Are you a fan of American football? If so, NFL Network will be your best option for watching your favorite games without cable. In addition, to live sports coverage and math analysis, the network broadcasts documentaries.
Getting rid of cable does not mean you have to give up watching football. We have outlined several ways to keep up with the NFL season, so prepare to get back on the field by watching from the comfort of your couch or on the go.
What’s more? The NFL and Yahoo Sports apps allow you to watch all your local games for free on your mobile device.
We’ll show you all your options for streaming the NFL Network live online with and without cable.
Sling TV
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How to Watch NFL Network Stream Without Cable
In 2003, NFL Network was created as a cable channel that provided 24/7 NFL coverage, game and player analysis, and documentary shows. Watching all your favorite NFL games has never been easier. It contains almost everything about the NFL.
As NFL Network has ceased to be broadcast over the air, it cannot be received with a TV antenna. Better yet, you can start with a smart TV and third-party streaming services to get NFL coverage.
You will get NFL Network on most digital TV streaming services such as FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, and more. But the network is not available via AT&T TV.
You’ll need an internet connection and a subscription to a streaming service that includes NFL Network stream into your smart TV or mobile device. You are good to go once you subscribe to the streaming service.
NFL Network Streaming Services
You are probably trying to figure out how to watch NFL Network streaming online without cable as you prepare for the upcoming NFL season.
Several streaming services offer access to the NFL Network, including many available channels for free, by taking advantage of the free-trial period.
The following are the best streaming services with NFL Network.
fuboTV
When it comes to sports streaming, FuboTV is a top option. It costs just $64.99/month to stream NFL Network live as well as CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC, which also feature most NFL games.
With FuboTV’s starter quarterly plan, you’ll have access to more than 100 channels, including 35+ sports channels. You’ll also get access to all network affiliates in most areas. This package allows you to watch up to three devices/TVs simultaneously, and it also provides a cloud DVR with 250 hours of storage.
FuboTV offers a Sports Plus plan with NFL RedZone for only $10.99 per month. You can use the add-on to access NFL Redzone plus 25+ channels such as NHL Network, NBA TV, and MLB Network.
Vidgo
Vidgo is a streaming service that is relatively new on the market. You can subscribe for $55 per month and get NFL Network, ESPN, and FOX.
The only missing channels are CBS, which broadcasts two games every Sunday, and NBC, which broadcasts Sunday Night Football.
Despite these limitations, Vidgo does offer the NFL Red Zone.
Vidgo doesn’t have a built-in DVR, so those who wish to record NFL games will have to install their own. For new Vidgo customers, there is a special promotion where they have to pay only $10 per month with no further obligation.
Hulu + Live TV
There was a time when this streaming service didn’t offer NFL Network. However, it’s now available on Hulu + Live TV since the start of the 2021 season. You can watch the NFL live on their 85+ live streaming channels, including CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC.
Hulu + Live TV costs $69.99/month and features a free 7-day trial.
For an additional $9.99/month, Hulu offers NFL RedZone. The package includes several other channels, like those dedicated to horse racing (TVG, TVG2), motorsports (MAVTV), and hunting (Sportsman Channel, Outdoor Channel).
Sling TV
It costs $35/month to subscribe to Sling Blue, a plan with NFL Network and more than 40 other channels. NBC, which broadcasts Sunday Night Football, and FOX, which broadcasts two games each Sunday, are also included in the package.
With the Blue/Orange plan for $50/month, you can also get ESPN.
The Sling TV streaming platform supports the integration of an antenna. You can receive an antenna for free if you sign up two months in advance. Your local affiliates, including CBS, should all be covered under one low-cost plan.
You can watch Sling TV on up to three devices at once, and you can store 50 hours of DVR content in the cloud. Sling TV will let you stream for just $10 a month if you’re unsure about it.
DTV STREAM
It has over 140 channels, including live local sports and news that you can watch. The least expensive package costs $69.99 per month.
You can watch a good deal of NFL with DTV Stream, as it offers local affiliates like ESPN and FS1 but doesn’t offer NFL Network. However, it provides NFL Network Alternate HD on Channel 212.
With unlimited in-home streaming, you can watch on any screen, big or small. You can also watch your TV from anywhere with the DIRECTV STREAM app.
A $10/month subscription includes unlimited cloud DVR storage. You can view your recordings on the DIRECTV STREAM app.
Philo
You can subscribe to Philo for just $25/month and enjoy top-rated channels. To test it out, you can sign up for a free trial of 7 days.
The NFL Network isn’t available on Philo, but it does offer all the college football action.
No matter where you are, you can watch Philo on any device. Browse the library of on-demand content, watch live shows, or save unlimited shows for later. It also provides one year of free DVR storage.
Philo allows you to stream on three devices simultaneously, and you can create up to ten user profiles so that each user can create a profile with their own watch history.
YouTube
It costs $54.99 for the first three months to subscribe to YouTube TV with 85 channels; after that, it costs $64.99/month. It offers 3 simultaneous streams and is the only DVR with unlimited storage.
NFL Network is included with YouTube TV’s package. As part of their Sports Plus package, the service will also offer NFL Redzone for $10.99 a month as an add-on.
Thanks to the local affiliates like CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN, you can watch the NFL without cable with YouTube TV.
It offers a 14-day free trial before you commit to a plan.
What channel is NFL Network on
If you know how to find the best channels, you can watch NFL on cable television. This is for those football fans who enjoy watching their games on their couch or at their favorite local bar.
Read on to find out which channel the NFL Network is on.
What channel is NFL Network on DirecTV
DirecTV does not offer NFL Network directly. You will have to take advantage of the NFL Network Alternate HD available through channel 212 on DirecTV. If you wish to watch the NFL, DIRECTV has you covered. You can choose from ESPN, FS1, CBS, NBC, and FOX, as well as NFL SUNDAY TICKET.
DirecTV offers live streaming of out-of-market games every Sunday afternoon with its NFL SUNDAY TICKET package. Stream all the action live from the sidelines on your phone, tablet, laptop, TV, or game console using the NFL SUNDAY TICKET app. It costs $69.99 per month for the first three months and $79.99 after that and offers access to more than 185 channels.
What channel is NFL Network on Dish Network
The NFL Network is a football channel available on DISH TV on channel 154. With 190+ channels and $84.99 per month, AMERICA’S TOP 120 plus is the least expensive package you can use to access NFL Network. Football fans can watch Thursday Night Football, NFL Draft, and 4,000+ hours of historical footage and coverage of the Arena Football League.
What channel is NFL Network on Verizon Fios
The NFL Network is now available online to Verizon FiOS TV customers, who can watch their favorite professional football teams. Tune into channel 88/588 (HD) on Verizon Fios to access NFL Network. The least expensive package includes 125+ channels for $65 per month. With a broadband connection, you can watch NFL Network and NFL RedZone programming online from anywhere in the U.S.
What channel is NFL Network on Xfinity
It’s also possible to stream the NFL network on Xfinity, but the channel number varies with the area code. You can purchase the Xfinity X1 package for $7.50 per month to watch your favorite sports, including the NFL. With the Xfinity Stream app, you can watch your favorite networks on any device and enjoy DVR with about 500 GB of cloud storage.
What channel is NFL Network on Spectrum
Spectrum channel numbers for NFL Network vary by area code, as they do for Xfinity. You can access NFL Network as well as CBS, NBC, FOX, and ESPN with its TV Silver package, which costs $79.99 per month for 175+ channels. Furthermore, Spectrum TV offers ESPN1, ESPN2, Fox Sports, SEC Extra, SEC Network, and MotorTrend. Spectrum TV offers a wide array of sports channels.
Other Ways to Get NFL Network
NFL Network is also available on other platforms:
- NFL App: This app requires you to log in with your streaming service details to enable live streaming of the NFL Network.
- YouTube TV: This is a streaming service that covers the NFL, including the NFL Network as part of its overall coverage.
TVs and Devices to Watch NFL Network Streaming
A vast majority of devices available can connect to the streaming services we’ve highlighted.
Here is a summary:
- All services are compatible with Android TV-based smart TVs.
- Most streaming services support standard TV devices such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast.
- Vidgo is the only one that does not support Samsung and LG smart TVs.
- Sling TV, Hulu, and FuboTV all support the Xbox One.
- Sling TV also supports Oculus.
- Hulu can also play on a PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch.
- FuboTV supports Hisense smart TVs.
- Lastly, all streaming services support major web browsers and can often be connected to televisions.
NFL Network on YouTube
It’s important to note that YouTube is different from YouTube TV (requires a subscription to view content).
However, you can watch the NFL Network streaming and the NFL’s official YouTube channels, which both have plenty of content. Besides watching clips from past games, you can also view exclusive postgame interviews and videos from NFL Network. There are even free online replays of past Super Bowls.
YouTube does not carry live coverage of NFL games, but it provides plenty of content with no charge for NFL fans.
What is on the NFL Network Programming?
I bet you’re wondering what NFL Network has to offer? Don’t worry. Here is everything you need to know about the network’s programming.
Thursday Night Football
On Thursday evenings, beginning in mid-November before the 2012 season, the NFL Network aired primetime games. In the 2012 season, the network started broadcasting one live Thursday night game from week 2-5 (except for Thanksgiving Day). The network also aired one live Saturday night game on Week 16.
All NFL teams are now guaranteed to appear in at least one timeslot-exclusive national telecast every week. It could be a 9:30 a.m. ET London game, a Thanksgiving game, or a Monday, Thursday, Sunday Night contest.
Like ESPN, the NFL Network broadcasts Monday Night Football games, but it’s designed for broadcasting in the primary markets of the participating teams. However, it was only allowed to broadcast those games if tickets were sold out 72 hours beforehand, and that was before the blackout rule was suspended in 2015.
Preseason games
NFL Network broadcasts each August all 65+ preseason games of the NFL. While some of these game contests air live, many use tape-delay formats and utilize one of the participating teams’ local broadcasts due to time restrictions.
However, both participating teams’ home markets are blacked out from NFL Network’s live preseason game broadcasts because the games are broadcast on local stations. A different preseason game or a past game is shown instead as an NFL Network alternate feed in such a scenario.
NFL Network televised a few preseason games before 2014 as special episodes of Thursday Night Football.
Out-of-market games
On Thursday nights, the NFL Network broadcasts some games from out-of-market. Several weekend games will be available, although there will be no Monday Night Football games since those air directly on ESPN.
Postseason coverage
NFL Network doesn’t live broadcast any postseason games. However, you might be able to see them on ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX, depending on where you live. An OTA antenna can be used to watch these postseason games for free.
During the entire NFL postseason, NFL Network has plenty of streaming coverage, such as NFL Fantasy Live and NFL Total Access. These shows allow NFL fans to view commentary from famous sports personalities, coaches, and past players.
Super Bowl Coverage
The NFL Network doesn’t televise the Super Bowl event, but you can catch “The Big Game” on NBC or FOX. Despite this, the network provides great pre-game coverage leading up to the Super Bowl. This includes season highlights, exclusive interviews, talk shows, and more.
NFL Draft
NFL Draft coverage is exclusively available on the NFL Network. It focuses a large part of its coverage on NFL draft predictions and expectations after the Super Bowl and postseason. Also featured are discussions concerning the league’s past and future seasons.
NFL RedZone Channel
On Sundays during the regular season, the NFL RedZone channel broadcasts from 1:00 p.m. through 8:00 p.m. (ET). All CBS and Fox games airing Sunday afternoon are covered, and Scott Hanson hosts the coverage.
The Red Zone channel on NFL Sunday Ticket is entirely different and separate from this.
When a team enters the red zone, the channel switches full-screen to the game’s live broadcast. It attempts to cover any possible scoring results like field goals or touchdowns.
The NFL Network began replaying one week of NFL RedZone each Sunday during the offseason starting in 2016.
International distribution
Canada
Canadian television providers were authorized to distribute NFL Network in 2004 by the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission). However, the feed distributed in Canada does not show Thursday Night Football live to protect local rightsholders CTV 2 and TSN. With the NFL Game Pass launch in 2017, NFL Network became available through DAZN.
United Kingdom
According to reports, in 2008, the United Kingdom would also have access to the network. Sky Sports NFL began in September 2020 as Sky Sports celebrated 25 years of live NFL coverage.
Germany
NFL Network and NFL RedZone are now available through German IPTV provider DAZN since the 2017 season.
What Isn't on the NFL Network?
Despite excellent coverage of out-of-market games by NFL Network and NFL RedZone, both channels aren’t comprehensive as they could be. Here are the NFL Network’s omissions.
Local games, playoffs, and the Super Bowl
NFL Network does not broadcast the Super Bowl, playoffs, or local games. Nevertheless, CBS/FOX/NBC/ABC affiliate stations are the best channels to watch these omissions. An indoor TV antenna such as Mohu Leaf 30 can also be used in major cities to pick up FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC broadcasts. The RCA Compact Yagi Outdoor Antenna, a bigger outdoor antenna, may be necessary if you live far away from your local TV stations.
FAQs
What shows are on NFL Network?
There are many programs and shows on NFL Network, besides Thursday Night Football. A wide variety of programs are available, including news, classic games, documentaries, and draft specials. Among the original shows on NFL Network are America’s Game, Good Morning Football, and A Football Life. Is it NFL off-season or not? It doesn’t matter; there are many exciting shows to watch via the network.
Can I watch the NFL Network Stream for free?
No, since there is no free access to the NFL Network. And access requires payment, regardless of whether you subscribe to a streaming service or even have a cable subscription. However, there is no additional charge to watch NFL Network through any of the above streaming services, as it is included in the packages.
Is NFL Network available on Amazon Prime?
Some Thursday Night Football games were aired on Amazon Prime in previous seasons, such as 2021. Despite not offering NFL Network, Amazon Prime will air Thursday Night Football in 2022 and beyond.
How to Watch NFL Network on Amazon Fire TV?
YouTube TV, Sling TV, fuboTV, or Hulu with Live TV can all be used on Amazon Fire TV to watch NFL Network. All you have to do is start by downloading any of the four streaming services apps from the Amazon App Store. Then, install and login with your subscription credentials and enjoy watching NFL Network without cable via Amazon Fire TV.
How to Watch NFL Network on Roku?
Install the NFL Network channel from the Roku channel store, sign in or register, and watch via Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, or fuboTV.
How to Watch NFL Network on Apple TV?
If you do not have cable and want to stream NFL Network on Apple TV, you can use YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, or fuboTV. After you have subscribed to any of these streaming services, visit the App Store on your Apple TV and install one of these apps. Log in with your credentials to watch NFL Network.
How Can I Watch NFL Network on DAZN?
DAZN lets you watch every NFL game live, so you’ll never miss an interception, a field goal, or a touchdown. You can access the NFL Network 24/7 by subscribing to NFL Game Pass on the DAZN Network. What’s more? It also offers NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone. You can watch NFL Network on any streaming device with the DAZN app.
How can I watch sports on channels other than NFL Network without cable?
Without cable, you can watch a wide variety of sports on different channels. Most digital streaming services offer almost all sporting events. Their official mobile apps can also view sporting events on many streaming devices like smartphones, laptops, Roku, Smart TVs, etc. Streaming your favorite sports is as simple as searching for the relevant channels.
Wrapping Up
Are you wondering how to watch NFL Network stream live if you cut the cord? Currently, there are many options available, and they seem to be increasing each season. As you read this article about how to stream NFL Network without cable, we suggest you start with the above recommendations. From the preseason to the Super Bowl, you’ll be able to watch all the NFL action with fuboTV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, or Vidgo. There’s nothing quite satisfying like that electric feeling you get when watching a touchdown!