Which Live Streamer Should You Choose to Watch the NFL? Pros and Cons for Each Provider
Want to watch the NFL without cable? You have lots of options and each has benefits and drawbacks. If you’re trying to decide, follow along and we’ll explain what you need to know. First, be sure to read our 2023 NFL overview to be sure you know what services you may need and why.
Remember that there will be exclusive games on Amazon Prime Video, ESPN+, and Peacock, but for the purposes of this article, we’re just focusing on the live broadcast channels that will host games: ABC, CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, NFL Network, and NFL RedZone.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get $10 Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Fox | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NFL Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NFL RedZone | + $15 | + $11 | + $10 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | |
Once you’ve decided you need a live TV provider, here’s how to make the choice.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is always one of our top choices because it has nearly every cable channel you could possibly want. While the service did lose NFL Sunday Ticket this year, it did add NFL RedZone.
Right now, DIRECTV STREAM is giving away a $400 Visa gift card to watch Sunday Ticket on YouTube as long as you sign up for a 2-year DIRECTV plan.
PROS
- 5-day free trial
- Best channel lineup in streaming
- Can stream on 20 devices at once
- Unlimited DVR
- Option to add lots of regional sports networks
CONS
- Fight with Nexstar means some networks are not available in all areas.
- Most expensive option for NFL Network
- No 4K options
How to Get $400 Visa Gift Card from DIRECTV
- Click here to sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket. Make sure you choose a plan that does not include YouTube TV.
- Save your proof of purchase.
- Click here to choose from standard DIRECTV plans.
- Sign up for a two-year contract with DIRECTV, then submit your proof of NFL Sunday Ticket purchase within three billing cycles to get a $400 Visa gift card.
Sling TV
If you’re looking to save money, Sling TV is our go-to streamer. You can flex your package to meet your needs, making this the cheapest way to stream channels like ESPN and NFL RedZone. If you’re willing to sign up for a 5-month package, you can even save 22% over their already-low prices. This option becomes even better if you have an antenna, since you can use Sling for the cable channels and just watch the networks over the air.
PROS
- Save 50% on your first month
- Maximum flexibility on channel packages
- Cheapest way to get NFL RedZone
CONS
- No access to CBS, but users could just get Paramount+ to solve that
- Access to ABC, NBC, and FOX limited to a few markets
- DVR limited to 50 hours unless you pay more
- No free trial
- No 4K options
How to Get Sling’s Season Pass and Save Big on Football Season
- Click here to get the deal.
- Enter the email and password you want to sign up with.
- Confirm which services you want.
- Enter your payment information and finish singing up.
Fubo
Fubo bills itself as a sports-lover’s paradise. Its smooth interface makes viewing a breeze. It’s another strong contender for your streaming dollar.
PROS
- 7-day free trial
- Option to watch 4K games
- Users can access multiview and stats on some devices
- DVR content does not expire
CONS
- Expensive, thanks to mandatory regional sports fee
- DVR is not unlimited (1,000 hours)
Hulu Live TV
If you love entertainment, Hulu Live TV is a great purchase because you’ll also get the Hulu on demand library, along with free ESPN+ and Disney+. ESPN+ means you’ll have a lot of extra football content to view when the games aren’t on. (The full “30 for 30” library and other documentaries are worth watching.) Hulu Live TV’s channel lineup is top-notch.
One thing to watch out for is the fact that Hulu Live TV is raising its prices in December.
PROS
- Excellent channel lineup
- Includes ESPN+ at no extra cost
- Unlimited DVR
CONS
- No free trial
- Frustrating user interface
- No 4K options
- Price increasing in October
YouTube TV
If you’re willing to fork over $349 or more, you can get NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV. That would give you access to every out-of-market game on Sunday afternoons. We prefer the less expensive and widely available NFL RedZone to catch all the best action in the league, but die-hard fans of one team will need Sunday Ticket if they want to watch full games of a team in another city.
YouTube TV is a nice live TV option since it does almost everything well, but it does lack some of the features we prefer on other live streamers.
PROS
- Only way to get NFL Sunday Ticket
- Excellent channel lineup
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Unlimited DVR
CONS
- 4K add-on is ridiculously expensive
- Sports Plus add-on has weak channels outside NFL RedZone
- Users report problems trying to watch out-of-home
Don’t Forget the Streaming Exclusive Games
Welcome to the most confusing NFL season in history. While you need ABC, CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, and NFL Network from one of the services above, there are also games that can only be viewed with a streaming provider.
If you want every game this year, you’ll also need Amazon Prime Video, ESPN+, and Peacock. Here’s the exclusive game breakdown.
| Service | Exclusive Games | Price | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video | Thursday Nights, Black Friday | $8.99 / month | 30-Day Free Trial |
| Peacock | Week 16 Bills vs. Chargers, Wild Card Playoff game | $5.99 / month | Sign Up |
| ESPN+ | Week 4 Falcons vs. Jaguars | $10.99 / month | Sign Up |
Is NFL+ the Best Option?
NFL+ is a great option if you’re a football fan. For the first time ever, you will be able to use it to watch both NFL RedZone and NFL Network on your TV. It may seem like the perfect option, but here’s why we don’t recommend it…
Since you need the premium tier of the service to get RedZone access and that costs $14.99 / month, there’s no real cost savings if you also want to want to watch Sunday Night Football (NBC or Peacock) or Monday Night Football (ESPN). For that, you’d need one of the live TV providers above. So you’d probably prefer to have RedZone and NFL Network available with all your other channels.
NFL+ does provide access to your live local and primetime games on your phone or tablet. With an NFL+ Premium subscription, you can watch replays of every single game without ads, condensed game replays, and coaches film. The service also allows fans to choose their audio stream (home, away, and national calls).
The service also allows users to watch out-of-market preseason games on any device. Users can also access NFL library programming ad-free.