How to Watch Football Online for Free in 2024
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Quick Answer: The best way to watch NFL games online without cable is to get a live TV streaming service, such as DirecTV Stream (free trial here). We also suggest adding a VPN to stream out-of-market NFL games.
The 2023-24 NFL season has moved into the playoffs.
For cord-cutters, that means it might be time to re-visit your streaming service setup to make sure you can catch every remaining NFL game online. Below are all the best ways to watch the NFL live online this year, plus a couple of hacks for livestreaming NFL games for free and watching out-of-market games with a VPN.
How to Watch NFL Games Without Cable
NFL broadcasts are spread out across ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, NBC, and CBS. Some streaming services are now in the NFL broadcasting business as well: Thursday Night Football is on Amazon Prime Video, while Peacock and Paramount+ both show select games too.
This can be overwhelming for us consumers, but there’s a fairly comprehensive solution in live TV streaming services like DirecTV Stream. These are essentially virtual cable/satellite packages, with the best ones getting you livestreams of all the above channels. Check out more details below.
Editor’s Pick: DirecTV Stream
Free Trial: fuboTV
Most Affordable: Sling
Also Consider: Hulu + Live TV
1. Stream NFL Games on DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is almost always our top recommendation for watching sports. A subscription to DirecTV Stream’s Choice package gets you access to over 100 live channels, including ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, NBC, and CBS. DirecTV Stream’s Choice starts with a five-day free trial and then costs $83.99 a month for two months. After the introductory period, the price increases to $108.99 a month.
2. Stream NFL Games on fuboTV
Another one of our favorite live TV streaming services for watching NFL games online is fuboTV, which can get you livestreams of ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, NBC, and CBS. fuboTV packages start at $74.99 a month, but you get a free trial to test out the service.
3. Stream NFL Games on Sling
A slightly more affordable live TV streaming service is Sling, whose Orange + Blue package starts at $55 a month (just $35 for your first month with Sling’s current deal). This package includes ESPN, Fox, NFL Network, and NBC, but not CBS.
4. Stream NFL Games on Hulu + Live TV
You already know Hulu as the home hit on-demand content, but their Hulu + Live TV service also gets you NFL livestreams on ESPN, CBS, FOX, and NFL Network. Better yet, a Hulu + Live TV membership includes Disney+ and ESPN+ for free. Considering all the content you get, Hulu + Live TV is very well-priced at $76.99 per month.
How to Watch NFL Games for Free
Thanks to the free trials from DirecTV Stream and fuboTV, you can watch NFL games for free for several days. Sign up for DirecTV Stream’s five-day free trial here, and grab fuboTV’s free trial here. Just remember to cancel either free trial to avoid paying.
How to Watch Games-Out-of-Market NFL Games
Almost every NFL fan has come up against regional broadcasting issues, whether they’re trying to watch an out-of-market game or their local game is in a blackout. Luckily, you can watch out-of-market game NFL games — and bypass blackouts — by using a VPN with any of the above live TV streaming services.
VPNs (virtual private networks) essentially “trick” your streaming service into thinking it’s in another region, which lets you access any content, regardless of geo-blocks. That means if an NFL game isn’t showing on any of your local channels, you can switch your device’s location to another region where the game is being shown. Besides letting you stream out-of-market NFL games, VPNs also sometimes let you watch free livestreams of sports from other countries.
We recommend using ExpressVPN, which offers fast, secure service and costs $12.95 a month. You can bring this price way down by paying for multiple months upfront, and ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you want a refund after a month.
NFL Schedule: Playoffs
Here’s the NFL schedule for this year’s playoffs
(Times in ET)
Wild-Card Weekend
Saturday, Jan. 13
(5) Browns at (4) Texans, 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC
(6) Dolphins at (3) Chiefs, 8 p.m. ET on Peacock
Sunday, Jan. 14
(7) Steelers at (2) Bills, 1 p.m. ET on CBS, Paramount+
(7) Packers at (2) Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox
(6) Rams at (3) Lions — 8 p.m. on NBC, Peacock
Monday, Jan. 15
(5) Eagles at (4) Buccaneers — 8:15 p.m. on ABC/ESPN
Divisional Round
Saturday, Jan. 20 & Sunday, Jan. 21
Championship Sunday
Sunday, Jan. 28
Super Bowl LVIII
Sunday, Feb. 11
