How to Stream 2021 NFL Games & NFL RedZone Live Online For Free (or Cheap) on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, & Mobile
See our guide to the 2024 NFL Season here!
Are you ready for some football? The 2021 NFL season is finally here — and over the past 12 months it’s become even easier to watch your favorite NFL team even if you’ve cut the cord.
With games this season on CBS, NBC, FOX, NFL Network, ESPN, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, and Peacock — you have multiple ways to stream NFL action online.
Our Picks
Top Pick
Hulu + Live TV
- CBS, FOX, & NBC
- ESPN
- NFL Network
- Disney+ & ESPN+ (+$7)
- NFL RedZone (+$10)
Get $30 OFF your first month of Hulu Live TV! (Deal ends 9/11)
Budget Pick
Sling TV “Blue” Plan
- NBC & FOX (in select markets)
- NFL Network
- ESPN (+$15)
- NFL RedZone (+$11)
Limited Time: Get 50% OFF Your First Month of Sling TV
What’s New Since Last NFL Season?
Over the past few seasons, the NFL made a lot of changes — most notably allowing you stream local and nationally televised games on your mobile device for free using the Yahoo! Sports or NFL Apps. Also, they removed the restriction, so you could use your Live TV Streaming Service to watch games on mobile.
While there are fewer changes going into the 2021 season, these are the biggest.
Changes For 2021 NFL Season
- Live Streaming Services have added hundreds of local affiliates so won’t miss local games
- Hulu + Live TV now offers NFL Network as part of their base plan, and NFL RedZone as part of their Sports Add-On
- CBS All Access is now Paramount+ and include you local NFL on CBS Games on their new $4.99 Essentials Plan
- NFL Sunday Ticket Online stills starts at $300 and is still restricted to living in an apartment or dorm, but they still offer a Student Plan ($120) and added a Recent Grad Plan for $100 discount on the main plan.
Ways to Watch the NFL Games without Cable
1. Subscribe to a Live TV Streaming Service
There are six major streaming providers that offer Live TV Streaming. These allow you to watch games live using Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, and Web.
This is the best option for fans that want to watch local in-market games, as well as nationally televised games on cable networks like ESPN, NFL Network, and NFL RedZone.
Our Picks
Top Pick
Hulu + Live TV
- CBS, FOX, & NBC
- ESPN
- NFL Network
- NFL RedZone (+$10)
Get $30 OFF your first month of Hulu Live TV! (Deal ends 9/11)
Budget Pick
Sling TV “Blue” Plan
- NBC & FOX (in select markets)
- NFL Network
- ESPN (+$15)
- NFL RedZone (+$11)
Limited Time: Get 50% OFF Your First Month of Sling TV
Hulu Live TV ($64.99) added NFL Network to their base plan, while including NFL RedZone as part of their $10 Sports Add-on. They offer all the NFL coverage you will need to with CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN.
For a limited time, you can get your first three months for $54.99 ($10 OFF), after a 7-Day Free Trial.
Get $30 OFF your first month of Hulu Live TV! (Deal ends 9/11)
Sling TV is your best budget option to stream NFL games. With Sling Blue, you will get NBC and FOX (in select markets), along with NFL Network. You can add NFL RedZone for $11 as part of their “Sports Extra” pack.
For a limited time, you can get $25 OFF Sling Blue + NFL RedZone for just $12.
Limited Time: Get 50% OFF Your First Month of Sling TV
Similar to Hulu, fuboTV ($64.99) and YouTube TV offer CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, and NFL Network on their base plans. They also offer NFL RedZone ($11) as part of their Sports Plus add-on. You can get a 7-Day Free Trial.
Get Your First Month of Fubo for Only $64.99 (normally $95) after your Free Trial.
Vidgo offers ESPN, NFL Network, and NFL RedZone as part of their $54.99 plan, which is the cheapest of any service. However, they don’t carry CBS, NBC, and only offer FOX in select markets.
If you can do without NFL Network and NFL RedZone, DIRECTV STREAM includes CBS, NBC, FOX, and ESPN, for $69.99 a month. If you want your local RSN, including Bally Sports or YES Network, they are the only service that offers them as part of their $84.99 Choice Plan.
Choose $15 OFF each month for the first 2 months of Entertainment with Sports Pack or $20 OFF each month for the first 3 months of Choice or Ultimate.
DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Paramount+ | Sling TV | Vidgo | YouTube | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Sign Up | Sign Up | |||
$79.99 | $94.99 | $76.99 | $7.99 | $40 | $40 | $69.99 | $72.99 | ||
CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $5 | - | - | - | ✓ | |
Fox | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
NBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
ESPN | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
NFL Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
NFL RedZone | + $15 | + $11 | + $10 | - | - | + $11 | + $15 | + $11 |
All Live Streaming Options
You can also stream the NFL games with fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, AT&T TV, and YouTube TV.
fuboTV
Price: $64.99
Includes: CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone (+$11)
Get Your First Month of Fubo for Only $64.99 (normally $95) after your Free Trial.
Hulu Live TV
Price: $64.99
Includes: CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone (+$10)
Get $30 OFF your first month of Hulu Live TV! (Deal ends 9/11)
Sling TV Blue Plan
Price: $35
Includes: FOX, NBC, NFL Network, ESPN (+$15), NFL RedZone (+$11)
FOX & NBC available in limited markets.
Limited Time: Get 50% OFF Your First Month of Sling TV
Vidgo
Price: $55
Includes: FOX, ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone
FOX is available in select markets
YouTube TV
Price: $64.99
Includes: CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone (+$11)
Can I Watch My Favorite NFL Team?
The different services have spent the year adding hundreds of affiliates so that you can watch your local CBS, NBC, and FOX network.
Unfortunately, not every service carries every local channel. We made a handy chart to show you which teams are available on each service.
Click on the team name to see the full schedule and which games you’ll be able to watch with each provider.
TBD
2. Subscribe to Paramount+ for NFL on CBS
This year, CBS All Access become Paramount+, which also saw the service drop in price for their base plan. Paramount+ entry-level plan, which is now $4.99 a month (was $5.99), no longer includes your local CBS affiliate, but it does include all NFL on CBS action in your local market.
If you are a fan of an AFC team, this will be the cheapest option to get 60-70% of your team’s games. With their Premium Plan ($9.99 a month), you will still get access to your live local CBS affiliate, in you want to access your local news.
This is the cheapest option if you want to stream on your streaming player or Smart TV.
For a limited time, get 50% off a year of Paramount+ with Code: FALL50. (Free trial not available with this deal.)
3. Subscribe to Amazon Prime for Thursday Night Football
Amazon won the rights to 11 Thursday Night Football games this season. If you’re a Prime subscriber ($119/year or $49 if you’re a student), you’ll be able to watch for free. If not, Amazon will be streaming the games for free on Twitch.TV.
None of these games are not exclusive, so if you get FOX or NFL Network through another service — you will be able to watch these games on those as well. However, Prime Video will become the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, starting in 2022.
4. Subscribe to Peacock to Stream Sunday Night Football
Starting this season, Peacock will simulcast all Sunday Night Football games on NBC. This includes the 2021 NFL Kickoff game on Thursday, September 8th between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys.
To stream Sunday Night Football, you will need Peacock Premium, which costs $4.99 a month. Peacock will also launch a virtual NFL channel highlighting classic games and content from NFL Films.
5. Subscribe to SUNDAYTICKET.TV to Watch Out-of-Market games
If you’ve moved away from your favorite team, you may be able subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket’s out-of-market package online. While you won’t get games that are airing live in your local market, you will get access to nearly every out-of-market game - even on your mobile device.
Not everyone can subscribe though. To be eligible, you have to live in an apartment or dorm that can’t get DirecTV. Either way at about $300 a season for games, and $400 if you also want NFL RedZone, it’s one of the more expensive options, but it is the only option to watch out-of-market games without cable.
Fortunately, if you’re a student they have an insane deal. Once you validate your student ID, you will be able to subscribe for $120 for the entire season. They also this season added a recent grad plan, which will get you $100 off their TO GO and MAX plans.
SUNDAYTICKET.TV
SUNDAYTICKET.TV for Students
6. Watch Local & National Games on Yahoo! & NFL Apps for Free
In 2018, Verizon acquired the rights to stream games on phones and tablets.
Any wireless customer can now stream locally televised CBS & FOX games, as well as all nationally televised NBC, ESPN, and NFL Network games on their smartphone or tablet for free.
The games will be available on the NFL App, NFL Fantasy Football, and Verizon-owned properties like Yahoo Sports, Yahoo! Fantasy Football, and AOL. They also have a “Watch Together” feature so you can “Zoom” the games and watch with your friends.
Unfortunately, the apps won’t let you stream the games on our TV — you’ll need a Live TV Streaming Service.
Yahoo! Sports
7. Listen Live and Watch Replays with NFL Game Pass
NFL Game Pass is a very different service though for U.S. streamers. For $99.99 a month, you can get a replay of every game including 45 minute condensed telecasts. They also provide additional feeds like “All-22” angel and Coaches Film.
During the preseason, you will also be able to stream all out-of-market games live, similar to NFL Sunday Ticket during the regular season.
They include a deep archive of NFL Films including previous seasons of Hard Knocks, A Football Life, and Mic’d Up.
But, one of the most useful features of the service is that you can stream Live Audio of games. So if you can’t catch the game on TV, you can still stream the radio broadcast from your mobile device.
If you travel Internationally, you will be able to use NFL Game Pass just like those customers abroad, meaning you’ll be able to stream live games.
You can get a NFL Game Pass for $99.99 for the entire season, after a 7-Day Free Trial.
NFL Game Pass
8. Watch NFL RedZone on Your Mobile Device
Two seasons ago, the NFL added the option to purchase NFL RedZone from the NFL App for mobile streaming. That service returns this season for the same $35 a season.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to AirPlay, Cast, or a streaming player like Roku, Fire TV, or Apple TV. In order to watch NFL RedZone on your TV without cable, you will need a Live TV Streaming Service.
Unlike in past years however, Verizon customers won’t get a discount on the service.
If you get NFL RedZone through your Live TV Streaming Service, you can authenticate the NFL App on mobile, tablet, or streaming player to stream in the NFL App.
Currently, with Sling Blue, you can get NFL RedZone, NFL Network, FOX (select markets), and NBC (select markets) for just $21 for your first month.
DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Sign Up | |||
$79.99 | $94.99 | $76.99 | $28 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
NFL RedZone | + $15 | + $11 | + $10 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 |
Get Your First Month of Fubo for Only $64.99 (normally $95) after your Free Trial.
Best Way to Watch Every NFL Team without Cable in 2021
We picked the best live TV streaming services for each NFL team so you won’t miss a single play. Don’t subscribe to one until you check your favorite team’s schedule.