The 2024 NFL season is in full swing. But if you still feel like you’re playing catch up trying to find the best way to watch all the games, you’re not alone. This year NFL games are airing across 10+ channels and streaming platforms. If you’re daunted by the challenge of following your favorite team through the upcoming season (or by the price tag attached to NFL Sunday Ticket), Yahoo Sports has you covered. In case you’re late to the football party this year, here’s your playbook for how to watch NFL games this year.
How to watch the 2024 NFL season:
Dates: Sept. 4, 2024 – Feb. 9, 2025
TV channels: ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network
Streaming: NFL+, Peacock, ESPN+, Prime Video, Paramount+
How to watch NFL games in 2024:
Many NFL preseason games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna) or finding a live TV streaming service that carries the correct RSN (Regional Sports Network). If you want to watch out-of-market games, a $5 monthly subscription to NFL+ will let you watch every out-of-market-game local and primetime game in the season (and preseason) on your phone — but only a select few games on your TV. You could also spring for the uber-expensive NFL Sunday Ticket package to get every out-of-market Sunday game of the season.
When it comes to nationally broadcast games, NFL games typically air across ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network. Thursday Night Football games stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, select football games will stream exclusively on Peacock, games on CBS will stream live on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and select games will stream on ESPN+ this season. That’s six channels and four streaming platforms to keep up with this season — and that’s not counting your local RSN’s for in-market games and an NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for out-of-market games. Plus, Netflix is currently in talks to become the exclusive spot to watch the NFL’s Christmas Day games this year.
Overwhelmed? You’re not alone. Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we recommend checking out ahead of the 2024 NFL season, so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV….
(Fubo)
Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC and 100+ more live channels. Starting at $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely pricey (but certainly not the most expensive option on this list), but offers nearly every channel you’ll need to watch both the NFL preseason and regular season, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage.
The platform also offers a free trial period, so you can catch some games risk-free. And right now, you can also get $20 off your first month of any Fubo tier after the free trial ends!
- Full package free trial available
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage
(DirecTV)
DirecTV Stream is currently offering its Entertainment tier (typically $109/month) plus one free month of DirecTV Sports Pack ($14.99/month) bundled together for $87.99/month (plus tax) for your first month. DirecTV Stream gets you access to all the usual football suspects: NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. The Sports Pack add-on will get you ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network and plenty of local RSNs. The best part is, currently you can try all this out free. So if you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service for football season, but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV Stream.
You’ll also get unlimited Cloud DVR storage included in whatever DirecTV package you choose.
- Full package free trial available
- Many local RSNs included
- Unlimited Cloud DVR
(YouTube)
YouTube TV gets you nearly every channel you’ll need for the 2024 NFL season, including Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, ESPN and NFL Network. Plus, YouTube TV is the home of NFL Sunday Ticket this season! The Sunday Ticket package, while pricey on its own ($479.99/season), gets you ALL the Sunday out-of-market games (160+ games per season).
If you bundle Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV, you can get them both for $146.49/month for four months (that’s $586 for the season). Now, you’ll have to keep paying for YouTube TV to keep your access to NFL Sunday Ticket package. Right now, you can get your first three months of YouTube TV for $52.99/month for your first four months. The cost then hikes up to $72.99/month.
Another pro to this option, YouTube will throw in four months of Max with the YouTube TV + NFL Sunday Ticket bundle.
One thing to note, YouTube TV livestreams have a tendency to run on a slight delay, which isn’t great if you’re trying to keep up with the live game down to the exact second.
- Offers NFL Sunday Ticket bundle
- Offers almost every channel you need for NFL games
- Cost
- Locked in for the entire year if you bundle Sunday Ticket
A basic $6.99 per month (or $40 annually) NFL+ subscription will get you live local and primetime regular season NFL games exclusively on your phone or tablet, plus live audio for every game of the season across supported devices and access to NFL Network. NFL+ Premium, while a little pricier at $14.99 per month (or $80 annually) also includes access to NFL RedZone, plus full and condensed replays of every game across supported devices. NFL+ also offers a 7-day free trial.
- Can only watch MOST live games on your phone
(Peacock)
Starting at $8/month, a Peacock subscription will get you access to some exclusive games. Plus, get NFL games on NBC, select college football games, Premier League matches, and access thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office. For $14 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
(Paramount)
Paramount+ offers subscribers access to NFL games on CBS. Plus, the platform is great for fans of Champions League soccer, Star Trek, Survivor, The Challenge and so much more.
Unlike a lot of other streaming services these days, Paramount+ still offers a one-week free trial — so new subscribers can sign up to watch this weekend and check out the rest of the Paramount+ library totally free for seven days.
(Amazon)
Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games. On top of Amazon Prime Video, an Amazon Prime subscription includes free shipping, exclusive deals, access to the Prime Day 2024 sale event, Amazon Music, a year of free GrubHub+ and more. A standard Amazon Prime subscription is $15 monthly or $139 annually, but discounts are available for students and those on qualified government assistance. You can try Amazon Prime free for 30 days.
- You probably already have access to Prime Video
- Only Thursday Night Football games
Channel Master
Wait, a flat TV antenna? Aren’t these things supposed to have long, telescoping metal rods (aka rabbit ears)? Nope, this new design (which you’ll see in countless other brands) works just as well, and it’s not meant to sit atop your TV. Rather, you mount it on a wall or window using included sticky pads, with either the black or white side facing in to better match your décor.
The aptly named Flatenna really is flat like a piece of paper. You just screw one end of the 12-foot cord into the bottom and the other end into your TV’s coax input. (Yes, that does mean there’s an ugly cord running down your wall; consider a raceway kit like this to help conceal it.)
Channel Master promises range of up to 35 miles, but of course that depends on a variety of factors. As noted above, optimal placement — as high and unobstructed as possible — makes all the difference.
The big news here is price: At just $29, the Flatenna is quite affordable and a good place to start your antenna journey — assuming you’re OK with a black or white rectangle stuck to your wall or window.
To recap, here’s all the ways you can watch NFL games in 2024.
