How To Watch the 2024 NFL Season: TV, Streaming, and Mobile (2024)

The 2024 NFL season kicks off on September 5, and YouTube TVwith NFL Sunday Ticket is the best way to watch the most live games. But you’ll also need Amazon Prime Video, ESPN+, Netflix, and Peaco*ck to get every live NFL game this season.

Our guide outlines the league’s six core broadcasters, including every NFL channel and service. Each section also includes provider recommendations based on viewing habits.

So lace up your shoulder pads and apply your eye black because football is almost here, and CableTV.com is taking you to the gridiron.

Jump to:

• NFL channels
• NFL schedule
• Watch NFL for free

NFL action airs across multiple networks and services, including marquee NFL broadcasters like Amazon Prime Video, CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, and NFL Network.

Because the NFL regular season includes 272 games across 18 weeks, you’ll need access to in-market and out-of-market viewing options to receive the most game coverage. Below is a list of every major NFL channel and service for watching live games.

• Amazon Prime Video
• CBS
• ESPN
• ESPN+
• FOX
• Netflix
• NBC
• Peaco*ck
• NFL Network
• NFL Sunday Ticket

It’s never too early to plan your next NFL watch party. Head over to our NFL Schedule This Week to view upcoming NFL matchups, including kickoff times and channel listings.

We’ve also outlined the most significant NFL events to keep an eye on in the table below.

Most NFL matchups take place on Sunday afternoons on either CBS or FOX. Typically, games with an AFC road team are broadcast on CBS, while NFC road team games air on FOX.

Because many NFL games happen at once on Sunday afternoons, you’ll be able to see only the ones selected for your location. Several factors determine the in-market games for your area. But usually, you’ll get every game featuring your nearest team and any games with playoff implications for that club.

CBS and FOX are easily accessible through most TV providers. But if you live within range of your local CBS and FOX affiliates, you can catch every in-market NFL game with an over-the-air (OTA) antenna.

A good antenna usually costs between $20 and $60. The best part is that it’s a one-time payment that will give you access to many live sports for years to come. We like the Mohu Leaf 50because of its 60-mile range and 4K capabilities, but there are many antenna options to consider.

NFL Sunday Ticket is the go-to TV plan for anyone who supports a non-local team or wants the most live NFL games. This season, the out-of-market sports package moved from DIRECTV to YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels.

Getting NFL Sunday Ticket through YouTube TV is the best route for cord-cutters because you’ll also have NFL channels like CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, and NFL Network. That’ll get you almost every game this season, all in one place. (You’ll miss only the non-local Thursday Night Football games on Amazon Prime Video and any exclusives streaming onESPN+, Netflix, and Peaco*ck.)

While NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV is ideal for any football superfan, its cost is as daunting as playing a one-on-one tackling drill against Ray Lewis. Fortunately, you won’t have the contract and equipment requirements that came with DIRECTV. But you may want to explore NFL+ for an inexpensive way to watch out-of-market NFL games on demand.

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Read full disclaimer.

Amazon Prime Video is home to Thursday Night Football, and the streaming service has 16 matchups in 2024. Not every Thursday night game streams on Prime Video—games in Weeks 1 and 13 air on NBC. But Prime Video will continue with its NFL Black Friday game this season, a logical move since Amazon is the world’s largest online storefront.

If you’re interested in Prime Video for only its NFL games, we recommend checking out the Thursday Night Football schedule. That’ll help you determine when your favorite teams are playing and whether you need Prime Video for the entire season.

Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, and Melissa Stark are back for Sunday Night Football, airing on NBC and streaming on Peaco*ck. The 2024 NFL season features 18 Sunday Night Football games and a Peaco*ck-exclusive match in Week 1. Three other matchups round out NBC’s regular-season coverage: its annual NFL Kickoff game in Week 1, a Thanksgiving night fixture, and a Saturday game in Week 16.

You can watch Sunday Night Football on NBC through most TV providers. But you can also pick up the channel with an OTA antenna if you live near an NBC affiliate.

Another cheap option for watching Sunday Night Football is Peaco*ck. The streaming service’s premium plans start at $5.99 a month and give you complete access to every Sunday Night Football game and NBC playoff match.

ESPN presents 23 Monday Night Football games during the 2024 NFL season, including three games airing solely on ABC. Key matchups included the New York Jets at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 and the Baltimore Ravens at the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman occupy the broadcast booth for Monday Night Football. But don’t worry; you can still catch Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli on ESPN2 and ESPN+. The Manning brothers will host eleven alternate telecasts (or Manningcasts) during the 2024 campaign, and you can expect many fun guests to show up.

ESPN is available through every major TV provider, with Sling TV’s Orange plan being the cheapest way to get the channel. But you don’t need a TV plan to watch every Monday Night Football game because of those select games on ABC, which you can access with an OTA antenna.

The 2024 NFL International Series features five games played across venues in Brazil, the U.K., and Germany. Peaco*ck will stream the first matchup, while NFL Network will carry the other four.

Most TV providers carry NFL Network, while a standalone Peaco*ck subscription starts at $5.99 a month. But if you live in Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, you can watch the Peaco*ck game on your local NBC station.

For U.S.-based viewers, NFL+ (formerly NFL Game Pass) is an inexpensive way to watch NFL games. The hitch is that live regular season and playoff games are viewable only on phones and tablets. But you can watch every NFL game on a wider range of devices through NFL+ Premium ($14.99 a month) if you wait until after the game ends. The premium plan also includes NFL Network and NFL RedZone without device limitations—an excellent feature for fantasy football fans.

Nothing compares to live sports on a big-screen TV. But saving money and watching games on your own time isn’t so bad. Plus, there are no commercials when you watch archived games on NFL+, and you can use its spoiler-free feature to help keep final scores a secret.

The 2024 NFL preseason will begin on August 1 with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Most NFL teams play three preseason games in August. These matchups air primarily on local stations, but NFL Network and other national channels carry select preseason games.

NFL+ is an excellent option for streaming live NFL preseason action—offering live out-of-market game access throughout August. But you can find more preseason viewing recommendations in our How To Watch the NFL Preseason guide.

You can watch free NFL games by connecting an over-the-air (OTA) antenna to your TV. If you’re near a local ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC station, you’ll have free access to many NFL games—including playoff fixtures and the Super Bowl. The FCC’s Reception Map Tool is a great place to verify which channels are available in your area.

Of course, an antenna isn’t free. But an easy one-time purchase will ensure you have NFL coverage for many seasons. You’ll also get access to UFL gridiron action, plus NBA, NHL, and MLB games. We recommend the Mohu Leaf 50 because of its wide range and picture quality.

Unfortunately, if an antenna doesn’t work for your location, there’s no easy way to watch live NFL games for free online. But you can always try signing up for a free trial to a live TV streaming service. Our Best Streaming Services for Sports page closely examines streaming providers dedicated to sports.

NFL games are scattered across a wide range of channels and services. But not everyone needs the most extensive TV plan to tune in this season. After all, a simple OTA antenna can get you many marquee matchups that air on local channels.

For hard-core NFL fans, we recommend YouTube TV with NFL Sunday Ticket. It offers every NFL game except the ones on Amazon Prime Video, ESPN+, Netflix, and Peaco*ck. You can even upgrade your plan to get NFL RedZone for the best Sunday afternoon coverage.

If you don’t need out-of-market coverage, most cable, satellite, and live TV streaming providers carry the essential NFL channels. Sling TV is our favorite cost-saving option for streaming, but you’ll need that OTA antenna to get complete local coverage. Luckily, if you go an extra yard and prepay for three months, you can get a free antenna and an AirTV DVR device to record locally televised games. We highlight that offer and more on our Sling TV Deals page.

Our sports experts watched the past several NFL seasons and spent over 20 hours researching the upcoming season to determine the best ways to watch NFL games. We examined every broadcasting option and compared the most popular TV providers head to head. We based our provider recommendations on pricing, NFL game quantity, and ease of use.

Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

*Amazon.com price as of 5/17/24 3:00 p.m. CT. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.