How to Watch NFL Football on a Streaming Service
Hulu + Live TV ($70 per month) offers almost the same as the basic level of FuboTV, with NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox Sports, NFL Network and ESPN giving you access to almost every game on Sunday, Monday and Saturday. You can also get access to NFL RedZone by paying an additional $10 per month for the sports add-on. Bundled with Live TV is access to regular old Hulu, which thanks to its same-day access to new shows (like Atlanta), exclusive (e.g The Tale of the Maid), and a very impressive film library for cinephiles. Note that starting December 8, 2022, the monthly price will increase to $75. If you’re using the included Hulu, choose that over FuboTV. If not, save $5 per month (as of December) and go with FuboTV.
Sling TV ($35 per month) has two separate plans, Blue and Orange, both of which cost $35 per month and offer different channels. Blue has games from Fox Sports, NBC, and NFL Network, while Orange has ESPN games. If you want to watch as many NFL games as possible, you must subscribe to both at a discounted rate of $50 per month. However, no Sling TV package comes with CBS games, so you’ll miss out on those games shown exclusively on CBS. The Sports Extra add-on for $11 more per month gives you access to NFL RedZone. This is the package for you if you want to save money and don’t mind not watching all of the best games — or if you’re not often at home in front of the TV on Sunday afternoons when CBS is on the air.
YouTube TV ($65 per month) is a bit more affordable than its closest competitors, FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV, and offers essentially the same selection of live broadcast channels as CBS, NBC, Fox Sports, and NFL Network. It also regained ABC and ESPN after briefly losing them late last year. However, it costs extra to enable a 4K add-on; YouTube TV just says prices vary. NFL RedZone is also available as an add-on for an extra $11 per month. If there are other non-sports reasons to consider YouTube TV, you can also use it to watch the vast majority of NFL games with ease. However, if you’re just shopping to watch football, FuboTV beats it by a nose.
DirecTV Stream ($70 per month) does not require a traditional DirecTV subscription and does not lock you into any type of contract. The entry level called Entertainment gives you ESPN, Fox Sports 1 and local Fox, NBC, CBS and ABC games. You must upgrade to the Ultimate tier for $105 per month to add CBS and Fox Sports 2. NFL Network is also missing. In my opinion, you don’t have to spend that much for DirecTV Stream. Choose one of the other options instead.
With just one app
They want to cut the cable, abandon traditional TV providers entirely and quiet not paying close to $100 a year for a live streaming service like YouTube TV or Sling TV? There are a lot cheaper options out there, but none will offer as many games as a Live TV package. Even if you choose one of the above options, you’ll still need one or more of the following apps to watch the entire NFL regular season.
NFL+ ($5 per month or $50 per year) replaced NFL Game Pass this summer. There are a couple of major issues with NFL+ that make it incomplete. For $5 a month or $40 a year, NFL+ lets you live stream local and primetime regular-season and postseason games only on mobile devices and tablets. That means you can’t watch it on your computer or TV. “Local” games are games that are available on television in your local market. So if you’re an exiled fan living far away from your hometown club, you might be unlucky quite often. At least there is a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. Replay old games ad-free with an upgrade to NFL+ Premium for $10 a month or $80 a year. It’s double the cost for not double the value.