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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Updated · 2 min read
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Managing Editor 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.
- Hulu + Live TV: $89.99 per month.
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.
» MORE: Are YouTube TV and Fubo TV worth it?
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).
- Fox One (new): $19.99 per month, includes live NFL games on Fox.
- Peacock Premium: $10.99 per month, includes access to live NFL games on NBC.
- Paramount+ Essential: $8.99 per month, includes access to live NFL games on CBS.
Total before taxes: Roughly $70 per month. Add $8.99 if you need Prime Video.
» MORE: What you get with Peacock and Paramount+.
🤓 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. 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.
- Paramount+ Essential: $8.99 per month, includes access to live NFL games on CBS.
Total before taxes: Roughly $29 per month.
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. 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.
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