want to subscribe to the Sports Extra add-on ($10 per month) to get beIN Sports, ESPN U, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, and NHL Network.Sling TV doesn’t let you simultaneously stream Orange channels on multiple devices, but you can stream Blue channels on up to three devices at the same time. Sling includes 50 hours of DVR storage for free, with an optional upgrade to 200 hours for an extra $5 per month. You can watch Sling TV on your mobile phone, streaming device, Xbox console (but not PlayStation), and the web.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$40 per month; $60 per month
Thursday Night Football
FOX and NFL Network
Sunday Football
FOX; NFL RedZone (via Add-On)
Sunday Night Football
NBC
Monday Night Football
ESPN
DVR Storage & Retention
50 or 200 hours; Indefinitely
Concurrent Streams
1 (for Sling Orange channels), 3 (for Sling Blue channels)
Learn More
Sling TV Review
Best for RSN Coverage
DirecTV Stream
Pros & Cons
Reliable streaming performance in testing
Supports 20 simultaneous streams on home network
Lineup includes RSNs from Comcast, Sinclair, and Spectrum
Includes parental control options
Expensive
Some interface quirks
Why We Picked It
NFL fans should consider the Entertainment plan from DirecTV Stream (previously AT&T TV), which includes the channels need to watch big games: CBS, FOX, and NBC. You need to pay more (the Choice Plan is $108.99 per month) to get the Golf Channel and RSNs, however. Another disadvantage? DirecTV Stream lacks the NFL Network. On top of that, DirecTV and Disney are involved in a contract dispute that may cut off DirecTV viewers from Monday Night Football games on ABC and ESPN.
Who It’s For
With its local and national channels, DirecTV Stream helps you track the tricky world of regional sports networks. It offers 20 hours of DVR storage and keeps recordings for up to 90 days. Most other services let users save more hours of programming and for longer. Sports fans will appreciate DirecTV Stream’s Lookback and Rewind capabilities, which let you watch previously aired content (up to 72 hours in the past) and restart live streams from the beginning of the broadcast, respectively. Note, however, that these features are only available for select channels and programs.DirecTV Stream supports an impressive 20 simultaneous streams per account on your home network and up to three outside it. The service is available on media streaming devices, mobile platforms, and the web, but not for gaming consoles.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price
$79.99 per month
Thursday Night Football
FOX
Sunday Football
CBS and FOX
Sunday Night Football
NBC
Monday Night Football
ESPN
DVR Storage & Retention
20 hours or Unlimited, nine months
Concurrent Streams
20 (at home) and 3 (away from home)
Learn More
DirecTV Stream Review
Buying Guide: The Best NFL Streaming Services for 2024
Is There a Streaming Service for NFL Games?NFL games generally air during four time slots on different networks throughout the regular season:Thursday Night Football (Prime Video)Sunday afternoons (CBS and FOX)Sunday Night Football (NBC)Monday Night Football (ESPN) Last season, playoff games were split between CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC, channels that you can get with a live TV streaming service. In addition, US holidays affect the schedule, which means that there may be multiple games on a Thursday or a game on Saturday. Consult the schedule below for details on watching those games.Under this most recent deal, the broadcast rights for Sunday afternoons, Sunday nights, and Monday nights remain the same. Super Bowl coverage will rotate between ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, while NFL Network retains rights to some exclusive games. Both Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football games are subject to flex schedules with this new contract; in other words, the NFL can change which games air during these primetime slots based on what will make for more entertaining matchups. However, the agreement also signals a dramatic shift in the NFL’s support for streaming services. One major change is that Prime Video became the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football. Other changes also recently took effect. For example, NBC began streaming Sunday Night Football games this season on Peacock, much like CBS does for Sunday afternoon games on Paramount+. We hope ESPN+ starts to carry NFL games that air on ABC or ESPN.DirecTV’s rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket package expired at the end of the 2022 season, and those rights have now shifted over to YouTube TV. Which NFL games you can watch on Sunday afternoons depends on where you live. These games are carried on local CBS and FOX affiliate channels and are subject to the same blackout rules as cable broadcasts. You will get other Sunday afternoon games in addition to those involving your local team, but how many and which ones are not always easy to determine. Check out 506Sports’ regional NFL coverage maps each week for all the details.The NFL matchups on Sunday nights and every other day of the week are national broadcasts, so everyone will see the same game regardless of where they live. Playoff games and the Super Bowl are also televised to national audiences. NFL fans don’t have to navigate the mess that is regional sports network (RSN) broadcast rights; all these channels are available in most broadcast markets and on most live TV streaming services. Even with the upcoming changes, the NFL’s current streaming strategy still isn’t ideal. It puts the burden on fans to pay for and manage multiple streaming services at a time. The NFL also doesn’t seem to recognize that a location-based strategy is ineffectual at reaching modern audiences, especially those who don’t live in their favorite team’s home market.Many of the major NFL commentary shows air on channels we already mentioned, but some do not. For example, Nickelodeon now offers a weekly, family-friendly NFL highlights show, NFL Slimetime, hosted by Nate Burleson and Young Dylan, alongside correspondent Dylan Schefter. DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu, Philo, and YouTube TV all offer Nickelodeon. Eli and Peyton Manning will also call some Monday Night Football games on ESPN2 this season; this broadcast is simulcast on ESPN+. DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu, Sling TV’s Orange Plan, and YouTube TV all have ESPN2 in their lineups.The NFL RedZone channel is another option for people who want to watch scoring highlights on Sunday afternoons or keep up with fantasy football stats in real time. Fubo, Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube TV offer add-ons with this channel.How to Stream NFL GamesYou can find the preseason schedule on the NFL’s official site. For more on how to watch every big game, we will update the schedule throughout the NFL season. How to Watch NFL via Cable and Over-the-Air StreamingOne of the easiest ways to ensure complete coverage of national and in-market games is to sign up for a cable plan. Note that if you go this route, you will likely pay more money than you would with any video streaming service. You’ll also lose out on other conveniences, such as better-designed interfaces and support for more platforms. NFL Sunday Ticket is one of the few legitimate options for watching out-of-market regular-season games live. This service is available as a cable add-on or online for people who are unable to get DirecTV cable.
Recommended by Our Editors
Streaming cable over the air via an antenna is another option for watching broadcast channels, such as CBS, FOX, and NBC, though your success may vary depending on your location and the strength of the signal in your home. You also must buy and set up an antenna for this method. Sling TV is the only video streaming service on this list that integrates with over-the-air channels.How Can I Stream NFL Games for Free?The cheaper initial NFL+ tier has largely replaced the free viewing options previously found on the Yahoo Sports app and NFL app. If you want to watch football, you’re going to spend some cash. However, you can consider setting up a digital antenna to watch games on the major broadcast channels. These devices are relatively cheap and don’t require a monthly subscription.
Video Streaming Services: What You Should Know
The Best Sports Streaming ServicesIf you are looking to watch sports other than the NFL, check out our roundup of the Best Sports Streaming Services. We also have roundups of the Best MLB Streaming Services, Best NBA Streaming Services, and Best NHL Streaming Services. We cover everything you need to know about RSNs in these roundups, since many MLB, NBA, and NHL games don’t air as national broadcasts.
