How to Stream the 2018 NFL Preseason Online
While the NFL regular season does not kickoff until mid-September, the NFL preseason starts this Thursday with the Hall of Fame Game between the Chicago Bears vs. Baltimore Ravens.
There are now 6 providers fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, Playstation Vue, Sling TV, DIRECTV NOW, and YouTube TV that offer live TV online without cable. Once you subscribe, you will be able to stream both local and nationally television NFL preseason games on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon, Fire TV, Chromecast, iOS, and Android.
Using one of these services is the only way to watch all 65 NFL Preseason games without cable.
Which Streaming Service Should I Use for the 2018 NFL Preseason?
While there are a number of options, we suggest you use fuboTV. While you won’t get ESPN, you will get NFL Network, CBS, FOX, and NBC for $35 for your first month ($45 after that).
This means you’ll get the widest coverage of both local and nationally televised games for under $50.
Our Pick
fuboTV
You’ll get NFL Network, CBS, FOX, NBC, and NFL RedZone.
All Live Streaming Options
You can also stream the NFL Preseason with Hulu Live TV, Playstation Vue, Sling TV, DIRECTV NOW, and YouTube TV.
fuboTV
Price: $45
Includes: CBS, FOX, NBC, NFL Network, NFL RedZone (+$9)
Hulu Live TV
Price: $40
Includes: ESPN, CBS, FOX, NBC
Sling Blue
Price: $25
Includes: FOX, NBC, NFL Network, NFL RedZone (+$10), ESPN (must add Sling Orange +$15)
FOX is available in 17 markets.
PlayStation Vue
Price: $50
Includes: CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone (+$10)
DIRECTV NOW
Price: $55
Includes: CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, NFL Network
YouTube TV
Price: $40
Includes: CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN
How to Stream Nationally Televised NFL Preseason Games
There will be 23 nationally televised games this preseason — mostly on NFL Network, with 2 games on each of the NFL broadcast partners.
Nationally Televised Games
- NFL Network: 15 Games
- NBC: 2 Games
- CBS: 2 Games
- FOX: 2 Games
- ESPN: 2 Games
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| NFL Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Fox | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| NFL RedZone | + $15 | + $11 | + $10 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | |
NFL Preseason National TV Schedule
| Week | Date | Time | Game | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hall of Fame Game | 8/2/2018 | 8:00 PM | Chicago vs. Baltimore | NBC |
| Week 1 | 8/9/2018 | 7:00 PM | Cleveland @ N.Y. Giants | NFL Network |
| Week 1 | 8/9/2018 | 10:00 PM | Dallas @ San Francisco | NFL Network |
| Week 1 | 8/10/2018 | 7:30 PM | Atlanta @ N.Y. Jets | NFL Network |
| Week 1 | 8/10/2018 | 10:30 PM | Detroit @ Oakland | NFL Network |
| Week 1 | 8/11/2018 | 9:00 PM | Minnesota @ Denver | NFL Network |
| Week 2 | 8/16/2018 | 8:00 PM | N.Y. Jets @ Washington | ESPN |
| Week 2 | 8/17/2018 | 7:30 PM | Buffalo @ Cleveland | NFL Network |
| Week 2 | 8/18/2018 | 1:00 PM | Jacksonville @ Minnesota | NFL Network |
| Week 2 | 8/18/2018 | 4:00 PM | Oakland @ L.A. Rams | NFL Network |
| Week 2 | 8/18/2018 | 7:00 PM | Cincinnati @ Dallas | NFL Network |
| Week 2 | 8/18/2018 | 10:00 PM | Seattle @ L.A. Chargers | NFL Network |
| Week 3 | 8/20/2018 | 8:00 PM | Baltimore @ Indianapolis | ESPN |
| Week 3 | 8/23/2018 | 8:00 PM | Philadelphia @ Cleveland | FOX |
| Week 3 | 8/24/2018 | 8:00 PM | Detroit @ Tampa Bay | CBS |
| Week 3 | 8/24/2018 | 10:30 PM | Green Bay @ Oakland (JIP) | NFL Network |
| Week 3 | 8/25/2018 | 1:00 PM | Kansas City @ Chicago | NFL Network |
| Week 3 | 8/25/2018 | 4:00 PM | Tennessee @ Pittsburgh | NFL Network |
| Week 3 | 8/25/2018 | 8:00 PM | New Orleans @ L.A. Chargers | CBS |
| Week 3 | 8/26/2018 | 4:00 PM | Cincinnati @ Buffalo | FOX |
| Week 3 | 8/26/2018 | 8:00 PM | Arizona @ Dallas | NBC |
| Week 4 | 8/30/2018 | 7:00 PM | Cleveland @ Detroit | NFL Network |
| Week 4 | 8/30/2018 | 10:00 PM | Denver @ Arizona | NFL Network |
How to Stream Local NFL Preseason Games
During the Regular Season, AFC teams mostly air on CBS, while NFC teams mostly air on FOX. It’s slightly different during the preseason where each team partners with a local affiliate to air their preseason games.
Since each service offers a different set of local channels, we reviewed which service gets the most local games for each team.
| Team | Network | Games | DIRECTV | fuboTV | Hulu | PS Vue | Sling TV | YouTube |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | KPNX (NBC) | 3 | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| Atlanta Falcons | WUPA (CW) | 4 | • | • | • | • | ||
| Baltimore Ravens | WBAL (NBC) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Buffalo Bills | WKBW (ABC) | 3 | • | • | • | |||
| Carolina Panthers | Spectrum | 4 | ||||||
| Chicago Bears | WFLD (FOX) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| Cincinnati Bengals | TBA | |||||||
| Cleveland Browns | TBA | |||||||
| Dallas Cowboys | TBA | |||||||
| Denver Broncos | KUSA (NBC) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Detroit Lions | WJBK (FOX) | 3 | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| Green Bay Packers | PTV | 4 | ||||||
| Houston Texans | KTRK (ABC) | 4 | • | • | • | • | ||
| Indianapolis Colts | WXIN (FOX) | 3 | • | • | • | • | ||
| Jacksonville Jaguars | WFOX/WJAX (FOX/CBS) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | KCTV (CBS) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Los Angeles Chargers | KABC (ABC) | 3 | • | • | • | • | ||
| Los Angeles Rams | KCBS (CBS) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Miami Dolphins | WFOR (CBS) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Minnesota Vikings | KMSP (FOX) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| New England Patriots | WBZ (CBS) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| New Orleans Saints | WVUE (FOX) | 3 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| New York Giants | WNBC (NBC) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| New York Jets | WCBS (CBS) | 3 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Oakland Raiders | TBA | |||||||
| Philadelphia Eagles | WCAU (NBC) | 3 | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | KDKA (CBS) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| San Francisco 49ers | KPIX (CBS) | 4 | • | • | • | • | • | |
| Seattle Seahawks | KCPQ (FOX) | 4 | • | • | • | • | ||
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WFLA (NBC) | 3 | • | • | ||||
| Tennessee Titans | WKRN (ABC) | 4 | • | |||||
| Washington Redskins | WRC (NBC) | 3 | • | • | • | • | • | • |
How to Stream Out-of-Market NFL Preseason Games
NFL GamePass is an option for fans that live away from their favorite teams. While you won’t be able to watch telecasts airing in your local market, you will be able to watch all out-of-market preseason games (except the Raiders and 49ers).
During the regular season, you will be ale to watch all games on demand after they air, as well as live radio broadcast. If you want out-of-market regular season games, you’ll need NFL Sunday Ticket.
You can get a 7-Day Free Trial or $99.99 for the entire season.
Learn more by visiting NFL GamePass.
How to Watch the 2018 NFL Preseason for Free with an Antenna
Even if you don’t subscribe to a streaming service, you can still pick up local channels like CBS, FOX, and NBC with an antenna for free.
You will be able to watch 6 national telecasts and most local preseason telecasts for your favorite team.
Our Pick
We suggest the Mohu Leaf 30 (30-mile range) or Mohu Leaf 50 (60-mile range) depending on line of sight.
Mohu Leaf 30
Up to 30 Mile Range
Mohu Leaf 60
Up to 60 Mile Range
You can use TVFool’s “Free TV” tool to see how far each channel signal is from your address. If you live farther away, you might need to consider a higher-end roof mounted antenna ($60+).
NFL Preseason Streaming Schedule
TBD