How to Watch NFL Games Without Cable

How to Watch NFL Football Without Cable

You can go with a single live TV service or a slew of standalone sports streaming services to find all the football this season.

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It’s been the season of streaming for football. Both Fox and ESPN introduced direct-to-consumer subscription services — adding additional ways to watch. Prime Video and Netflix are firmly in the fold, and the Super Bowl streamed on Peacock (via NBC). With Super LX in the books, ask yourself this: Which services can I cancel until next season to save money? Meantime, here's what it's like to find football on TV these days.

Where to watch Sunday, Monday and Thursday football games

Weekly NFL games air on traditional TV networks, with the exception of “Thursday Night Football,” which streams on Amazon’s Prime Video each week. Where to watch Sunday day games: CBS and Fox. Where to watch Sunday night games: NBC. Where to watch Monday night games: ESPN. Where to watch Thursday night games: Prime Video. Where to watch games played internationally: NFL Network. Look for Netflix to air exclusive games, too, as it did in 2025.

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How to watch football without cable

The options go from easy (and pretty expensive) to complicated (and a little less expensive).

Option 1: Subscribe to a live TV streaming service

YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV make it easy ... for a price. Each includes CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC and NFL Network in the core lineup on a base plan. But all that access brings cable-like costs. YouTube TV: $82.99 per month. YouTube TV: Hulu + Live TV: $89.99 per month. Hulu + Live TV: The Fubo TV Sports + News is a cheaper live TV alternative that only omits NBC (from a sports perspective). Fubo TV Sports + News plan: $55.99 per month. Fubo TV Sports + News plan: » MORE: Are YouTube TV and Fubo TV worth it? » MORE: You’ll need a Prime Video subscription to watch “Thursday Night Football,” if you’re not already an Amazon Prime member. You can subscribe to Prime Video separately for $8.99 per month.

Option 2: Subscribe to multiple streaming services (ESPN and Fox now in the mix)

Paying for four streaming services à la carte saves you a few bucks per month off an all-in-one live service. New direct-to-consumer services from ESPN and Fox mean you can get more games by paying for separate networks. Prices are before taxes and fees. ESPN Unlimited (new): $29.99 per month, includes live NFL games on ESPN and occasionally ABC (Monday Night Football). ESPN Unlimited (new) Fox One (new): $19.99 per month, includes live NFL games on Fox. Fox One (new) Peacock Premium: $10.99 per month, includes access to live NFL games on NBC. Peacock Premium: Paramount+ Essential: $8.99 per month, includes access to live NFL games on CBS. Paramount+ Essential: Total before taxes: Roughly $70 per month. Add $8.99 if you need Prime Video. Total before taxes: » MORE: What you get with Peacock and Paramount+. » MORE: ? Nerdy Tip NFL+ Premium, a service from the NFL that costs $14.99 per month, is a compelling alternative to other streaming services, says NerdWallet editor Chris Hutchison. With it, you can stream NFL RedZone on your TV on Sunday afternoons to catch scoring plays of every game in real time. You get access to live local and primetime games too, but only on a mobile device. NFL+ Premium

Option 3: Subscribe to the services that air Sunday daytime games

The absence of a reasonably priced way to watch Fox was a glaring omission for some time. Fox One fixes that, albeit with a 20-dollar plan. Still, going with it and Paramount+ gets you a good amount of NFC and AFC action during the day on Sunday, and allows you to catch the home team often at a reasonable cost. Fox One: $19.99 per month, includes live NFL games on Fox. Fox One Paramount+ Essential: $8.99 per month, includes access to live NFL games on CBS. Paramount+ Essential: Total before taxes: Roughly $29 per month. Total before taxes:

ESPN and Fox One bundle

You can pair the two new streamers together, getting both ESPN and Fox content for $39.99 per month. That saves about $10 bucks off buying each separately. Add Peacock Premium ($10.99) and Paramount+ Essential ($8.99), and you're looking at around 60 bucks total for ESPN, Fox, NBC and CBS via different apps. ? Nerdy Tip Go over-the-air, says NerdWallet writer Kurt Woock, who reminds friends and relatives that TV antennas remain totally functional in a streaming-first world. Get access to live local TV stations like Fox, CBS and NBC for free. An inexpensive indoor antenna may be all you need if you live in a location with good signal strength. over-the-air,

Are sports streaming services worth it?

Consider your time, interests and budget before buying all the streaming services. For example, with the 50/30/20 framework, you aim to allocate up to 50% of your income to needs, including minimum payments on debts, 30% to wants like shopping and entertainment, and 20% for savings and debt paydown beyond those minimum payments. Streaming services fall into the "wants" category, and maybe you can make do with less. Something like Fox One, Paramount+ or both will get you a few games a week for under $30 a month. Plus, it's easy to cancel over the off season. Want all the sports, one bill and less headache? A live TV streaming service is your best bet. Explore more on Article sources NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary, trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high standards for journalism by reading our editorial guidelines. About the author Tommy Tindall is a lead writer and content strategist covering how to make money — and how to keep it. He’s recorded and written about his experience testing popular gig jobs like driving for Uber, delivering with DoorDash and full-service shopping for Instacart. He loves making an extra buck, but laments the hours of awkward silence he endured as an Uber driver (never again). Cool kids might call him a content creator because he makes YouTube videos for the NerdWallet channel and app, but he himself is no longer very cool. Ask him about budgeting apps — he's tried most of them, but still prefers a good ole Google sheet to track spending. Then be sure to smash that “like” and “subscribe” button. Before NerdWallet, Tommy held decidedly more boring jobs at Fannie Mae and Booz Allen Hamilton. Today, he feels super privileged to write for you, the consumer. Published in Where to watch Sunday, Monday and Thursday football games How to watch football without cable ESPN and Fox One bundle Are sports streaming services worth it? 13 Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill Bill Negotiation: Get a Better Deal on Cable, Internet and More 7 Ways to Lower Your Cell Phone Bill 9 Ways to Lower Your Cable Bill What Is the Best Streaming Service for You? How to Choose By Cara Smith, Lisa Mulka How Much Does Netflix Cost, and Is It Worth It? By Lisa Mulka, Laura McMullen How Much Does YouTube Premium Cost? By Amanda Barroso, Lisa Mulka How Much is Hulu? By Lisa Mulka