How to Use NFL RedZone to Watch the Best Parts of NFL Out-of-Market Games

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Written by Frank Moraes Senior Content Editor

I can spend hundreds of dollars gaining access to out-of-market NFL games, but NFL RedZone is the better choice for me – and much easier on my wallet.

In a hurry? If you already know all about NFL RedZone, but just aren’t sure how to get it, check out these streaming services. All of them offer great overall NFL coverage and NFL RedZone as an add-on:

  • Fubo: The best streaming service for international sports also provides 150+ well-selected channels. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
  • DIRECTV STREAM: Get a great channel lineup with the best selection of RSNs in the industry. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
  • Hulu + Live TV: This total entertainment streaming service provides a great on-demand selection and all the essential live TV channels with a 3-day free trial.

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Fans of NFL teams based far from where they live may find that NFL RedZone provides an easy viewing option.

If you’re not super hung-up on watching an entire game from start to finish, just as long as you don’t miss a single touchdown, then read on to find out how RedZone could be the answer you’ve been looking for.

NFL RedZone in action
NFL RedZone with two games being shown at once.

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NFL Out-of-Market Problem

Most of the weekly NFL regular season games take place on Sunday afternoons. That means many games are not shown on local TV. These out-of-market games represent a problem for some fans – especially those who root for a team based far from where they live.

For example, if you’re a New York Jets fan living in Arizona, the majority of Jets games won’t be aired on local TV channels. There are still ways to watch these games as we discuss in our complete Out-of-Market NFL Viewer’s Guide.

But many fans find NFL RedZone an acceptable or even preferable substitute.

If you happen to live outside the United States, you are in luck, however. See our article about NFL Game Pass International. It allows you to watch whatever games you want live.

NFL RedZone for Viewing Out-of-Market NFL Games

NFL RedZone isn’t a perfect solution for the out-of-market NFL problem. If you’re the kind of fan who likes to plunk down in front of a game and watch it from kickoff to final play, then RedZone isn’t for you.

But, if you’re like many fans who don’t mind skipping the endless time-outs, clock stoppages, penalty checks, and commercial breaks of regular network broadcast games, then you should definitely keep reading.

What is NFL RedZone?

NFL RedZone is a channel owned and run by the NFL itself — along with NFL Network (especially important for watching preseason games). Hosted by Scott Hanson, it airs for seven hours on Sunday afternoons from 12:55 pm to 8:00 pm.

Instead of showing a single game, RedZone features “whip-around” coverage of all the games taking place at any given time on a regular-season Sunday.

RedZone for Out-of-Market NFL Viewing

RedZone’s slogan is “every touchdown of every game,” and it lives up to it.

Hanson guides fans through all the action, jumping from one game to another while others are in a commercial break, halftime, or a timeout – so you can be reassured you’re not missing anything.

If there is action in multiple games, the screen is simply split – up to the signature Octobox that shows eight games at once.

And on those rare occasions when all games are in a commercial break or halftime, the channel cuts back to the studio for analysis and discussion.

Your biggest issue may be finding any downtime for a bathroom break or to refill your chip bowl.

NFL RedZone - 5 Games at Once
NFL RedZone showing 5 games at one time.

Streaming Services for NFL RedZone

NFL RedZone is offered by most of the major live-TV streaming services. For complete options, see our NFL RedZone Guide.

Here are the top streaming services that give you access to NFL RedZone:

  • Fubo: One of the best streaming services when it comes to football, it comes with 150+ channels in the Pro plan ($79.99/month), including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and NFL Network. The Sports Plus add-on package ($10.99/mo) gives you NFL RedZone and 34 other sports channels. (FuboTV review)
  • DIRECTV STREAM: The base plan is $86.99/month, but to get NFL RedZone you need either the Sports Pack add-on ($14.99/mo) or the Premier plan ($169.99/month). All plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and unlimited simultaneous device usage. (DIRECTV STREAM review).
  • Sling TV: Sling TV is the most affordable way to catch up with football games. Sling Blue ($45.99/month) offers Fox, NBC (select markets), and NFL Network. NFL RedZone comes with the Sports Extra add-on ($11.00/mo), which provides 10 other channels. (Sling TV review and RedZone guide)
  • Hulu + Live TV: Its $82.99/month plan has 85+ live channels including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, and NFL Network. It also includes ESPN+ and Disney+ with its base plan. The Sports add-on is $9.99/mo and includes NFL RedZone and five others. (Hulu + Live TV review)
  • YouTube TV: Offers a channel lineup similar to Hulu + Live TV for $82.99/month. NFL RedZone is included in its Sports plus package, but you can also get it as part of the NFL Sunday Ticket add-on.

Here’s a handy comparison table:

Streaming ServiceCostAdd-on NameAdd-on costTotal cost
Fubo (Pro)$79.99/monthSports Plus$10.99$85.98/mo
Sling TV (Blue)$45.99/monthSports Extra$11.00$51.00/mo
Hulu + Live TV$82.99/monthSports$9.99$86.98/mo
DIRECTV STREAM$86.99/monthSports Pack$14.99$89.98/mo
YouTube TV$82.99/monthSports Plus$10.99$82.98/mo

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Other Out-of-Market NFL Solutions

There are a few options to watch out-of-market games though :

  • NFL+ Premium: This service only provides replays of out-of-market games. It does allow you to watch live NFL games if they’re on primetime and in-market, but only on mobile devices through the NFL app. Note that NFL+ Premium also comes with NFL RedZone. (NFL+ review)
  • NFL Sunday Ticket: This provides access to all out-of-market games. Available from YouTube and YouTube TV, it costs from $350 (plus YouTube TV subscription price) to $450 per season.
  • NFL Game Pass: This provides access to every game – but it’s only offered outside the US, Canada, and China. (NFL Game Pass review)
NFL RedZone - Single View
NFL RedZone showing a single game.

Streaming Devices for NFL RedZone

To watch NFL RedZone, you’ll need a compatible streaming device.

All the above streaming services support the following devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android mobile, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS (iPhone), Roku, and web browsers.

The streaming services provide support for many more devices as well, including Samsung smart TVs and Xbox gaming systems.

Hulu and YouTube support PlayStation units.

Today’s NFL RedZone Schedule

Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:

Every Sunday Afternoon

Follow every NFL football game as teams enter the RedZone.

America's Game2000 Baltimore Ravens

The story of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens with Brian Billick, Ray Lewis and Trent Dilfer. Narrated by Alec Baldwin.

Every Sunday Afternoon

Follow every NFL football game as teams enter the RedZone.

America's Game2001 New England Patriots

Martin Sheen narrates a story of the 2001 New England Patriots, with views of Tom Brady, Adam Vinatieri and Lawyer Milloy.

America's Game2003 New England Patriots

Tom Selleck narrates the story of the 2003 New England Patriots with Rodney Harrison, Willie McGinest and Charlie Weis.

America's Game2004 New England Patriots

The story of the 2004 New England Patriots with Bill Belichick, Tedy Bruschi and Troy Brown. Voted number 9 by a panel of football experts. Narrated by Laurence Fishburne.

America's Game2005 Pittsburgh Steelers

Tom Selleck narrates the story of the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers with Bill Cowher, Jerome Bettis and Joey Porter.

America's Game2006 Indianapolis Colts

Donald Sutherland narrates the story of the 2006 Indianapolis Colts with Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy and Jeff Saturday.

America's Game2007 New York Giants

The story of the 2007 Giants through the eyes of Eli Manning, Michael Strahan and Tom Coughlin. Narrated by James Gandolfini.

America's Game2008 Pittsburgh Steelers

The story of the 2008 Steelers through the eyes of Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu.

America's Game2009 New Orleans Saints

Story of the 2009 New Orleans Saints and their run to Super Bowl XLIV through the eyes of Sean Payton, Drew Brees and Jonathan Vilma. Narrated by Brad Pitt.

Every Sunday Afternoon

Follow every NFL football game as teams enter the RedZone.

America's Game2010 Green Bay Packers

The story of the 2010 Green Bay Packers and their run to Super Bowl XLV through the eyes of Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson and head coach Mick McCarthy.

America's Game2011 New York Giants

The story of the 2011 New York Giants and their run to Super Bowl XLVI through the eyes of Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Victor Cruz & Head Coach Tom Coughlin. Narrated by Alec Baldwin.

America's Game2012 Baltimore Ravens

The story of the 2012 Baltimore Ravens and their run to Super Bowl XLVII as told through the eyes of Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis and John Harbaugh. Narrated by Edward Norton.

America's Game2013 Seattle Seahawks

The 2013 Seattle Seahawks and their run to Super Bowl XLVIII told through the eyes of Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Head Coach Pete Carroll. Narrated by Jim Caviezel.

America's Game2014 New England Patriots

The story of the 2014 New England Patriots and their run to Super Bowl XLIX told through the eyes of Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Devin McCourty. Narrated by Chris Evans.

America's Game2015 Denver Broncos

The story of the 2015 Denver Broncos and their run to Super Bowl 50 told through the eyes of Von Viller, Demarcus Ware and Peyton Manning.

America's Game2016 Patriots

The journey of the 2016 New England Patriots through the regular season and on to the Super Bowl.

America's Game2017 Philadelphia Eagles

The journey of the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles through the regular season and on to the Super Bowl.

America's Game2018 New England Patriots

A look back at the 2018 New England Patriots run to Super Bowl 53 through the eyes of Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and twin brothers Devin and Jason McCourty. Narrated by John Cena.

Every Sunday Afternoon

Follow every NFL football game as teams enter the RedZone.

America's Game2019 Kansas City Chiefs

A look back at the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs run to Super Bowl 54 through the eyes of Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyrann Mathieu.

America's Game2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The story of the 2020 Super Bowl victory by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by quarterback Tom Brady.

America's Game2021 Los Angeles Rams

The journey of the L.A. Rams through the 2021 NFL season.

America's Game2022 Kansas City Chiefs

The journey of Super Bowl LVII champions, the 2022 Kansas City Chiefs.

America's Game2023 Kansas City Chiefs

A look back at the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs run to Super Bowl LVIII through the eyes of NFL and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones.

A Football LifePat Tillman

The extraordinary life and legacy of the Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillman, who left the NFL to defend his country after 9/11.

NFL 360

A look at the stories, people and places that define the National Football League, including in-depth features that can't be seen anywhere else.

Our Choice

I tried out all kinds of streaming services, and YouTube TV’s Sports Plus package is hands-down the best for NFL RedZone. The streaming is smooth and reliable – no freezes or buffering to mess up the game – and their unlimited DVR lets you record everything without a second thought. It’s super user-friendly, works on all the devices you’d expect, and the channel lineup is packed with other great sports content.

FAQs

What is the cheapest way to watch out-of-market NFL action with RedZone?

NFL+ Premium is the cheapest way to get NFL RedZone. It costs $14.99/month. If you want it with live TV, the cheapest option is Sling Blue + Sports Extra. Sling’s base package is $45.99/month, and the Sports Extra is an additional $11.00/mo, so you’re paying a grand total of $51 (or $56 if you get ABC with Sling Blue).

Does NFL+ include NFL RedZone?

The base NFL+ plan for $6.99/month does not include NFL RedZone. NFL+ Premium for $14.99/month does include NFL RedZone now though. You will still be limited to watching live games on your mobile device, but this is a good deal if you just want RedZone – especially if you get local channels with an antenna.

More Info on NFL Without Cable

If you still have questions, these resources should help:

Frank Moraes
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