It’s the biggest week of fall, as NFL live streams return with the start of the regular season — and week 1 is almost over. And boy did it have some lopsided games (at least in the evenings). Tampa Bay started its season by disassembling the Cowboys, handily winning 19-3.
• Next big game: Broncos vs Seahawks live stream
• US channels: CBS/Paramount Plus, ESPN, Fox, NBC, NFL Network, NFL Plus and Prime Video
• UK channels: Sky
• Canada channels: DAZN
• Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN (opens in new tab)risk-free
Lastly, the week closes out with Monday Night Football’s Broncos vs Seahawks live stream, where Russell Wilson enters familiar territory from the other side. He’s also expected to win, as we’re seeing oddsmakers put Denver as the -6.5 favorite.
Thanks to multiple streaming options, you have a wide array of ways to watch these NFL games. We’ve got everything you need to stream this NFL season from a phone, laptop, set-top box or anything in-between. And if you only want local games on your phone, well, NFL Plus may be of interest.
The methods for watching NFL games change often as the league signs new contracts and streaming services change their policies, so we’re always updating this guide with the latest broadcast info, as well as the current week’s schedule.
With so many good games, you’re probably looking for a way to catch the action online. Here are the best ways to live stream NFL games.
How to watch NFL live streams with a VPN
Football fans, if for some reason you’ve had to leave your own “bubble” — or you’ve been hit by a dreaded local blackout — and you can’t watch the NFL live streams you want, you’re not out of luck. With a virtual private network, or VPN, you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town (or somewhere that blackouts won’t hit), and access the same streaming services you already paid for.
Not sure which VPN is right for you? We’ve tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN(opens in new tab). It offers superb speeds and excellent customer service. But you’ve got other VPN options as well. Here are our top picks.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, ExpressVPN(opens in new tab) is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you’re in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you’d select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Sling, Yahoo or another website and watch the game.
NFL live streams in the US
Looking at the NFL 2021-22 schedule, you can see that games will air on a wide range of services and channels, including old standbys like ESPN, NFL Network and your local FOX, NBC and CBS affiliates.
• Broncos vs Seahawks live stream
Just like last season, ESPN has Monday Night Football and NBC will have Sunday Night Football. CBS gets AFC games on Sunday afternoons, and FOX will have the NFC games. Amazon Prime Video has some Thursday Night Football games, while the NFL Network will continue to offer a bunch of games throughout the year.
The newest competitor for streams this season is NFL Plus, but it’s just for mobile devices and tablets. But if watching solely on your mobile device is OK, then this $4.99 per month(opens in new tab) service allows you to watch live games on your phone or tablet. During the regular season, local and primetime games will be included in NFL Plus(opens in new tab).
So, that makes it really easy to recommend where cord-cutters should turn to watch the NFL season: Fubo TV. Built for all things sports, Fubo has all three of those local broadcasters, plus ESPN and NFL Network. That’s why it’s one of the best streaming services.
Sling TV is another popular option, but it’s a case of “you get what you pay for” as Sling Orange & Blue (which you’d need to get ESPN, FOX and NBC and NFL Network) costs $50 per month, while the Fubo TV Standard package gives you all of the above, for $65 per month.
Oh, and if you’re OK with just watching the Broncos vs Seahawks live stream on mobile devices (phones and tablets), it’s also available on the $4.99 per month NFL Plus.
Paramount Plus(opens in new tab) is another ideal option for watching games online. In addition to a back catalog of CBS shows, plus some streaming-only shows like Star Trek: Picard, this service also lets you watch your local CBS station and that channel’s games in your market as they air live.
You’ll want the Premium package for Paramount Plus, which costs $9.99 per month and includes local CBS stations (which the $4.99 per month Basic package does not).
Amazon: Amazon jumped into the sports streaming market and nabbed the contract for Thursday Night Football, with a few exceptions will only be on the NFL Network. As long as you have Amazon Prime Video, you can watch Thursday Night Football on Prime Video(opens in new tab) without ever needing to pay extra. The 11 TNF games can be streamed through Prime Video and Twitch, and they will also be the exclusive streamer for a Saturday regular season game in the second half of the season.
NFL RedZone: If you have a cable TV subscription, NFL RedZone(opens in new tab) lets you watch a football game’s most exciting moments. The service broadcasts live coverage from every game on a given Sunday, but only when a team is in the “red zone,” or about to potentially score a touchdown. Because it also gives you real-time fantasy stats and extended highlights, it’s especially useful for fantasy-football fans.
NFL RedZone games air between 1 p.m. ET and the end of the late-afternoon games on Sundays during the NFL season. You can watch RedZone from your cable or satellite provider’s streaming service or on a variety of apps for smartphones, tablets and connected devices like Apple TV and PlayStation 4. You can also watch games in a web browser.
RedZone is included as a pat of add-on packages for Sling TV, Fubo and Hulu with Live TV.
NFL Sunday Ticket: DirecTV subscribers have one of the simplest paths to streaming full NFL games in NFL Sunday Ticket(opens in new tab). This service streams live games in their entirety to televisions, computers, Android and iOS devices, and game consoles.
That said, we’ve got all the details on how to get NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV. Provided you live in an area that doesn’t get DirecTV service.
Watch ESPN: If you subscribe to a cable package that includes ESPN, and most do, you can stream live ESPN programming from just about any device. Simply use your computer, smartphone, set-top box, game console or another connected device to download the ESPN app, then sign in with your cable provider’s information. When ESPN airs Monday Night Football, log into the app and enjoy the game.
NFL live streams for free
With one of our best TV antenna picks you can watch live. Or, you could make your own stream, with a service such as Channel Master or Tablo, connected to your antenna and a DVR box. This allows you to broadcast the stream — either live or recorded — to a set-top box, mobile device or computer just about anywhere in the world.
The cost varies depending on the HD antenna you get and the service you use, but the local channels themselves are free, and you wonꞌt have to jump through any NFL-sponsored hoops.
NFL live streams in the UK
You’re going to want Sky Sports(opens in new tab) for watching NFL games in the U.K. The Sky Sports NFL channel (which will feature more than 100 live games this season) and Sky Sports Main Event are the primary destinations for your viewing pleasure.
Sky Sports NFL(opens in new tab) will pack a lot of content. Specifically, expect at least 5 live games per week, with “first-pick exclusive games … in the 6pm and 9pm slot every Sunday” (according to Sky) and every Thursday, Sunday and Monday Night Football game. It’s also getting NFL RedZone, and NFL Network programming, including Good Morning Football and Total Access.
Also expect documentaries “and other content” via NFL Films and NBC Sports, and original Sky Sports programming about the NFL.
If you’re an existing Sky customer, you can get all of that with the Sky Sports Complete Pack, for £39 per month(opens in new tab).
If you’re not looking to spend that much, you can get a less comprehensive Sky Sports pass from Now TV(opens in new tab). Daily, weekly and monthly passes range from £9.99 to £33.99.
NFL live streams in Canada
Get in, folks, we’re going to Da Zone. Or to be more specific, Canadian football fans will need DAZN(opens in new tab) to watch the NFL 2021-22 season. DAZN is trying to get GamePass rights, but that has not been announced yet.
DAZN is also the home of live Champions League soccer games.
2022 NFL Week 1 schedule: This week’s remaining games
All games in Eastern Time:
Monday, September 12
- Broncos (0-0) @ Seahawks (0-0) at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes