Football is back, and the king of TV sports has returned — and is ready to stream. The NFL has exciting players and electric storylines that will develop throughout the 2019-20 season. The league exploded in popularity in the 1960s and '70s due in no small part to expanding TV coverage, so it is natural that the NFL is deeply involved as streaming sports takes off. You aren't tied to cable or satellite as the only ways to watch football. Here is how to stream 2019 NFL games if you've cut the cord.
Last season ended in February, as the New England Patriots won Super Bowl LIII (or 53 to most of us) over the Los Angeles Rams. Cue the Jumani GIF of Robin Williams — "What Year Is It?". Much has changed this offseason, including the retirement of likely Hall of Fame Tight End Rob Gronkowski from the champs, but as long as Belichick and Brady stay the same expect to see them stay near the top.
The best way to make sense of streaming the NFL is to look at game slots; Thursday Night, Sunday afternoon, Sunday Night, and Monday Night.
Lots of other teams have made improvements in the hopes of dethroning the Pats. The New Orleans Saints added top tight end Jared Cook. The other team in L.A., the Chargers, drafted Jerry Tillery to help their defense push them over the top. The Cleveland Browns added nearly everyone, bringing in Olivier Vernon, Kareem Hunt, and Odell Beckham Jr. among others. From your local team, like Lamar Jackson and my Baltimore Ravens, to national superstars like Patrick Mahomes, there are plenty of reasons for fans to stream every NFL game they can.
Stream NFL regular season football
The NFL is the king of the hill among professional sports leagues, especially in TV ratings. As a result, there are multiple televised NFL game slots, and different ways to stream each of them. To best understand how to stream the NFL, it helps to look at each of the NFL game slots.
Thursday Night Football is the newest slot in the weekly NFL schedule. Thursday Night Football games are shown on NFL Network, but 11 of the 16 games are also on Fox and Amazon Prime Video.
Thursday Night Football can be a confusing name, but we can try to get it together. The Thursday NFL Season Kickoff special and the Thanksgiving Thursday games are not a part of Thursday Night Football. They just happen to be played on Thursday night. Also, two Thursday Night Football games are played on early Sunday mornings live from London.
Sunday afternoon football is a mix of local game coverage and one national game per week. This is the slot where many different games are played at the same time. Most of the time, games where the road team is in the AFC are shown on CBS, and games where the road team is in the NFC are on Fox.
Sunday afternoons are also home to the popular whiparound channel NFL RedZone. NFL Redzone gives fans all the big plays from every game from 1-8 p.m.
Sunday Night Football is the marquee game slot of the week, and usually has the biggest games. One big reason is that starting in Week 5, the NFL can "flex," or move, great games from Sunday afternoon into Sunday Night Football. The rules for this are complicated, so just know if you see only one game each week, make it this one. NBC is the current home of Sunday Night Football.
Monday Night Football is the game slot that had the first prime-time NFL games. Now it is one of many prime time games, but it still stands out as the last game of each NFL week. Monday Night Football airs on ESPN.
In short, the most popular ways to watch NFL regular season games will be on the following channels; CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone and Amazon Prime . One of the best ways to get these channels and the NFL games in on a live streaming TV service. Here is a huddle of your options.
Hulu with Live TV
- The cost: $45 a month after a one week free trial
- Watch Hulu on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and browsers
- Local channels on Hulu: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and others. Find your local channels here .
- Thursday Night Football on Hulu: Some, with the Fox games from Thursday Night, but no NFL Network
- Sunday afternoon football games on Hulu: Yes, with your local CBS and Fox stations
- Sunday Night Football on Hulu: Yes, with your local NBC.
- Monday Night Football on Hulu: Yes, with ESPN in the package.
- NFL RedZone on Hulu with Live TV: No.
Hulu and Hulu with Live TV is the fastest growing live streaming service. It combines a catalog of shows and original content like Veronica Mars with a long list of entertainment and sports channels, plus local channels. Hulu can carry local CBS, Fox and NBC stations, as well as ESPN, so it covers most of the NFL games each week.
More on Hulu with Live TV:
- See all Hulu channels
- What's new on Hulu this month
Fubo TV — including 4K NFL games
- The cost: $55 a month after a one week trial
- Watch Fubo TV on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, iOS, Android and web browsers
- Local channels on Fubo TV: CBS, Fox, NBC and CW. Find your locals here .
- Thursday Night Football on Fubo TV: Yes, all of them, including most games in 4K.
- Sunday afternoon football games on Fubo TV: Yes, with your local Fox and NBC stations.
- Sunday Night Football on Fubo TV: Yes, with your local NBC.
- Monday Night Football on Fubo TV: No, without ESPN, it won't have MNF.
- NFL RedZone on Fubo TV: Yes, as part of the Sports Plus add-on for an additional $9 per month .
Fubo TV began as a sports-focused live streaming TV service, but it offers so much more now. Fubo still has sports channels galore, including the NFL Network, as well as add on packages for more college or international sports coverage. Fubo also is the only streaming TV service offering NFL games streaming in 4K later this year. This makes Fubo TV a great option for anyone who needs the highest picture quality available.
More on Fubo TV:
- See all Fubo TV channels
- Fubo TV 4K streaming
Sling TV - Sling Orange + Blue
- The cost: $40 a month after your first month for $25
- Watch Sling TV on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox One, LG, or Samsung smart TVs, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire tablets, browsers and more
- Local channels on Sling TV: NBC and Fox on Sling Blue. Find your local channels here .
- Thursday Night Football on Sling TV: Yes, every one with NFL Network
- Sunday afternoon football games on Sling TV: Some, with your local Fox. No CBS means no live AFC Sunday afternoon games.
- Sunday Night Football on Sling TV: Yes, with your local NBC.
- Monday Night Football on Sling TV: Yes, with ESPN included.
- NFL RedZone on Sling TV: Yes, as a part of the Sports Extra add-on for an additional $10 per month .
Sling TV has flexible plans for NFL fans who want to pick and choose. The service has the lowest base price among live streaming services, although if you want the most NFL games, you'll need the Orange + Blue plan. Sling TV is a great value for both ESPN and the NFL Network.
More on Sling TV:
- See all Sling TV channels
- How to subscribe to Sling TV
PlayStation Vue - Core Plan
- The cost: $55 a month after a free trial
- Watch PlayStation Vue on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, PlayStation 3 and 4, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Tablets and web browsers
- Local channels on PlayStation Vue: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and more. Find your locals here .
- Thursday Night Football on PlayStation Vue: Yes, every one with NFL Network
- Sunday afternoon football games on PlayStation Vue: Yes, with your local Fox and CBS stations.
- Sunday Night Football on PlayStation Vue: Yes, with your local NBC.
- Monday Night Football on PlayStation Vue: Yes, with ESPN included.
- NFL RedZone on PlayStation Vue: Yes, as part of the Sports Pack for an additional $10 per month .
PlayStation Vue is the most complete live streaming TV service for NFL fans. With the Vue Core Plan, subscribers get every channel needed to see every available NFL game broadcast, as well as add on the RedZone to see all the scoring on Sundays. Remember, PlayStation Vue doesn't require a PlayStation to subscribe, which is fortunate because it could be the best option for football enthusiasts.
More on PlayStation Vue:
- See all PlayStation Vue channels and plans
- How to subscribe to PlayStation Vue
AT&T TV Now - Plus Plan
- The cost: $50 a month after a free trial
- Watch AT&T TV Now on: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, iOS, Android, and browsers
- Local channels on AT&T TV Now: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and more. Find your locals here .
- Thursday Night Football on AT&T TV Now: Some, with the Fox games from Thursday Night, but no NFL Network.
- Sunday afternoon football games on AT&T TV Now: Yes, with your local Fox and CBS stations.
- Sunday Night Football on AT&T TV Now: Yes, with your local NBC.
- Monday Night Football on AT&T TV Now: Yes, with ESPN included.
- NFL RedZone on AT&T TV Now: No.
AT&T TV Now is the new name for DirecTV Now , but the plans have stayed the same for now. Choose the new Plus Plan to get nearly every game available each week.
More on AT&T TV Now:
- See all AT&T TV Now channels and plans
- How to sign up for AT&T TV Now
YouTube TV
- The cost: $50 a month after a free trial
- Watch YouTube TV on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Coming Soon , Chromecast, Roku, Samsung, LG, HiSense or Vizio smart TVs, iOS, Android and browsers
- Local channels on YouTube TV: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and more. Find your locals here .
- Thursday Night Football on YouTube TV: Some, with the Fox games from Thursday Night, but no NFL Network.
- Sunday afternoon football games on YouTube TV: Yes, with your local Fox and CBS stations.
- Sunday Night Football on YouTube TV: Yes, with your local NBC.
- Monday Night Football on YouTube TV: Yes, with ESPN included.
- NFL RedZone on YouTube TV: No.
YouTube TV one live streaming TV plan includes ESPN along with almost every local channel in every market. This will ensure that you can watch nearly every game that would be available in your area. Only the NFL Network exclusive games would be missing from YouTube TV.
More on YouTube TV:
CBS All Access
- The cost: $6 a month or $10 a month for commercial free plan after a one week free trial
- Watch CBS All Access on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Samsung or Vizio smart TVs, iOS, Android, browsers and more
- Local channels on CBS All Access: Many local CBS stations are available to stream live. Find your local CBS station here.
- Sunday afternoon Football games on CBS All Access: Yes, with 1-2 games from your local CBS station
CBS All Access is a standalone streaming service dedicated to the broadcast network, and it adds tons of additional content. It has big name originals shows like Star Trek Discovery, The Twilight Zone and the new Picard series. The service also includes live broadcasts from your local CBS station to watch NFL games on Sunday afternoons.
More on CBS All Access:
NFL Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video
- The cost: $119 a year for all of Amazon Prime or $9 a month for a Prime Video subscription after your first month free .
- Watch Amazon Prime Video on: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, LG, Samsung or Vizio smart TVs, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire tablets, browsers and more
- Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime: Some, with 11 games available on Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is the everything video service. Prime Video has a subscription catalog, video rentals, purchases, a la carte channels, live sports and more. It will be streaming many of the Thursday Night Football games as long as you have an Amazon Prime membership . These games are also available on the Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch, but those streams are restricted to mobile and web browsers, and not on smart TVs.
Here are the Thursday night games that'll be streamed on Amazon Prime Video:
- Sept. 26: Eagles at Packers
- Oct. 3: Rams at Seahawks
- Oct. 10: Giants at Patriots
- Oct. 17: Chiefs at Broncos
- Oct. 24 Redskins at Vikings
- Oct. 31: 49ers at Cardinals
- Nov. 7: Chargers at Raiders
- Nov. 14: Steelers at Browns
- Nov. 21: Colts at Texans
- Dec. 5: Cowboys at Bears
- Dec. 12: Jets at Ravens
More on Amazon Prime Video:
Watch the NFL games over the air
One easy way to get inexpensive access to TV, including local live sports, is by using an over the air antenna. All you need to do is hook up an antenna to your TV tuner, and turn to your local CBS, NBC or Fox affiliate to watch live NFL games on Thursday and Sunday.
- Thursday Night Football over the air: Some, with the Fox games from Thursday Night, but no NFL Network
- Sunday afternoon football games over the air: Yes, with your local CBS and Fox stations
- Sunday Night Football over the air: Yes, with your local NBC station.
- Monday Night Football over the air: No.
Also, if you want to use your antenna with a smartphone, tablet, or streaming device, you can consider buying an over-the-air streaming box.
Listen to NFL games on SiriusXM
Life can make it difficult to always have time to sit down and watch every NFL game. Never fear, because you can enjoy NFL play by play on the go with SiriusXM .
The Sirius XM broadcasts of NFL games starts on NFL Radio, and the service expands to more channels Sunday afternoons to provide complete coverage. They also have NFL talk and analysis from big NFL broadcasters including Bob Papa and Charlie Weis . NFL Radio is available in your vehicle, or streaming to your mobile devices on channel SXM 88. Individual game channels can be found on the SiriusXM NFL game schedule
Watch NFL games on Yahoo! Sports mobile app and NFL mobile app
In a bid to reach mobile-first users, also known as younger viewers, the NFL has made most local and national game broadcasts available for free on smartphones. These regionally selected streams are found in the Yahoo! Sports mobile app and the mobile version of the NFL app.
No subscription is needed to watch these games, but there are a few catches; ones that even Odell Beckham Jr can't make. This is mobile only, so no viewing on smart TVs or using Chromecast or AirPlay. Some games, especially the NFL Network exclusives, can only be streamed using your mobile data, so no Wi-Fi. Plus you need to have location permissions turned on, because you only see the games that would be on TV in your local area.
This is still a nice perk, because it doesn't require you to pay and it could be enough in a pinch to satisfy super-fans. I have used this to watch the end of a game in line at the grocery store, and waiting to pick my kids up from Sunday afternoon activities. Get the apps and take it for a test drive.
Watch NFL games on NFLSundayTicket.tv
The NFL super fanatics who are also CordCutters have long envied satellite for one reason - NFL Sunday Ticket. The premium package, which allows viewers to watch any out-of-market Sunday afternoon NFL regular season game they choose, is the ultimate freedom for football fans. However, that freedom came with a big restriction, because NFL Sunday Ticket has been exclusive to DirecTV. However, there is another way if you are eligible.
NFLSundayTicket.tv offers a streaming version of the same Sunday Ticket premium package. Before you click through to sign up, you need to know that it is only available to specific eligible customers. Basically you need to be unable to sign up for DirecTV satellite service, by living in a building not serviced by DirecTV or living in an area that they have determined to be unable to get a quality signal. They also offer it to currently enrolled students at U.S. universities or colleges.
NFLSundayTicket.tv costs $73 per month for the 4 month season, or $294 to pay all at once. They offer an upgraded package, called NFLSundayTicket.tv Max, that includes all the games plus dedicated Red Zone and Fantasy Zone channels for $99 per month or $396 to pay all at once. Students get a sweet deal, with the Max plan cost dropping to $25 per month or $100 for the entire season. Is there still time to get a degree in touchdowns?
Watch the NFL on NFL GamePass
NFL Game Pass offers an experience that is different from all of the others covered in this guide. Instead of focusing on live games, NFL Game Pass offers a streaming DVR of every regular season game from every team.
NFL Game Pass subscribers can watch replays of these games in full, or watch condensed games that have been shrunk down to 45 minutes. They can even watch individual plays on demand with the Playbook feature. The service also offers live audio for games, and game film breakdown that focuses on certain players or teams. It even gives you past seasons of original NFL series including Hard Knocks, A Football Life, and Mic'd Up. You can even watch live out-of-market Preseason games with your subscription.
NFL Game Pass costs $30 per month for four months, or $100 for the season if you pay all at once. The service comes with a one week free trial, so you can know if you are going to love it before you buy.
2019 NFL prime time games schedule
Week 1
- Thurs., Sept. 5, 8:20 p.m., Green Bay vs. Chicago, NBC
- Sun., Sept. 8, 8:20 p.m., Pittsburgh vs. New England, NBC
- Mon., Sept. 9, 7 p.m., Houston vs. New Orleans, ESPN
- Mon., Sept. 9, 10:15 p.m., Denver vs. Oakland, ESPN
Week 2
- Thurs., Sept. 12, 8:20 p.m., Tampa Bay vs. Carolina, NFLN
- Sun., Sept. 15, 8:20 p.m., Philadelphia vs. Atlanta, NBC
- Mon., Sept. 16, 8:15 p.m., Cleveland vs. N.Y. Jets, ESPN
Week 3
- Thurs., Sept. 19, 8:20 p.m., Tennessee vs. Jacksonville, NFLN
- Sun., Sept. 22, 8:20 p.m., L.A. Rams vs. Cleveland, NBC
- Mon., Sept. 23, 8:15 p.m., Chicago vs. Washington, ESPN
Week 4
- Thurs., Sept. 26, 8:20 p.m., Philadelphia vs. Green Bay, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Sept. 29, 8:20 p.m., Dallas vs. New Orleans, NBC
- Mon., Sept. 30, 8:15 p.m., Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh, ESPN
Week 5
- Thurs., Oct. 3, 8:20 p.m., L.A. Rams vs. Seattle, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Oct. 6, 8:20 p.m., Indianapolis vs. Kansas City, NBC
- Mon., Oct. 7, 8:15 p.m., Cleveland vs. San Francisco, ESPN
Week 6
- Thurs., Oct. 10, 8:20 p.m., N.Y. Giants vs. New England, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Oct. 13, 9:30 a.m., Carolina vs. Tampa Bay (from London), NFLN
- Sun., Oct. 13, 8:20 p.m., Pittsburgh vs. L.A. Chargers, NBC
- Mon., Oct. 14, 8:15 p.m., Detroit vs. Green Bay, ESPN
Week 7
- Thurs., Oct. 17, 8:20 p.m., Kansas City vs. Denver, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Oct. 20, 8:20 p.m., Philadelphia vs. Dallas, NBC
- Mon., Oct. 21, 8:15 p.m., New England vs. N.Y. Jets, ESPN
Week 8
- Thurs., Oct. 24, 8:20 p.m., Washington vs. Minnesota, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Oct. 27, 8:20 p.m., Green Bay vs. Kansas City, NBC
- Mon., Oct. 28, 8:15 p.m., Miami vs. Pittsburgh, ESPN
Week 9
- Thurs., Oct. 31, 8:20 p.m., San Francisco vs. Arizona, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Nov. 3, 9:30 a.m., Houston vs. Jacksonville (from London), NFLN
- Sun., Nov. 3, 8:20 p.m., New England vs. Baltimore, NBC
- Mon., Nov. 4, 8:15 p.m., Dallas vs. N.Y. Giants, ESPN
Week 10
- Thurs., Nov. 7, 8:20 p.m., L.A. Chargers vs. Oakland, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Nov. 10, 8:20 p.m., Minnesota vs. Dallas, NBC
- Mon., Nov. 11, 8:15 p.m., Seattle vs. San Francisco, ESPN
Week 11
- Thurs., Nov. 14, 8:20 p.m., Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Nov. 17, 8:20 p.m., Chicago vs. L.A. Rams, NBC
- Mon., Nov. 18, 8:15 p.m., Kansas City vs. L.A. Chargers, ESPN
Week 12
- Thurs., Nov. 21, 8:20 p.m., Indianapolis vs. Houston, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Nov. 24, 8:20 p.m., Seattle vs. Philadelphia, NBC
- Mon., Nov. 25, 8:15 p.m., Baltimore vs. L.A. Rams, ESPN
Week 13
- Thurs., Nov. 28, 12:30 p.m., Chicago vs. Detroit, FOX
- Thurs., Nov. 28, 4:30 p.m., Buffalo vs. Dallas, CBS
- Thurs., Nov. 28, 8:20 p.m., New Orleans vs. Atlanta, NBC
- Sun., Dec. 1, 8:20 p.m., New England vs. Houston, NBC
- Mon., Dec. 2, 8:15 p.m., Minnesota vs. Seattle, ESPN
Week 14
- Thurs., Dec. 5, 8:20 p.m., Dallas vs. Chicago, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Dec. 8, 8:20 p.m., Seattle vs. L.A. Rams, NBC
- Mon., Dec. 9, 8:15 p.m., N.Y. Giants vs. Philadelphia, ESPN
Week 15
- Thurs., Dec. 12, 8:20 p.m., N.Y. Jets vs. Baltimore, FOX, NFLN
- Sun., Dec. 15, 8:20 p.m., Minnesota vs. L.A. Chargers, NBC
- Mon., Dec. 16, 8:15 p.m., Indianapolis vs. New Orleans, ESPN
Week 16
- Sun., Dec. 22, 8:20 p.m., Kansas City vs. Chicago, NBC
- Mon., Dec. 23, 8:15 p.m., Green Bay vs. Minnesota, ESPN
Week 17
- Sun., Dec. 29, 8:20 p.m., Flex match-up to be selected, NBC
