The 2023 NFL season is upon us, and things look pretty interesting around the league.
Now, you’ll want to know how to watch the NFL action all season long, get around local blackouts, view out-of-market NFL games, and watch internationally using a VPN.
This year, no story is bigger than Aaron Rodgers, who, for the first time, will start as quarterback for a team other than the Green Bay Packers.
He now dons the money-green jersey of the New York Jets, who look like favorites to win it all with his addition alone, not to mention others such as the newly signed running back Dalvin Cook.
However, there are many other stories to follow this season too, with Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), and Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles) all leading young franchise quarterbacks with the potential to make dynasties out of their respective teams.
The NFL season begins with a Thursday Night Football showdown between a maturing Detroit Lions and the defending Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs at the Arrowhead Stadium.
Kickoff for the first NFL game of the 2023 season is at 8:20 p.m. Eastern on September 7, with NBC and Peacock airing all the action nationally.
To help you catch every game, we’ve broken down all your options to watch and stream the NFL without cable.
Lets look at how to watch NFL games without cable.
You can watch a few selected NFL games without a cable subscription via live TV streaming services and platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, and NFL+.
You can also watch local NFL games with an HDTV antenna.
How to watch all NFL games on every platform?
Look for a detailed breakdown of which networks and streaming services will air specific NFL games.
Note: This chart is for local in-market and national broadcasts during the regular season. Out-of-market games are not available with these services.
1) Sling TV
Sling TV Subscription
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 lesser price than Hulu or Fubo TV.
There are three different plans, depending on what channels you prioritize.
Sling Orange and Sling Blue each cost $40 a month, while the combined Sling Orange + Blue plan costs $55 monthly.
Additionally, you can purchase the Sports Extra package to add NFL RedZone to your plan for $11 a month.
The Blue plan has NFL Network, Fox, and NBC in select markets, while the Orange plan has ESPN. Notably, Sling doesn’t offer CBS.
We recommend going with Sling Orange + Blue to get access to the most NFL content Sling offers all season long. Sling often offers 50% off your first month.
What you get:
• Local games on Fox (select markets)
• Sunday Night Football on NBC (select markets)
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• NFL Network games
What you don’t get:
• Local games on CBS
• Thursday Night Football games
• Out-of-market games
2) Hulu with Live TV
Hulu + Live TV
In addition to all of its other offerings, Hulu + Live TV has nearly everything you need to stream NFL games for $70 per month.
Hulu + Live TV gets you access to all local NFL games in your area, except any blackouts. In addition, you get ESPN and NFL Network.
The service costs $70 monthly, and even a Disney Plus and ESPN+ subscription for no extra cost.
You can also add the Sports add-on package to get NFL Redzone for an extra $10 a month.
What you get:
• Local games on Fox
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• NFL Network games
What you don’t get:
• Thursday Night Football games
• Out-of-market games
3) Fubo TV
Fubo Pro Plan
At $75 a month for the Pro plan, Fubo TV offers the same selection of NFL games available on Hulu + Live TV.
It boasts all the network and cable channels you need to watch local and primetime games.
Those wanting a Red Zone can add the Sports Plus package for $11 monthly.
Sports Plus is a part of Fubo’s $100 Ultimate plan.
What you get:
• Local games on Fox
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• NFL Network games
What you don’t get:
• Thursday Night Football games
• Out-of-market games
4) YouTube TV
YouTube TV is another service that offers access to local and primetime NFL games.
It costs $73 a month, but new members can get their first three months for $65 monthly after a free trial.
Additionally, the service offers NFL Redzone in their Sports Plus package for an additional $11 a month.
Starting the 2023 NFL season, YouTube TV also offers NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on.
This extra package lets you watch all out-of-market games.
Sunday Ticket is $50 off through September 19, bringing a total year down to $299 ($339 with RedZone) when you bundle it with a YouTube TV base plan ($73 monthly).
If you’d do without YouTube TV, you can get Sunday Ticket on its own for a one-time $399 purchase or $439 with NFL RedZone bundled.
What you get:
• Local games on Fox
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• NFL Network games
What you don’t get:
• Thursday Night Football games
• Out-of-market games*
*Out-of-market games are available with the NFL Sunday Ticket package.
5) NFL Sunday Ticket
DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket
NFL Sunday Ticket lets NFL fans watch every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game.
You can follow the games from other teams outside your local area. The service is only available in select regions and is now exclusive to YouTube TV.
YouTube TV subscribers ($73 per month) can get Sunday Ticket for $349 for the year, but you can save $50 for a limited time.
If you’re not a YouTube TV subscriber, that cost jumps to $449 before the discount. Want Red Zone? You can get it by adding another $40.
Sunday Ticket supports unlimited simultaneous streams while you’re home and up to two streams for mobile devices.
What you get:
• Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games
What you don’t get:
• Local games on Fox
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• Thursday Night Football games
• NFL Network games
6) Peacock Premium
Peacock Premium (Monthly Plan)
Peacock will stream all games slated to air on NBC during the 2023 season, including all Sunday Night Football games and the Thursday Night kickoff on September 7.
Peacock will also be the first streaming service to air an NFL playoff game exclusively, with the January 13, 2024, Wild Card game.
In addition, the Saturday, December 23 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers will air exclusively on Peacock.
Peacock starts at $5.99 monthly for ad-supported viewing and $11.99 monthly for ad-free streaming.
What you get:
• The entire Sunday Night Football schedule
• January 13 Wild Card playoff game exclusively on Peacock
What you don’t get:
• Local games on CBS
• Local games on Fox
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• Thursday Night Football games
• NFL Network games
• Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games
7) Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus Essential Monthly Plan (ad-supported)
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, and a growing library of on-demand shows and exclusive titles.
Paramount Plus Essentials is available for $6 a month or $59.99 per year with commercials or $12 a month ($120 per year) with ad-free on-demand streaming and Showtime included.
All live broadcasts, including NFL games, still feature commercials with the ad-free plan.
What you get:
• Local games on CBS
What you don’t get:
• Local games on Fox
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• Thursday Night Football games
• NFL Network games
• Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games
8) Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video Monthly Subscription
Amazon Prime Video is now the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, with regular-season matchups starting September 14.
Thursday Night Football has expanded to 16 games this season, with former Sunday Night Football play-by-play announcer Al Michaels joining Kirk Herbstreit in the broadcast booth, with Kaylee Hartung on sideline reporting.
Fox Sports personality Charissa Thompson will host Prime Video’s NFL studio coverage alongside NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, and retired quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
A standalone Amazon Prime Video membership costs $9 a month, and the service is part of an Amazon Prime subscription for $139 per year or $15 a month.
What you get:
• Thursday Night Football games
What you don’t get:
• Local games on CBS
• Local games on Fox
• Monday Night Football on ESPN
• Sunday Night Football games on NBC
• NFL Network games
• Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games
9) NFL+
NFL+ Subscription
If you’re only interested in streaming NFL games on your phone or tablet, a subscription to the newly launched NFL+ service is your best bet.
The platform will let you watch in-market games, playoff games, and all primetime broadcasts for $7 a month or $50 per year (the annual subscription is currently 20% off for a limited time).
To access games, ensure your location services are active on your phone or tablet. NFL+ subscribers also get a library of documentaries and shows from NFL films and the NFL Network, all of which are in the NFL app.
NFL+ Premium is also available for $15 monthly or $100 yearly ($80 with a 20% discount right now).
This plan lets you watch replays of games after they air and provides access to game film reserved for coaches and analysts.
What you get:
• Local games on Fox (mobile only)
• Local games on CBS (mobile only)
• Sunday Night Football on NBC (mobile only)
• Monday Night Football on ESPN (mobile only)
• Thursday Night Football games (mobile only)
• NFL Network games (mobile only)
What you don’t get:
• Out-of-market games
10) ESPN+
ESPN+ Monthly Subscription Service
ESPN+ doesn’t offer NFL games every week, but some games, are streamed on the service during the season.
ESPN+ will be the exclusive destination for the NFL International Series game at London’s Wembley Stadium, with the Atlanta Falcons facing the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 1.
Other Monday Night Football games airing on ESPN+ in 2023 include:
Bills vs. Jets on September 11.
Browns vs. Steelers on September 18.
Eagles vs. Chiefs on November 20.
Packers vs. Giants on December 11.
Ravens vs. 49ers on December 25.
Lions vs. Cowboys on December 30.
ESPN+ will also show two week 18 games on January 6.
A January 15 Wild Card playoff game.
A divisional title game on either January 20 or January 21.
ESPN+ also offers the weekly recap show “NFL Primetime,” which features ESPN personality Chris Berman and broadcaster Booger McFarland reviewing highlights of Sunday’s games each week.
Exclusive editorial content from ESPN’s top football analysts is also available to ESPN+ subscribers on ESPN.com throughout the season.
ESPN+ costs $10 a month or $100 yearly and can also be bundled with Disney Plus and Hulu, starting at $13 a month.
What you get:
• Monday Night Football games, September 11 and 18; November 20; December 11, 25, and 30.
• The NFL’s game in London on October 1
• Two Saturday games on January 6, 2023
• A wild card playoff game on January 15, 2024
• A divisional playoff game on January 20 or 21, 2024
What you don’t get:
• Local games on Fox
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football games that aren’t listed above
• Thursday Night Football games
• NFL Network games
11) Use an HDTV Antenna for local, in-market games.
Channel Master FLATenna 35 Duo
You can purchase an antenna, like the Channel Master model, to add to your TV for about $29, giving you access to local channels within a certain distance.
An antenna lets you watch all the regional games broadcast from whichever market you’re in.
You also get the weekly Sunday Night Football matchup that airs on NBC. It’s only a one-time payment to watch the team in your area.
What you get:
• Local games on Fox
• Local games on CBS
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
What you don’t get:
• Out-of-market games
• Monday Night Football
• Thursday Night Football
• NFL Network games
How to watch blackout and out-of-market games
Even with comprehensive streaming packages, some conditions may prevent you from watching certain games.
The most common is the availability of out-of-market games. Many basic streaming options restrict your game choice to that air in your city on local, over-the-air network television.
Conversely, all-in packages like Sunday Ticket will only allow you to view out-of-market games, forcing you to turn to traditional options for local a game.
The networks use several factors to determine which markets their broadcasts will air in.
Blackouts are different. A blackout game means local affiliate stations will decline to show the game, which typically only happens if the team in that market fails to reach a certain number of ticket sales.
This tactic is to incentivize fans to attend games. But blackouts can also trigger due to contractual disputes and under other rare circumstances.
Either way, you may encounter situations preventing you from watching the game you want. It’s worth knowing your way around a VPN to circumvent these restrictions.
12) How to watch NFL games using a VPN
When your streaming service is blocked in-market or out-of-market games, overcome these restrictions, use the VPN service.
VPN is short for virtual private networks. It’s a software tool that allows you to change the location your device appears to be connecting from.
In addition, it secures your connection using high-level encryption, so no one can know what you’re up to.
The best VPN we’ve found is ExpressVPN. It offers close to 100 servers across the world, including more than a dozen in the United States.
Once you know which market the game you’re looking to watch is in, you can fire up ExpressVPN and connect to a server in a city broadcasting it.
If you’re dodging blackouts, do the opposite—connect to ExpressVPN from a city outside of the market that’s blocking the game.
For a limited time, you can get an annual ExpressVPN plan for 49% off, and it comes with an additional three months at no extra cost.
