Tweet
Before you can make your decision on which subscription to get i think it's important to understand which networks broadcast which games on which days.Last season, playoff games were split between CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC, channels that you can get with a live TV streaming service. In addition, US holidays affect the schedule, which means that there may be multiple games on a Thursday or a game on Saturday. Consult the schedule below for details on watching those games.
.
➡️START WATCHING HERE HD (JUST $14.99 ANYWHERE)
.
.
Under this most recent deal, the broadcast rights for Sunday afternoons, Sunday nights, and Monday nights remain the same. Super Bowl coverage will rotate between ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, while NFL Network retains rights to some exclusive games. Both Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football games are subject to flex schedules with this new contract; in other words, the NFL can change which games air during these primetime slots based on what will make for more entertaining matchups.
However, the agreement also signals a dramatic shift in the NFL's support for streaming services. One major change is that Prime Video became the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football. Other changes also recently took effect. For example, NBC began streaming Sunday Night Football games this season on Pea****, much like CBS does for Sunday afternoon games on Paramount+. We hope ESPN+ starts to carry NFL games that air on ABC or ESPN.
DirecTV's rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket package expired at the end of the 2022 season, and those rights have now shifted over to YouTube TV. Which NFL games you can watch on Sunday afternoons depends on where you live. These games are carried on local CBS and FOX affiliate channels and are subject to the same blackout rules as cable broadcasts. You will get other Sunday afternoon games in addition to those involving your local team, but how many and which ones are not always easy to determine. Check out 506Sports' regional NFL coverage maps each week for all the details.
The NFL matchups on Sunday nights and every other day of the week are national broadcasts, so everyone will see the same game regardless of where they live. Playoff games and the Super Bowl are also televised to national audiences. NFL fans don't have to navigate the mess that is regional sports network (RSN) broadcast rights; all these channels are available in most broadcast markets and on most live TV streaming services.
Even with the ongoing changes, the NFL's current streaming strategy still isn't ideal. It puts the burden on fans to pay for and manage multiple streaming services at a time. The NFL also doesn't seem to recognize that a location-based strategy is ineffectual at reaching modern audiences, especially those who don't live in their favorite team's home market.
Other streaming services are experimenting with one-off NFL events. Netflix streamed the 2024 Christmas games while Tubi streamed Super Bowl LIX for free. But we don't know yet if those will lead to new ongoing partnerships.
Can You Stream NFL Commentary Shows?
Many of the major NFL commentary shows air on channels we already mentioned, but some do not. For example, Nickelodeon now offers a weekly, family-friendly NFL highlights show, NFL Slimetime, hosted by Nate Burleson and Young Dylan, alongside correspondent Dylan Schefter. DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu, Philo, and YouTube TV all offer Nickelodeon. Eli and Peyton Manning will also call some Monday Night Football games on ESPN2 this season; this broadcast is simulcast on ESPN+. DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu, Sling TV's Orange Plan, and YouTube TV all have ESPN2 in their lineups.
what’s everyone using to stream NFL games this year?You can still watch NFL games if you've ditched your cable company in favor of video streaming services. However, you can't fire up on-demand platforms like Disney+ and Netflix, which generally lack live sports. Instead, subscribe to a live TV streaming service to catch the gridiron action. Video streaming is a huge and complicated category, especially regarding confusing and expensive live sports broadcasts. Fortunately, PCMag knows video streaming inside and out. We've covered video streaming services for more than a decade, so our independent reviews will help you find the libraries with the best content, features, and prices. The NFL is choosey about the platforms that carry its games, but multiple video streaming Editors' Choice winners (Hulu, Pea****, YouTube TV) are good starting points. So, are you ready for some football?
It feels like every season, the platforms shift around with new deals, blackouts, or exclusives. I used to rely on a combo of RedZone and a streaming service, but I’m not sure what’s best in 2025.
Are services like NFL+ or YouTube TV still the go-to? Any legit free options floating around? Also curious about how people are watching out-of-market games this week (Week 4).
Drop your setup or recommendations below — trying to lock in something reliable for the season. Appreciate it!
Thursday Night Football (TNF) - Amazon Prime
Sunday 1pm / 4pm - CBS / FOX
Sunday Night Football (SNF) - NBC / Pea****
Monday Night Football - ESPN
NFL Sunday Ticket - Premium Package to watch out of market games
NFL Redzone - Broadcasts on Sundays during 1pm / 4pm window with highlights of all games, now with commercials. Premium channel available on Youtube TV (and other providers), or now through ESPN / NFL new partnership subscription.
There will also probably be a random Thanksgiving or Christmas game or something on Netflix but that will be just a couple games over the year.
I personally have YoutubeTV which will cover me for all Sunday and Monday games and I have Prime which covers TNF. I also pay for Redzone on YTTV which is included in some package which I think is like $12/month or something. Without Youtube TV, cable, or another cable equivalent like Fubo, etc., you are going to be without a way to watch on Sundays for the 1/4pm windows which consists of most the games aside from TNF, SNF, and MNF.
Edit: You can use the site 506 Sports to tell you what games will be broadcasted in what locations on Sunday, usually we will get the Panthers and 1-2 other games. If you're dead set on watching a team out of market every week you're either going to need Sunday Ticket or a good streaming site (RIP Streameast)ujygjk
.
➡️START WATCHING HERE HD (JUST $14.99 ANYWHERE)
.
.
Under this most recent deal, the broadcast rights for Sunday afternoons, Sunday nights, and Monday nights remain the same. Super Bowl coverage will rotate between ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, while NFL Network retains rights to some exclusive games. Both Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football games are subject to flex schedules with this new contract; in other words, the NFL can change which games air during these primetime slots based on what will make for more entertaining matchups.
However, the agreement also signals a dramatic shift in the NFL's support for streaming services. One major change is that Prime Video became the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football. Other changes also recently took effect. For example, NBC began streaming Sunday Night Football games this season on Pea****, much like CBS does for Sunday afternoon games on Paramount+. We hope ESPN+ starts to carry NFL games that air on ABC or ESPN.
DirecTV's rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket package expired at the end of the 2022 season, and those rights have now shifted over to YouTube TV. Which NFL games you can watch on Sunday afternoons depends on where you live. These games are carried on local CBS and FOX affiliate channels and are subject to the same blackout rules as cable broadcasts. You will get other Sunday afternoon games in addition to those involving your local team, but how many and which ones are not always easy to determine. Check out 506Sports' regional NFL coverage maps each week for all the details.
The NFL matchups on Sunday nights and every other day of the week are national broadcasts, so everyone will see the same game regardless of where they live. Playoff games and the Super Bowl are also televised to national audiences. NFL fans don't have to navigate the mess that is regional sports network (RSN) broadcast rights; all these channels are available in most broadcast markets and on most live TV streaming services.
Even with the ongoing changes, the NFL's current streaming strategy still isn't ideal. It puts the burden on fans to pay for and manage multiple streaming services at a time. The NFL also doesn't seem to recognize that a location-based strategy is ineffectual at reaching modern audiences, especially those who don't live in their favorite team's home market.
Other streaming services are experimenting with one-off NFL events. Netflix streamed the 2024 Christmas games while Tubi streamed Super Bowl LIX for free. But we don't know yet if those will lead to new ongoing partnerships.
Can You Stream NFL Commentary Shows?
Many of the major NFL commentary shows air on channels we already mentioned, but some do not. For example, Nickelodeon now offers a weekly, family-friendly NFL highlights show, NFL Slimetime, hosted by Nate Burleson and Young Dylan, alongside correspondent Dylan Schefter. DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu, Philo, and YouTube TV all offer Nickelodeon. Eli and Peyton Manning will also call some Monday Night Football games on ESPN2 this season; this broadcast is simulcast on ESPN+. DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu, Sling TV's Orange Plan, and YouTube TV all have ESPN2 in their lineups.
what’s everyone using to stream NFL games this year?You can still watch NFL games if you've ditched your cable company in favor of video streaming services. However, you can't fire up on-demand platforms like Disney+ and Netflix, which generally lack live sports. Instead, subscribe to a live TV streaming service to catch the gridiron action. Video streaming is a huge and complicated category, especially regarding confusing and expensive live sports broadcasts. Fortunately, PCMag knows video streaming inside and out. We've covered video streaming services for more than a decade, so our independent reviews will help you find the libraries with the best content, features, and prices. The NFL is choosey about the platforms that carry its games, but multiple video streaming Editors' Choice winners (Hulu, Pea****, YouTube TV) are good starting points. So, are you ready for some football?
It feels like every season, the platforms shift around with new deals, blackouts, or exclusives. I used to rely on a combo of RedZone and a streaming service, but I’m not sure what’s best in 2025.
Are services like NFL+ or YouTube TV still the go-to? Any legit free options floating around? Also curious about how people are watching out-of-market games this week (Week 4).
Drop your setup or recommendations below — trying to lock in something reliable for the season. Appreciate it!
Thursday Night Football (TNF) - Amazon Prime
Sunday 1pm / 4pm - CBS / FOX
Sunday Night Football (SNF) - NBC / Pea****
Monday Night Football - ESPN
NFL Sunday Ticket - Premium Package to watch out of market games
NFL Redzone - Broadcasts on Sundays during 1pm / 4pm window with highlights of all games, now with commercials. Premium channel available on Youtube TV (and other providers), or now through ESPN / NFL new partnership subscription.
There will also probably be a random Thanksgiving or Christmas game or something on Netflix but that will be just a couple games over the year.
I personally have YoutubeTV which will cover me for all Sunday and Monday games and I have Prime which covers TNF. I also pay for Redzone on YTTV which is included in some package which I think is like $12/month or something. Without Youtube TV, cable, or another cable equivalent like Fubo, etc., you are going to be without a way to watch on Sundays for the 1/4pm windows which consists of most the games aside from TNF, SNF, and MNF.
Edit: You can use the site 506 Sports to tell you what games will be broadcasted in what locations on Sunday, usually we will get the Panthers and 1-2 other games. If you're dead set on watching a team out of market every week you're either going to need Sunday Ticket or a good streaming site (RIP Streameast)ujygjk