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The 2023 NFL season is officially underway. You'll want to know how to watch the NFL action all season long. There are several ways to get around local blackouts, view out-of-market NFL games, and tune into every NFL game internationally. To help you catch every game, we've broken down all your options to watch and stream the NFL without cable.
Football feels a little unique this year. Teams and the quarterbacks and coaches who lead them are younger than ever, hot new offensive concepts are crystallizing as playbook staples, Swifties are gearing up to invade the gridiron, and unless the New York Jets get desperate and make him an offer he can't refuse, for once, Tom Brady is not the odds-all favorite to win the Super Bowl. There are myriad reasons to tune in all season long, and we'll help you figure out how below.
How to watch NFL games without cable
You can watch select NFL games without a cable subscription via live TV streaming services and platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, and NFL+. You can also watch local NFL games with an HDTV antenna.
Over the course of the season, you may run into issues accessing certain games, such as local NFL games subject to blackout rules or out-0f-market games that aren't available on your TV or streaming plan of choice. In these rare cases, a VPN can help you tune into the exact game you want. This is also a great route for international viewers looking for cheaper US streaming services to watch live NFL games, but DAZN might have an even better proposition.
How to watch all NFL games on every major platform
Look ahead for a detailed breakdown of which networks and streaming services will air specific NFL games. Note: This chart is for local in-market and national broadcasts during the regular season. Out-of-market games are not available with these services.
AFC afternoon games (CBS)
NFC afternoon games (Fox)
Sunday Night Football (NBC)
Monday Night Football (ESPN)
Thursday Night Football
NFL Network games
Antenna
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Sling TV Orange + Blue
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Hulu + Live TV
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
YouTube TV
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
FuboTV
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Paramount Plus
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Peacock Premium
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Amazon Prime Video
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
NFL+ (mobile only)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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
Alyssa Powell/Business Insider
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 TV.
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 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
Hulu with Live TV
Hulu; Alyssa Powell/Insider
In addition to all of its other offerings, Hulu + Live TV has nearly everything you need to stream NFL games for $70 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 costs $70 a month and even comes with a Disney Plus and ESPN+ subscription 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
Fubo TV
Furbo
At $75 a month for the Pro plan, Fubo TV offers the same selection of NFL games you can find on Hulu + Live 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. Sports Plus is also bundled with Fubo's $100 Ultimate plan.
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
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 three months for $65 a month after a free trial. 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 also offers NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on. This extra package lets you watch all out-of-market games. Sunday Ticket is $50 off through September 19, bringing a full year down to $299 ($339 with RedZone) when you bundle it with a YouTube TV base plan ($73 monthly). If you'd rather do without YouTube TV, you can get Sunday Ticket on its own for a one-time $399 purchase, or $439 with NFL RedZone bundled.
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.
NFL Sunday Ticket
REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
NFL Sunday Ticket lets NFL fans watch every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game. This is a great option if you want to follow games from other teams outside your local area. That said, the service is only available in select regions, and it's now exclusive to YouTube TV.
YouTube TV subscribers ($73 per month) can get Sunday Ticket for $349 for the year, but you can save $50 for a limited time. If you're not a YouTube TV subscriber, that cost jumps to $449 before the discount. Want Red Zone? You can get it by adding another $40.
Sunday Ticket supports unlimited simultaneous streams while you're home and up to two streams for mobile devices.
What you get:
Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games
What you don't get:
Local games on Fox
Local games on CBS
Sunday Night Football on NBC
Monday Night Football on ESPN
Thursday Night Football games
NFL Network games
Peacock Premium
Peacock
Peacock will stream all games slated to air on NBC during the 2023 season, including all Sunday Night Football games and the Thursday Night kickoff on September 7.
Peacock will also be the first streaming service to air an NFL playoff game exclusively, with the January 13, 2024 Wild Card game. In addition, the Saturday, December 23 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers will air exclusively on Peacock.
Peacock starts at $5.99 per month for ad-supported viewing and $11.99 per month for ad-free streaming.
January 13 Wild Card playoff game exclusively on Peacock
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 Plus
CBS
If you're just interested in watching locally televised AFC home games, then a Paramount Plus subscription could be all you need. The service lets you stream live CBS television, as well as a growing library of on-demand shows and exclusive titles.
Paramount Plus Essentials is available for $6 a month or $59.99 per year with commercials or $12 a month ($120 per year) with ad-free on-demand streaming and Showtime included. 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
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon
Amazon Prime Video is now the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, with regular season matchups starting September 14. 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.
Fox Sports personality Charissa Thompson will host Prime Video's NFL studio coverage alongside NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, and retired quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
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
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+
NFL
If you're only interested in streaming NFL games on your phone or tablet, a subscription to the newly launched NFL+ service is your best bet. The platform will let you watch in-market games, playoff games, and all primetime broadcasts for $7 a month or $50 per year (the annual subscription is currently 20% off for a limited time).
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 ($80 with a 20% discount right now). 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.
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 Plus
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 be the exclusive destination for the NFL International Series game at London's Wembley Stadium, with the Atlanta Falcons facing the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 1.
Other Monday Night Football games airing on ESPN+ in 2023 include Bills vs. Jets on September 11, Browns vs. Steelers on September 18, Eagles vs. Chiefs on November 20, Packers vs. Giants on December 11, Ravens vs. 49ers on December 25, and Lions vs. Cowboys on December 30. ESPN+ will also show two week 18 games on January 6, a January 15 Wild Card playoff game, and a divisional title game on either January 20 or January 21.
ESPN+ also offers the weekly recap show "NFL Primetime," which features ESPN personality Chris Berman and broadcaster Booger McFarland reviewing highlights of Sunday's games each week. Exclusive editorial content from ESPN's top football analysts is also available to ESPN+ subscribers on ESPN.com throughout the season.
ESPN+ costs $10 a month or $100 per year, and can also be bundled with Disney Plus and Hulu starting at $13 a month.
What you get:
Monday Night Football games on September 11 and 18; November 20; and December 11, 25, and 30.
The NFL's game in London on October 1
Two Saturday games on January 6, 2023
A wild card playoff game on January 15, 2024
A divisional playoff game on January 20 or 21, 2024
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
Watch Game Pass International on DAZN
DAZN
As of the 2023 season, 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, offering 335 games total. Prices vary in each region, but as an example, DAZN offers Game Pass international in the United Kingdom for £37.75 per month for four months or £151 total. 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.
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.
Use an HDTV Antenna for local, in-market games
Ben Blanchet/Insider
You can purchase an antenna, like this Antennas Direct, 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
How to watch 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.
Either way, you may encounter situations preventing you from watching the game you want. It's worth knowing your way around a VPN to circumvent these restrictions.
How to watch NFL games using a VPN
If your streaming service is blocking in-market or out-of-market games, you can try a VPN to overcome these restrictions. 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, so no one can know what you're up to.
The best VPN we've found is ExpressVPN. It offers close to 100 servers across the world, including more than a dozen in the United States. Once you know which market the game you're looking to watch is in, you can fire up ExpressVPN and connect to a server in a city broadcasting it. If you're dodging blackouts, do the opposite—connect to ExpressVPN from a city outside of the market that's blocking the game.
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