Legal Ways to Watch NFL Games
The right option depends on which games you want: your local team, out-of-market Sunday games or national primetime games. Here's what each official service covers.
This page is informational. We don’t host, embed or link to game streams; we explain the topic and point to the official ways NFL games are shown on TV and online.
Quick answers by situation
| I want to watch… | Legal option |
|---|---|
| My local team’s game | Your local CBS or FOX station: free with an antenna, or through cable, a live TV streaming service, or Paramount+ for CBS games. NFL+ shows local games on phones and tablets. |
| An out-of-market Sunday afternoon game | NFL Sunday Ticket. Local stations and the networks’ apps only show the games assigned to your market. |
| Thursday night | Prime Video (local stations in the two teams’ markets also air it). |
| Sunday night | NBC — free with an antenna — or Peacock and live TV streaming services. |
| Monday night | ESPN and/or ABC: ESPN streaming, cable or a live TV service; ABC simulcasts are free with an antenna. |
| Watching outside the US | NFL Game Pass, offered through DAZN in many countries, or a local rights holder. |
All official options
| Option | Cost | NFL games it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Over-the-air antenna | Free (after buying an antenna) | Your local CBS, FOX, NBC and ABC stations: the Sunday afternoon games assigned to your market, Sunday Night Football, Monday games simulcast on ABC, and Thursday night games simulcast on local stations in the two teams’ markets.Reception depends on your distance from the transmitters. |
| Cable or satellite TV | Paid subscription | Local broadcast stations plus cable channels such as ESPN and NFL Network.Many network apps also let you sign in with a TV provider account to stream. |
| Live TV streaming services | Paid subscription | Services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV and DirecTV Stream carry local broadcast stations in many markets, plus channels like ESPN and NFL Network.Channel line-ups differ by service and by market — check your ZIP code before subscribing. |
| Paramount+ (official site, opens in a new tab) | Paid subscription | Live CBS games available in your local market. |
| Peacock (official site, opens in a new tab) | Paid subscription | NBC’s Sunday Night Football and any games NBC streams exclusively. |
| Prime Video (official site, opens in a new tab) | Paid subscription | Thursday Night Football. |
| ESPN streaming (official site, opens in a new tab) | Paid subscription or TV provider sign-in | Monday Night Football and other games carried by ESPN. |
| NFL+ (official site, opens in a new tab) | Paid subscription | Live local and primetime games on phones and tablets; the Premium tier adds full and condensed game replays.Live games are limited to mobile devices. |
| NFL Sunday Ticket (official site, opens in a new tab) | Paid seasonal package | Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games — the regional games your local stations don’t show.Sold through YouTube and YouTube TV. It does not include your local games or national primetime games. |
| NFL Game Pass (outside the US) (official site, opens in a new tab) | Paid subscription | Live games and replays for viewers outside the United States, offered through DAZN in many countries. |
Links go to each service's official website. Line-ups and prices change, so check before subscribing.
Free options
Broadcast TV is free. An antenna picks up your local CBS, FOX, NBC and ABC stations, which together carry the Sunday afternoon games assigned to your market, Sunday Night Football, Monday games simulcast on ABC and, in the two teams' home markets, Thursday night games. Check which stations reach your address before buying an antenna.
Before you subscribe
- Location checks: streaming apps show local games based on where you are, not where your account was created.
- Local channels: live TV services don't carry every local station in every market — enter your ZIP code first.
- Sign-in requirements: some network apps need a TV provider login for live games.
- Devices: NFL+ live games are limited to phones and tablets.
This week's standalone games
These Week 4 games have a time slot to themselves, so a single national broadcaster carries each one. The channels shown are the ones listed in our data feed.
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns — Thursday Night, Thu, Oct 1, 8:15 PM ET · listed: Amazon Prime Video
- Indianapolis Colts vs Washington Commanders — Sunday Morning, Sun, Oct 4, 9:30 AM ET · listed: ESPN Deportes, NFL Network
- Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers — Sunday Night, Sun, Oct 4, 8:20 PM ET · listed: NBC (WCAU Philadelphia only), Universo, WBAL TV, WVTM 13, WWBT
- Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints — Monday Night, Mon, Oct 5, 8:15 PM ET · listed: ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes
For Sunday afternoon games, the NFL coverage map shows which games share a regional window, and the regional coverage guide explains how your market's game is chosen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest legal way to watch NFL games?
An over-the-air antenna. After buying it there is no subscription, and it receives the local CBS, FOX, NBC and ABC stations that carry most games shown in your market.
Does NFL Sunday Ticket include every game?
No. It carries out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. Your local games and the national primetime games are shown on their regular networks instead.
Can I watch NFL games on my phone?
Yes. NFL+ streams live local and primetime games on phones and tablets, and most network and live TV streaming apps work on mobile too.