How to Watch NFL Games Without Cable: Free & Paid Platforms Explored in 2025 

By Arthur Sabayi

Last update: November 20, 2024

Teaser: Quick Summary: How to Watch NFL Games Without Cable

Teaser: Quick Summary: How to Watch NFL Games Without Cable 

You can catch live NFL action on premium streaming sites like Hulu, fuboTV and DirecTV, as well as on free sites like 7plus and Channel 5. If you live in a blackout zone, NordVPN is the best VPN for bypassing NFL blackouts.

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For years, National Football League (NFL) games have been broadcast on cable and satellite TV. However, that often comes with a significant expense for fans, forcing them to look for cheaper alternatives. This is where streaming services come in. In this article, I’ll show you how to watch NFL games without cable and how to use the top VPNs to bypass geo-restrictions.

A recent study of six American cities showed that the average cost of premium cable TV with internet is about $217 per month. Compare that with the average price of live TV streaming, at $135 per month, and you get why NFL fans are ditching cable TV. If you’ve been looking for cheap or free cable alternatives to watch NFL games, read this to the end.

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Watch NFL Live Streams on NFL-Dedicated Platforms

With the 2024-2025 season just a few months away, finding a good NFL-dedicated platform to catch your favorite team live is important. Here are the top options you can try.

NFL+ — Exclusive Streaming Service for NFL

NFL+ is a streaming service that exclusively airs NFL games. It’s part of the wider NFL Network ecosystem, which also includes NFL RedZone and the NFL channel. It gives users access to live local and primetime regular season and postseason games on different devices. 

You can also catch live out-of-market pre-season games,which are matches that aren’t selected for localized broadcasts in a given area. Additional content available on NFL+ includes NFL RedZone games, live game audio, NFL Fantasy+ and ad-free game highlights.

NFL+ has an app that works on iOS, Android, Android TV, Roku, Fire TV, tvOS and Xbox. There are two price plans to choose from: NLF+, which costs $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year, and NFL+ Premium, which costs $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year. 

Offered:

• NFL out-of-market pre-season games
• Ad-free films and game replays
• NFL RedZone

Not Offered: 

• Out-of-market regular season games

NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube — Best for Out-of-Market Games

If you want to catch all out-of-market Sunday games, NFL Sunday Ticket is the best NFL-dedicated platform. It recently partnered with YouTube, allowing NFL fans to catch live local and national games on YouTube TV.

Additionally, NFL Sunday Ticket supports multiview, where you can watch up to four live games on one screen. It also includes unlimited streams at home across multiple devices, perfect for a large household. Game highlights and replays are also available through the “key plays” feature.

NFL Sunday Ticket has two price plans: NFL Sunday Ticket only, which costs $449 per year, and NFL Sunday Ticket + YouTube TV, which costs $349 per year.

Offered:

• National games
• Multiview screening
• Local Sunday games
• Sunday out-of-market games
• Preseason, playoffs and Super Bowl
• NFL games from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN

Not Offered: 

• International games
• Sunday Night Football NBC
• Monday Night Football ESPN

Stream NFL Games via Live TV Streaming Services

The NFL has partnered with the following streaming services to show some live NFL games. 

Hulu + Live TV — Best NFL Coverage

Hulu + Live TV has more than 95 live and on-demand channels, including top sports joints like ESPN, CBS, NBCSN, FS1 and NFL Network, among many other regional sports networks. Depending on where you are, you may not get some live games due to NFL blackouts — nothing a reliable VPN can’t solve. For suggestions, check out our article on the best VPN for Hulu.

This streaming service offers two price plans: a plan for $76.99 per month that includes ads and an ad-free plan for $89.99 per month. Both give you the same access to NFL games. For an extra $9.99, you can get a sports add-on that gives you access to NFL RedZone, where you can watch up to seven hours of football every Sunday afternoon. 

There’s also a three-day free trial, which is perfect for fans looking for a limited free option with no financial commitment. 

Offered:

• NFL Network
• NFL Redzone with sports add-on
• NFL games on ESPN, CBS, NBC and FOX

Not Offered:

• Out-of-market games
• Thursday Night Football

fuboTV — Best for Recording Live Games

fuboTV brings you live NFL games from NFL Network, NFL RedZone, ESPN, CBS, FOX, NBC, Big Ten Network and more. One perk is unlimited cloud DVR space that lets you record NFL games and catch them later on at your leisure.

fuboTV has flexible apps for iOS, Android, LG TV, Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV, among others. This lets you watch your favorite NFL team on your preferred device, even on the go. There are four price plans available: Latino ($32.99 per month), Pro ($79.99 per month), Elite ($89.99 per month) and Premier ($99.99 per month). Additionally, fuboTV offers a seven-day free trial.

Offered:

• NFL RedZone
• Sunday Night Football NBC
• Some out-of-market games
• Monday Night Football games

Not Offered:

• Thursday Night Football

DirecTV — Best Sports Pack Add-on

DirecTV offers season-long NFL access from NFL Network, NFL RedZone, NFL Sunday Ticket, NBC, ESPN, Big Ten Network, CBS, FOX Sports and more through the DirecTV Sports Pack. It’s also one of the few streaming sites besides Amazon Prime Video that offer live Thursday Night Football, but you need to be subscribed to DirecTV for Business.

Speaking of price plans, DirecTV offers four price packages, three of which offer NFL coverage. Your options are Choice ($74.99 per month, with more than 125 channels), Ultimate ($104 per month, with more than 160 channels) and Premier ($149.99 per month, with more than 185 channels).

Offered:

• Monday Night Football
• Thursday Night Football
• Sunday Night Football NBC
• NFL games on CBS, FOX and ESPN
• NFL games on NFL Network and RedZone

Not Offered: 

• NFL Sunday Ticket

Paramount+ — Best for Streaming CBS Content

If you have a premium Paramount Plus subscription (Essential or with Showtime) you can stream some live NFL games straight from CBS through the Paramount+ app on any supported device.

However, the Essential plan, which costs $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year, is limited. You can only watch one game, and once it ends, you won’t be able to watch any additional CBS programming. The only way to stream additional live NFL content is by upgrading to Paramount+ with Showtime, which costs $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year.

Offered:

• NFL through CBS

Not Offered: 

• Out-of-market games
• Extra NFL programming on the Essential plan

Peacock TV — Best for Sunday Night Football via NBC

You can catch Sunday Night Football and some special NFL regular season and Saturday playoff games on Peacock TV through its parent company, NBC. Peacock TV doesn’t have a free trial, so you’ll need a paid subscription. You can subscribe to either the Premium plan, which costs $5.99 per month, or Premium Plus, which costs $11.99 per month.

Offered:

• NFL through NBC
• Sunday Night Live
• Some regular and preseason games

Not Offered:

• Out-of-market games

Other Streaming Services for Watching NFL Games

If you live in a region where the streaming platforms we discussed in the last section aren’t available, here are some alternatives for watching NFL games.

Amazon Prime Video — Best for Thursday Night Football

Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. The Prime Video app lets you stream all the games on your Fire TV, Fire tablet and web browser-connected TV. 

The best part is that you don’t need to pay anything extra. As long as you have a Prime Video subscription, you have full access to the games available in your location.

You can also opt in to record the NFL season, which allows you to catch up on any Thursday Night Football games you miss. Furthermore, you can watch local in-market games on CBS using Paramount+ through Prime Video Channels. Prime Video costs $8.99 per month.

Offered:

• Thursday Night Football
• Local in-market games on CBS

Not Offered: 

• Monday Night Football
• Sunday Night Football

Sling TV — Flexible Streaming Plans

Sling TV gives you access to various NFL games through ABC, NFL Network, FOX Sports 1, TNT and more. You can also catch live action on Sundays through NFL RedZone. Depending on your Sling TV subscription, you can stream the games on multiple screens.

Sling TV has three flexible price packages. Sling Orange costs $20 per month, with 34 channels; Sling Blue costs $22.50 per month, with access to 44 channels; and Sling Orange + Blue costs $30 per month, with 68 channels.

The availability of NFL games depends on your Sling TV plan. Most of the games from FOX Sports are only available on Sling Blue. You’ll need Sling Orange to watch Monday Night Football through ESPN and Sling Orange + Blue to watch NFL RedZone.

Offered:

• NFL RedZone
• Out-of-market games
• Sunday Night Football on NBC
• Monday Night Football on ESPN

Not Offered: 

• Thursday Night Football

DAZN — Best for NFL Game Pass International

NFL Game Pass International is a streaming service that allows you to catch NFL games from outside the United States. It offers regular-season games, the Super Bowl and offseason games. In total, DAZN lets you watch almost 335 games per season — an impressive number compared to some alternatives. 

A unique aspect of the NFL Game Pass is that it’s not available in the United States, and prices vary from country to country based on local currency. In the United Kingdom, the prices start from £37.75 per month, which converts to about $48.

Offered:

• Sunday Night Football
• Monday Night Football 

Not Offered: 

• Thursday Night Football

Platforms to Watch the NFL Live Stream Free

Free platforms that stream NFL games are not easy to come by. Some of the reliable ones include the following:

7plus — Best Free Platform for Australia

7plus is an Australian network offering sports live streams, including NFL games during the regular and playoff seasons. You can also watch the Super Bowl on this platform. However, since it’s not available worldwide, you need a VPN if you reside outside Australia. Once you’ve picked one, check out our guide to learn how to change your VPN location.

Offered:

• Sunday Night Football 

Not Offered: 

• Monday Night Football
• Thursday Night Football

Channel 5 — Best Free Platform for the UK

Channel 5 provides one weekly Monday Night Football game during the regular season for free in the United Kingdom through ESPN. The platform is restricted to the United Kingdom, so you’ll need a VPN to access it in other countries.

Offered:

• Monday Night Football

Not Offered: 

• Out-of-market games
• Sunday Night Football
• Thursday Night Football

RTL & Nitro — Best Free Platforms for Germany

In 2022, RTL Deutschland partnered with the American National Football League to broadcast up to three live games per week on RTL and Nitro for free until 2028. These matches also include the Super Bowl. If you don’t live in Germany, Luxembourg or Liechtenstein, you’ll need a VPN with a location in one of those three countries.

Offered:

• Sunday Night Football via DAZN
• Monday Night Football via DAZN
• Thursday Night Football via DAZN

Not Offered: 

• Preseason games

Can I Watch All of the NFL Games on a TV Antenna?

No, you can’t watch all NFL games with a TV antenna, but you can catch some. Games you can watch include AFC afternoon games on CBS, NFC afternoon games on FOX Sports and Sunday Night Football games on NBC. 

The biggest advantage of using an antenna is that it lets you watch all regional games being broadcast in your local market. Additionally, it’s usually a one-time payment, making it a very budget-friendly option for people interested in exclusively following their favorite local NFL team.

What Are NFL Blackouts?

An NFL blackout is a football league policy that restricts the airing of live games in certain markets if the scheduled games don’t sell at least 85% of the stadium seats 72 hours before kickoff. Additionally, an NFL blackout can also occur due to some local and national content providers’ lack of broadcasting rights.

Fortunately, you can bypass these regional blackouts by using a VPN to switch your location to a region where the live game is being broadcast.

Can I Use a VPN to Watch Out-of-Market Games? 

You can use a VPN to watch out-of-market games by connecting to a server that changes your IP address. When you switch your location to a city broadcasting the game you want, you can bypass the geo-restrictions and enjoy the game as it unfolds.

How to Watch NFL Free of Blackouts With a VPN

Follow the steps below to use a VPN to bypass NFL blackouts. 

1. Subscribe to a VPN

Choose a VPN and a subscription plan that meets your needs. For instance, NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can request a full refund if it doesn’t meet your NFL needs.

2. Download and Install the VPN

Download and install the VPN on the device you plan to use to stream NFL games.

3. Sign In

Sign in to your VPN account using your credentials.

4. Connect to a Server

Choose a location where the game you plan to watch is being broadcast or streamed live. With that, you’ve successfully bypassed the NFL blackout.

NordVPN: The Best VPN to Watch Football Online

NordVPN is the best VPN for watching NFL games online in many regions worldwide. It has one of the fastest connection speeds thanks to the Nordlynx protocol. I’ve never experienced buffering during a live stream while using this protocol. 

You also get servers in 163 locations across 105 countries — enough to help you bypass NFL blackouts and watch games. Furthermore, hiding your IP address stops your ISP from throttling your speeds during crucial NFL streaming. You can learn more about that in our NordVPN review.

Conclusion

You can watch NFL games without cable on different streaming platforms. The level of coverage varies by location, broadcasting rights and cost. You just need to decide which games you want to watch and find out where they’re available. Top premium options include Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV and NFL+, and worthwhile free options include 7plus, Channel 5 and RTL and Nitro.

Using a VPN is your best bet, as you can switch your IP address to any favorable location where the game you want to watch is available. NordVPN is the best VPN for watching NFL games without cable. 

How often do you watch live NFL games? Do you find using cable easier than streaming platforms, or vice versa? Let us know what you think in the comment section below, and thank you for reading.

FAQ: Watch Live NFL Games Without Cable 

• Is There Any Way to Watch NFL Games Without Cable? 

  You can watch NFL games without cable through streaming services like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Peacock TV. You can also stream the games through NFL+, the official streaming service for NFL Network.

• Is There a Streaming Service for NFL Games? 

  Yes. NFL+ is the official streaming service for NFL games. You can access it on various devices with a compatible app or stream the games directly through a browser.

• Can I Watch the NFL on Hulu? 

  Yes, you can watch the NFL on Hulu if you have a Hulu + Live TV subscription. This subscription offers college football and NFL games through BTN, FOX Sports, ESPN, ABC, ACC Network, NFL Network and more.

• Can You Watch the NFL Games on Amazon Prime? 

  Yes, you can watch NFL games on Amazon Prime, which is one of the only platforms you can use to watch Thursday Night Football.