After a break of several months, a new NFL season is about to kick off this week. As last-minute fantasy drafts take place across the country in the lead-up to Thursday’s opener, it’s time to start focusing on the other aspect of NFL prep: figuring out how to watch all the action.
As always, paying for cable is usually the easiest solution. For cord-cutters who want to save some money, however, NFL football streaming options get a bit more complicated. Your best bet is to subscribe to a live TV streaming service, but the sheer number of channels that carry live games — local CBS, NBC and Fox channels, as well as the national feeds of NFL Network and ESPN — means you’ll either have to get a relatively expensive service or make a compromise and likely miss some games every week.
Watch Now: NFL 2021 Games Live Stream
The only way to get a full football experience is to have a whole litany of channels from your TV provider. Sunday NFC games are largely on Fox, AFC games are on CBS, and Sunday night football is on NBC. Monday night football is only on ESPN. Though Fox has most Thursday night games (with additional streaming on Amazon Prime Video), there are several that are available only on NFL Network.
With all that in mind, we offer our recommendations for the best way to watch NFL without cable.
In less than a week, the Dallas Cowboys will face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the inaugural game of the 2021 NFL season at Raymond James Stadium.
However the Cowboys-Buccaneers game shakes out, there’s still a full slate of thrilling matchups scheduled over the weekend.
Here is the Week 1 viewing schedule for the 2021 NFL season.
How to Watch Cowboys vs Buccaneers Live Stream
It’s finally here. The 2021 season is upon us and your Buccaneers are kicking the whole thing off as they host the Dallas Cowboys at home on Thursday night. It’s Tampa Bay’s first chance at their Super Bowl LV title defense as they field the same championship team after bringing all 22 2020 starters back.
Watch Now: NFL 2021 Games Live Stream
The game will be broadcast nationally with NBC’s Sunday Night Football crew. There will also be a day-long celebration around Tampa in honor of NFL Kickoff. Coverage of the festivities will be carried on NFL Network as well as NBC prior to the game.
How to Watch Seahawks vs Colts Live Stream
This Week 1 matchup between Seattle and Indianapolis will be shown at 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT on FOX. If you don’t have cable, you can stream Sunday Night Football games on Peacock or find games on other streaming service providers such as: YouTube, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, or Sling.
How to Watch Jaguars vs Texans Live Stream
The Jacksonville Jaguars hit the road Sunday for an AFC South showdown with the Houston Texans. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
How to Watch Eagles vs Falcons Live Stream
The Philadelphia Eagles open the 2021 NFL season on Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Falcons. Get all the coverage right here for free
How to Watch Chargers vs Washington Football Team Live Stream
The Washington Football Team will kick off the Ryan Fitzpatrick era against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET.
How To Watch Steelers vs Bills Live Stream
On Sunday, September 12, Pittsburgh Steelers face the Buffalo Bills in a regular NFL season game.If you don’t have cable, you can stream Sunday Night Football games on Peacock or find games on other streaming service providers such as: YouTube, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, or Sling.
How to Watch 49ers at Detroit Lions Live Stream
The San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions face off on Sunday in a Week 1 NFL game.Check out these NFL Week 1 picks and predictions for the game, which can be seen at 10 a.m. MST time on Fox.
How to Watch Vikings vs Bengals Live Stream
It’s been a long wait, but the 2021 regular season is finally here for the Minnesota Vikings. This year, they will begin their quest to get back into the playoffs by heading out on the road for a Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Sunday’s contest between the Vikings and Bengals will be televised on FOX with Chris Myers and Daryl Johnston calling the matchup in the broadcast booth.
How to Watch Jets vs Panthers Live Stream
Carolina Panthers vs New York Jets Broadcast. Date: Sunday, September 12. Game Time: 1:00 ET Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte. If you don’t have cable, you can stream Sunday Night Football games on Peacock or find games on other streaming service providers such as: YouTube, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, or Sling.
How to Watch Cardinals vs Titans Live Stream
Will this finally be the season in which the Arizona Cardinals figure out a way to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2015? The Cardinals’ journey to a possible spot in the postseason begins on Sunday in their Week 1 contest with the Tennessee Titans.Sunday’s game between the Cardinals and Titans will air on CBS with Tom McCarthy and Tiki Barber calling the action in the broadcast booth.
Watch Now: NFL 2021 Games Live Stream
How to Watch Browns vs Chiefs Live Stream
The Cleveland Browns will take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, at 4:25 p.m. EST at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. If you don’t have cable, you can stream Sunday Night Football games on Peacock or find games on other streaming service providers such as: YouTube, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, or Sling.
How to Watch Dolphins vs Patriots Live Stream
The Miami Dolphins will head to Massachusetts this weekend to play against the New England Patriots in the first game of the season at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday. If you don’t have cable, you can stream Sunday Night Football games on Peacock or find games on other streaming service providers such as: YouTube, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, or Sling.
How to Watch Broncos vs Giants Live Stream
Week 1 of the NFL season is officially upon us, and with it, a fresh start for every NFL team. The Denver Broncos get a good test out of the gate playing the New York Giants on the road at MetLife. Check out NFL Streams Reddit and Enjoy regular season schedule for all matchups, start times and where to watch every game.
How to Watch Packers vs Saints Live Stream
Watch Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints Live. Find out how to watch live streams. FOX will broadcast the game to a national audience. Play-by-play man Joe Buck joins analyst Troy Aikman in the booth with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi reporting from the sidelines. DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game with NFL Sunday Ticket on Channel 716.
How to watch Bears vs Rams Live Stream
On Sunday, September 12, Chicago Bears face the Los Angeles Rams in a regular NFL season game. If you don’t have cable, you can stream Sunday Night Football games on Peacock or find games on other streaming service providers such as: YouTube, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, or Sling.
How to watch NFL games without cable
You can access select NFL games without a cable subscription via streaming services like Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, FuboTV, YouTube TV, Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, and NFL Sunday Ticket. You can also watch local NFL games with an HDTV antenna.
Watch Now: NFL 2021 Games Live Stream
The 2021 NFL regular season begins on September 9. During the regular season, Sunday afternoon games with an NFC home team will air on Fox, and Sunday afternoon games with an AFC home team will air on CBS.
Meanwhile, Sunday Night Football airs on NBC, and Thursday Night Football will broadcast on NFL Network all season long. Select Thursday Night Football games will also be shown on Fox and streamed via Amazon Prime and Twitch Finally, Monday Night Football is on ESPN.
Additionally, you can stream all your local in-market games on your mobile device for free using the Yahoo Sports app or the NFL app.
Here’s a full roundup of all the services you can use to stream NFL games without cable.
Watch NFL 2021 Live on HDTV Antenna
You can purchase an antenna, like this 1 By One model, to add to your TV for about $24, giving you access to local channels within a certain distance.
What you get:
Hooking up an HD antenna to your TV gives you access to local over-the-air (OTA) signals in your location. This means that you will be able to access the local affiliates of major broadcast networks, like Fox, CBS, and NBC.
This lets you watch all the regional games broadcast from wherever you’re located. You also get the 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. However, you will not get access to any out-of-market games or games that air on ESPN or the NFL Network.
Watch NFL 2021 Live on Sling TV
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 FuboTV.
There are three different plans, depending on what channels you prioritize. Sling Orange and Sling Blue each cost $35 a month, while the combined Sling Orange + Blue plan costs $50 per month. Additionally, you can purchase the Sports Extra package to add NFL RedZone to your plan for $11 per month.
What you get:
Sling Orange has ESPN, while Sling Blue has Fox and NBC in select markets as well as the NFL network. CBS is not currently offered by Sling. While there is a Sports Extra package, it does not include any channels that air live NFL games.
Your best bet to get access to the most NFL games via Sling is to sign up for the Sling Orange + Blue plan and cash in on Sling’s current promotional offer of a free antenna for local channels. The free antenna requires that you prepay for two months of the Sling service. Plus, if you want RedZone you can add the Sports Extra package to the Orange + Blue Plan for a total of $61 a month.
If you don’t want it all, you can just sign up for Sling Blue to gain access to Sunday afternoon games on Fox and Sunday Night Football games on NBC, or just Sling Orange to gain access to Monday Night games on ESPN, in addition to the local offerings included with the antenna. As with all streaming services, game availability is subject to blackouts.
With Sling’s channel listings, add-ons, and the fact that they provide a free antenna, you can gain access to all local channels, the NFL Network, ESPN, and NFL RedZone, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to watch the NFL without cable.
Watch NFL 2021 Live on Hulu
In addition to all of its other offerings, Hulu + Live TV has nearly everything you need to stream NFL games for $65 per month. However, like Sling TV, there’s no option to add the NFL Network or NFL RedZone as a channel, which could be a deal-breaker if you’re hoping to watch and monitor action across the league.
What you get:
Like an HD antenna, Hulu + Live TV gets you access to all the local affiliates of the major broadcasts, meaning Fox, CBS, and NBC. These will show the games that are within your regional broadcast map with the exception of any blackouts. In addition, you also get ESPN, which gives you access to all Monday Night Football games, and some of the best NFL coverage and analysis on TV.
While you don’t get access to watch out-of-network games from across the country like you do with NFL RedZone or NFL Sunday Ticket, this is a comprehensive way to tune into most locally and nationally televised games.Hulu does not offer a way to watch the first three regular Thursday Night Football games, however, since those will be aired on NFL Network.
Watch NFL 2021 Live on FuboTV
At $65 a month for the Starter Plan, FuboTV is one of the most comprehensive yet expensive live streaming options for NFL football. You can also spend an extra $11 per month to add the Sports Plus with NFL RedZone package.
What you get:
In terms of NFL games, the Starter Plan includes access to local CBS, NBC, and Fox stations (regional availability and blackout restrictions apply). FuboTV’s Starter Plan also grants you access to ESPN to watch Monday Night Football, and NFL Network to stream Thursday Night Football all season long.
Watch NFL 2021 Live on YouTube TV
With a base price of $65 a month, YouTube TV is another service that offers access to most NFL games. Additionally, the service announced an agreement with the NFL to offer NFL Redzone as an add-on included in their Sports Plus package for an additional $11 a month.
What you get:
Like other services at this price range, YouTube TV offers access to all the local channels you need to watch NFL games, including CBS, Fox, and NBC. YouTube TV also offers ESPN and NFL Network in their base package, so you’ll be able to watch all Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football games. And with the news of the new Sports Plus package, you can also watch NFL Redzone for an additional $11 per month.
Watch NFL 2021 Live on Paramount Plus
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 is available for $5 a month with commercials or $10 a month with ad-free streaming. With that said, all live broadcasts, including NFL games, still feature commercials with the ad-free plan.
What you get:
Paramount Plus offers live streaming for every NFL game that airs on the regular CBS channel in your local market. However, since Paramount Plus only offers CBS content you won’t be able to watch any games that air on other networks or any out of market matches. You can see a full schedule of NFL games set to air on CBS here.
Watch NFL 2021 Live on Peacock Premium
Peacock won’t be streaming any exclusive games during the 2021 season, but Premium subscribers can stream all the NFL games being broadcast on NBC.
What you get:
For $5 a month, Peacock Premium will give you streaming access to NBC’s Sunday Night Football games, as well as Super Bowl LVI, the Thanksgiving game between the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints, and the 2021 kick-off game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The NFL’s flex scheduling gives NBC the option to change the Sunday Night Football game of the week, which typically guarantees that the primetime game will be one of the week’s best matchups.
Watch NFL 2021 Live on Amazon Prime Video
Though yon won’t get local channels, NFL Network, or in-depth analysis, Amazon Prime Video members can watch select Thursday Night Football games with their subscription for no additional cost. A standalone Amazon Prime Video membership costs $9 a month, and the service is included as part of an Amazon Prime subscription for $119 per year or $13 a month.
What you get:
Amazon Prime Video will stream 11 Thursday Night Football games starting week five of the season. These game will also be broadcast on NFL Network and Fox. Since Amazon won’t be streaming any additional games, Prime Video on its own is really only suitable for casual football fans who just want to stream a few games this season.
NFL live streams for free
If you just want to watch on your phone, the Yahoo Sports app for iOS and Android gives away every NFL game that’s broadcast in your local TV market to your smartphone or tablet for free. Yes, that includes Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football. You can also sign into your NFL Game Pass subscription and stream it from the Yahoo app.
With one of our best TV antenna picks you can watch live. Or, you could make your own stream, with a service such as Channel Master or Tablo, connected to your antenna and a DVR box. This allows you to broadcast the stream — either live or recorded — to a set-top box, mobile device or computer just about anywhere in the world.
The cost varies depending on the HD antenna you get and the service you use, but the local channels themselves are free, and you won?t have to jump through any NFL-sponsored hoops.