How to watch NFL games: Channels & streaming options

The 2023 NFL season is just around the corner, with the road to Super Bowl LVIII set to kick off on September 7 as the Kansas City Chiefs get their championship defense underway against the Detroit Lions.

Millions of fans will be tuning in from around the world to watch one of the most popular sports leagues on the planet, but with a 272-game regular campaign set to be broadcast over cable TV, satellite TV, and streaming services, there have never been more ways to catch your favorite teams.

So grab your helmet, tighten your bootlaces, and allow GOAL to take you through the 2023 NFL season, including when and where to watch games live and on-demand, the pros and cons of each option, and just what will suit your viewing preferences.

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What are in-market games?

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In-market games refer to the matchups selected for localized regional broadcast during the NFL season. With a majority of regular season games played on Sunday afternoons, clashes frequently happen between fixtures, resulting in geographical separation by network broadcasters.

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These matches are near-exclusively shown by CBS or FOX, with the former typically broadcasting games including an AFC road team and the latter traditionally opting for fixtures including an NFC road team.

In-market games will be different across both networks, however, dependent on your location within the United States. Matches shown on your regional broadcast will typically involve a local team, or potentially a fixture with playoff implications for them.

You can watch in-market games on your regular network broadcast through CBS and Fox on Sunday afternoons.

What are out-of-market games?

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Out-of-market games refer to the matchups that are not selected for localized regional broadcast in your area during the NFL season. These are the remainder of the regular season games played on Sunday afternoons, which will not be broadcast on your local network.

These games typically will not be showcased on in-market broadcasts as they traditionally will have little in the way of localized interest for viewers. However, with the continued spread and growth of the game’s popularity, many find out-of-market games can often represent a more enjoyable watch.

However, as CBS and Fox will both still show these fixtures elsewhere in the country, it is possible to catch them on broadcast television instead of your nearest game through your local affiliate station with either network, providing you have an over-the-air (OTA) antenna, or through cable provider YouTube TV.

The latter has the NFL Sunday Pass this season, a package that allows viewers full coverage of every Sunday afternoon fixture broadcast over local networks across the country.

Where can I watch Monday Night Football?

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Monday Night Football is the brand name given by the NFL to matchups shown on a Monday night. Unlike Thursday Night Football and Sunday Night Football, it has a richer pedigree and history, stretching all the way back to the 1970 NFL season, effectively serving as an encore fixture to complete the weekly round.

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Originally broadcast on ABC, the program is now the near-exclusive property of sister cable channel ESPN, which also offer a number of additional shows built around it to form a larger football block.

These are spread out across additional channels within the service, such as ESPN2 and ESPN+, while an additional four games are also exclusively returned to ABC throughout the 2023 NFL season.

In addition, ESPN+ offers exclusive domestic coverage of the first of this season’s NFL International Games, with the Jacksonville Jaguars set to take on the Atlanta Falcons at London’s Wembley Stadium on October 1.

Where can I watch Thursday Night Football?

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Thursday Night Football is the brand name given by the NFL to matchups shown on a Thursday night. Since 2006, the league has typically played one fixture as a lead-in to the weekend’s wider action, effectively functioning as a mini-kick-off for each round.

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Historically broadcast by the NFL Network across a number of broadcast television providers, it has made a new permanent home with Amazon Prime Video starting from the 2022 season and is the streamer’s flagship program for football coverage.

As such, Prime Video is the near-exclusive home of Thursday Night Football for the 2023 NFL season, with some minor caveats. The streamer will not broadcast either week one - the Kickoff Game - or week twelve, with both fixtures instead covered by NBC.

However, Prime Video will broadcast a first for the league, with the inaugural Black Friday fixture between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins set to be played on November 24.

Where can I watch Sunday Night Football? 

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Sunday Night Football is the brand name given by the NFL to matchups shown on a Sunday night. Again, since 2006, the league has typically played one fixture as a close-out to the weekend’s wider action, effectively offering a capstone to each round.

Unlike Thursday Night Football, however, which has moved through broadcast networks and streamers throughout its run, Sunday Night Football has had a permanent home with NBC, and will return once again for the 2023 NFL season.

In addition, games will be available through the channel’s streaming service, Peacock, this coming campaign, with the majority of Sunday night fixtures set to be simulcast alongside their lineal broadcast on NBC.

Furthermore, NBC will also broadcast two non-Sunday night fixtures, in the Kickoff Game and a Thanksgiving clash, while Peacock will exclusively cover a week sixteen clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills a day before Christmas Eve.

What cable TV can I watch the NFL on?

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Cable television, which delivers programming to customers through fiber-optic cables, remains one of the most popular ways to watch the NFL, with the majority of packages available to consumers offering a wide variety of options for games.

Most cable providers, such as TNT, Spectrum, and Xfinity, will include access to NFL Network, which will broadcast a number of matches from the 2023 NFL season each week, while also allowing for access to local affiliates, which can help you catch out-of-market matchups, dependent on location.

The high costs associated with cable television, particularly in the streaming age, can make this something of a prohibitive option, but if you can find the right provider for a suitable price, you will be well covered for your NFL fix.

What satellite TV can I watch the NFL on?

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Satellite television, which delivers programming to customers through signals received via satellite dish, is also among the popular methods to watch the NFL, with the format allowing for wider coverage of matchups next to cable television options.

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Satellite providers such as DIRECTV and DISH will provide access to the majority of local networks for the 2023 NFL season, allowing for access to in-market and out-of-market fixtures. Additional packages will add more channels, such as ESPN.

As with cable, however, there are high costs associated with satellite television, so it is important to ensure that it is the right option for your NFL fix, as you don’t want to be forced to pay a higher price if you can afford it.

What streaming services can I watch the NFL on?

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Streaming services, which broadcast programming to consumers over the internet, are fast becoming the premier way for customers to catch NFL games, with its place as a growing option assisted by a large number of providers.

Numerous streaming providers are available, from those with specific broadcast packages, such as Prime Video and YouTube TV, to those who offer a more pick-and-mix approach, like Sling TV and Hulu Live TV.

Streamers are typically less expensive than cable or satellite television options but also come with the caveat that they may be more limited in their options, without necessarily offering the breadth of coverage dependent on the individual package.

What is NFL+ and the NFL App?

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For the ultimate experience in NFL coverage, the NFL+ Premium service - formerly known as the NFL Game Pass - offers near-unrivalled coverage from across the league across multiple devices.

It includes coverage of local and primetime regular season and playoff fixtures to be viewed on the go, on your phone and tablet, and through the NFL App. In addition, it also offers full and condensed replays of fixtures as well as live game audio for every match of the season.

For those who catch their sport when out and about, the NFL App is a must for the 2023 NFL season, additionally functioning as a one-stop shop for team news, league tables, fantasy football and more analytical features.

FAQs

How can I watch NFL games live?

You can watch NFL games live through either your local broadcaster, alongside cable, streaming, and satellite options, plus the NFL+ Premium service on the NFL App. 

How can I watch NFL on mobile and tablet?

You can watch NFL on your mobile and tablet through the NFL+ Premium service on the NFL App. In addition, you may be able to watch coverage of games broadcast by streamers such as Prime Video through their respective apps.

How can I watch NFL games on replay?

You can watch NFL games on replay on your mobile and tablet through the NFL+ Premium service on the NFL App. In addition, you can also watch selected fixtures from previous seasons.

What are the blackout rules for NFL games?

NFL games have historically been prohibited from local broadcast by networks if they have not sold more than 85 percent of tickets for a fixture. However, since 2015, these rules have been suspended on a year-to-year basis.

What are the best ways to watch NFL games on a mobile device?

The best way to watch NFL on a mobile device will be through the NFL+ Premium service on the NFL App.

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