How to Stream NFL Games in the 2023 Season

Pro football kicks off this month — here’s how to watch

Nicholas DeRenzo,

AARP

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Published September 07, 2023

quarterback patrick mahomes of the kansas city chiefs throws a pass in an nfl preseason game at the caesars superdome in new orleans

Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints during a preseason game at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

On Sept. 7, the 2023 football season opens with the Detroit Lions challenging Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs, airing on NBC and Peacock. CBS, ABC, Fox, and ESPN will also televise NFL games. But how can you watch the gridiron action on streaming networks?

You know those whiteboards that football coaches use to plan plays, covering them in Xs and Os and arrows and lines? You’ll practically need one to navigate the often confusing world of NFL streaming rights this season. Figuring out where to find certain games is more of an art than a science, with different TV channels securing specific broadcast rights based on the day of the week, the conference (AFC versus NFC), in-market versus out-of-market rules, and blackout policies.

But now, things have gotten even more complicated: NFL Sunday Ticket, for instance, has moved from DirecTV to a new home after nearly 30 years, and some streaming services have even secured exclusive rights to certain games — meaning you’ll need to be a subscriber to tune in. We’ve broken down nine of the most popular platforms to see how they stack up, but making a final choice is really up to you, as you weigh affordability and access to the games you’re dying to see.

kyle brandt of the nfl network interviews chicago bears wide receiver dj moore and quarterback justin fields

NFL Network's Kyle Brandt (right) talks with Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore (left) and quarterback Justin Fields.

Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo

NFL+

Last year, the NFL launched its own streaming service, which is currently going for $6.99 a month or $39.99 a year (after a current 20 percent discount). When you download the app, you’ll need to turn on location services on your phone or tablet so that the service can determine what market you’re in — and which games count as local to your area. NFL+ allows viewers to access live out-of-market preseason games and live local and primetime regular and preseason games, but there’s a catch: You can only watch them on your phone or tablet. An extra $8 a month will get you access to NFL+ Premium on your TV, PC, phone or tablet, and it also gets you condensed game replays, all 22 coaches’ films and NFL RedZone, a special channel that airs on Sundays during games and is hosted by fan-favorite NFL Network anchor Scott Hanson. NFL RedZone shows every touchdown from every game on Sundays, and it’s popular with people who play fantasy football.

Subscribe here: NFL+

cbs sideline reporter tracy wolfson interviews dallas cowboys linebacker micah parson on the field after the game

CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson interviews Dallas Cowboys' linebacker Micah Parsons.

Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Paramount+

Paramount is the parent company of CBS Sports, which has traditionally had broadcast rights to AFC Sunday-afternoon games, as determined by the away team’s conference in the case of interconference games. Earlier this year, the NFL announced that there will be some flexibility to that tradition, meaning you’ll see the occasional NFC game making its way onto the Eye Network. When you sign up for the Paramount+ with Showtime plan ($11.99/month, $119.99/year), you’ll be able to stream your local CBS affiliate, meaning you can watch whichever game is being broadcast in your market. With the cheaper Paramount+ Essential plan ($5.99/month, $59.99/year), you won’t have access to your local station, but NFL on CBS games will still be available to stream on a separate live feed.

Subscribe here: Paramount+

nbc sports analysts tony dungy and rodney harrison talking to each other on the field during the nfl game between the los angeles rams and buffalo bills

Tony Dungy (left) and Rodney Harrison of NBC Sports during their broadcast of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

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Peacock

Subscribers to this NBCUniversal streamer can watch any game broadcast on NBC, including the Sept. 7 NFL kickoff between the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs and all subsequent Sunday Night Football games. This season, the streaming service will also be the only place to watch the Buffalo Bills challenge the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday, Dec. 23. Come early next year, it will host the NFL’s first streaming-exclusive playoff game, the Wild Card matchup on Saturday, Jan. 13. Much like Paramount+, there’s a cheaper Premium option ($5.99/month, $59.99/year) that includes these streaming games and an ad-free Premium Plus option ($11.99/month, $119.99/year) that also comes with live 24/7 access to your local NBC affiliate.

Subscribe here: Peacock

tony gonzalez charissa thompson ryan fitzpatrick andrew whitworth and richard sherman sitting on the set of prime video's thursday night football

(Left to right) Tony Gonzalez, Charissa Thompson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman on the set of Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football."

Alika Jenner/Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video

Since last year, Prime Video has been the exclusive streaming home for Thursday Night Football. The lineup of 16 regular season games starts on Sept. 14 with an NFC matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles. This year, the service will also host the league’s first Black Friday game, on Nov. 24, with the New York Jets and their new quarterback Aaron Rodgers facing off against the Miami Dolphins. A full Amazon Prime membership goes for $14.99 a month or $139 a year, but if you don’t care about getting all the shopping perks, you can subscribe to the standalone Prime Video service for only $8.99 a month.

Subscribe here: Amazon Prime Video

Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Hulu + Live TV

Hulu’s expansive Live TV package is less a streaming platform and more a full-on replacement for your cable service — with the price ($69.99/month with ads, $82.99/month without ads) and perks to match. When you sign up, you’ll be asked to enter your ZIP code, which unlocks a full lineup of local TV stations that you can watch live, just as you did with regular pre-cord-cutting television. That means you’ll have access to any games broadcast on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox or ESPN and will be subject to the usual regional restrictions and blackouts. Subscribers also have access to the NFL Network and its roster of shows like Good Morning Football and NFL Fantasy Live as well as ESPN+, while a monthly $9.99 Sports Add-On expands the offerings to include NFL RedZone, in case you can’t get enough of host Scott Hanson.

Subscribe here: Hulu + Live TV

espn's joe buck and troy aikman holding their microphones during their broadcast before the game between the dallas cowboys and tampa bay buccaneers

ESPN's Joe Buck and Troy Aikman during their broadcast before the matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

ESPN+

If you sign up for ESPN’s streaming service — either as a standalone for $9.99 a month or as a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for $12.99 a month — you’ll get access to select Monday Night Football games, beginning with the Bills taking on the Jets on Sept. 11. The lineup also includes a Jan. 15 Wild Card playoff game and a divisional title game later that month. ESPN+ is also the only place where you’ll be able to watch the NFL International Games matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons at London’s Wembley Stadium. It marks the 10th time the Jags will play a regular season “home” game across the pond, but you’ll have to get up early to catch it: The stream starts at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time.

Subscribe here: ESPN+

Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Sling TV

A budget option for cord-cutters, Sling TV offers a wide range of live streaming channels, with a catch. The service is divided into two bundles: Orange ($40/month), with 32 channels, includes ESPN; Blue ($40/month), with 42 channels, includes Fox and NBC. For the best of both worlds, you can combine them in the Orange + Blue package ($55/month) — not just for Bears and Broncos fans! — which means you’ll be able to stream local games on Fox, Sunday Night Football on NBC and Monday Night Football on ESPN. Note that CBS is not a part of Sling, so if you’re partial to the AFC (which still dominates the network’s Sunday-afternoon scheduling), you may want to bolster your subscription with an extra Paramount+ plan.

Subscribe here: Sling TV

Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

YouTube TV

When it debuted in 1994, NFL Sunday Ticket was a revolutionary sports package that allowed football fans to watch any out-of-market regular season games that weren’t available on their local station. For its first 29 years in existence, it lived on DirecTV and remained one of the major reasons for Americans to subscribe to the satellite service. This September, NFL Sunday Ticket made its big move to YouTube TV, where it costs $349 annually (or an extra $40 if you add on NFL RedZone) on top of the usual $73 per month YouTube TV base plan. If you only want the NFL games without the other channels offered by YouTube TV, you can opt for a $449 annual deal that only includes NFL Sunday Ticket, or a $489 annual deal that also includes NFL RedZone. Through Sept. 19, all packages come with a $50 discount.

NFL Sunday Ticket offers a cool new feature called "multiview": you can watch up to four games at a time. You don’t get to choose the four; the service curates a menu of games you can choose from.

Subscribe here: YouTube TV

Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

FuboTV

Originally launched in 2015 as a soccer-forward streaming service, FuboTV now functions like Sling TV and YouTube TV — as an all-in-one spot for streaming hundreds of channels. It starts at $74.99 per month, with an upgraded $99.99 Ultimate plan that includes NFL RedZone. The basic plan will get you access to all the big players here, including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network, meaning that you’ll basically only be missing out-of-market matchups and Thursday Night Football games (which you’ll have access to anyway if you’re a regular old Prime user).

Subscribe here: FuboTV

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Nicholas DeRenzo is a contributing writer who covers entertainment and travel. Previously he was executive editor of United Airlines’ Hemispheres magazine and his work has appeared in the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, Sunset and New York magazine.