The fields are chalked and painted. The goalposts are anchored. All footballs are properly inflated. The 2023 NFL season is finally here, as the regular season begins on Thursday, Sept. 7 when the Detroit Lions face the Kansas City Chiefs on Peacock and NBC.
Hulu + Live TV customers will definitely be able to tune in with their subscription. Hulu + Live TV carries ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC in most markets, as well as NFL Network and ESPN. That means users can stream all games headed to broadcast or cable channels this season, as well as Disney+ and ESPN+ free! The Disney Bundle is included in the $69.99 monthly price for Hulu + Live TV, though that price is set to rise to $76.99 in October.
If you’d rather avoid that price increase, there are several other live TV streaming services that will carry the 2023 NFL season. Compare them below to see which will be a good fit for you!
Best Ways to Stream the 2023 NFL Season
Top Pick: DIRECTV STREAM
- Carries broadcast channels in most markets, plus a wide selection of cable channels
- NFL Network and NFL RedZone are available
- Five-day free trial
Top Alternative: Fubo
- Seven-day free trial
- All necessary channels included
- Big selection of other sports networks available
How to Stream the 2023 NFL Season
DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Sling TV, and YouTube TV are the four live TV services other than Hulu + Live TV that will carry live NFL games in 2023. Those choices might seem confusing to distinguish between, especially as each service will have its own distinct plusses and minuses. But we break it all down for you so you can make the right choice for you, keep scrolling for more information.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Sign Up | |||
| $86.99 | $94.99 | $82.99 | $28 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Fox | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NFL Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Top Pick for Streaming 2023 NFL Season: DIRECTV STREAM
Our No. 1 overall pick for watching the 2023 NFL season is DIRECTV STREAM. Plans start at $74.99 with no extra equipment or hidden fees, and the service offers a five-day free trial to new customers. DIRECTV STREAM also carries more of the highest-demand cable channels than any other service.
DIRECTV STREAM added both NFL Network and NFL RedZone to its channel lineup this offseason. NFL Network comes standard in the base plan for users of the Choice package and above, or users can subscribe to the Entertainment plan and snag the Sports add-on pack to get NFL Network and RedZone in addition to their wide selection of cable channels. A carriage dispute with Nexstar may have affected local channels on DIRECTV STREAM in your area, so check here to see if you’ll experience any outages.
Best Alternative for Sports Lovers: Fubo
Fubo is a great way to watch the NFL season, as NFL Network is included in its lowest-priced plan. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, after which plans start at $85.98. It’s a little pricier than DIRECTV STREAM, but the cost includes a regional sports network (RSN) fee, so fans can watch their in-market NBA or NHL teams in addition to the football season. Fubo also carries top college sports channels like SEC Network, so users will be able to see NCAA football in addition to the NFL this year.
Best Pick for Users on a Tight Budget: Sling TV with Paramount+
Sling TV is offering new customers what it calls the “Season Pass” to start the football season, which gives access to all the channels on Sling Orange and Sling Blue, plus the Sports Extra add-on pack for a total of $275 for five months (a savings of more than 20%).
There are two tricks with Sling. First, users will want to make sure they get Fox, ABC, and NBC in their markets before signing up. Second, the service does not offer CBS anywhere, but users can subscribe to Paramount+ Essential for $5.99 per month to stream locally-broadcast NFL games from CBS live. Even when combined with Sling’s Season Pass, the price is lower than any other option available.
Last Option to Stream 2023 NFL Season: YouTube TV
YouTube TV will be home to NFL Sunday Ticket for the first time this season, so fans are logical in thinking it’ll be a good place to watch in-market NFL contests as well. YouTube TV does carry ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, NFL Network, and ESPN in most markets, and prices start at $72.99.
What YouTube TV doesn’t have is free streaming services included in the subscription price, nor does it offer the same free trial to all new users. You can certainly stream the 2023 NFL season on YouTube TV, it’s just not the best option available in our opinion.