I find Hulu + Live TV to be an excellent streaming service for watching the entire NFL season.
In a hurry? Perhaps you just needed an overview of the necessary channels for NFL and you’re ready to roll. Whether you’re a new or existing Hulu user, head over to Hulu now and watch some ball.
Table Of Contents
Channels with NFL Games
NFL playoff games can be found on the following channels, all of which are available on Hulu:
- CBS (Sunday afternoon games)
- ESPN (Monday Night Football — also on ABC and ESPN)
- Fox (Sunday afternoon games)
- NBC (Sunday Night Football)
- NFL Network (International and preseason games)
During the NFL regular season, Amazon Prime Video is the only way to watch Thursday Night Football games. There is no way around this. Whether you use cable, satellite, or live TV stream service, you must no directly to Amazon to get this weekly game. Thankfully, Amazon doesn’t stream any of the playoff matchups.
The specific channel that you need will largely depend on which conference your team is in. Games for AFC teams typically air on CBS while games for NFC teams typically air on Fox. Regular season games occasionally air on ESPN+, which Hulu + Live TV includes.
All of these channels are available in most markets on Hulu + Live TV (see this detailed review if you want to learn more about Hulu’s live TV plan). This means you can watch on your phone, smart TV, or other TV-connected devices.
2024 NFL Playoffs on Hulu Live
Hulu + Live TV allows you to watch every game of the 2024 NFL playoffs:
- Sat Jan 13 : Cleveland Browns (14) at Houston Texans (45) (NBC)
- Sun Jan 14 : Green Bay Packers (48) at Dallas Cowboys (32) (Fox)
- Sun Jan 14 : Los Angeles Rams (23) at Detroit Lions (24) (NBC)
- Mon Jan 15 : Pittsburgh Steelers (17) at Buffalo Bills (31) (CBS)
- Mon Jan 15 : Philadelphia Eagles (9) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32) (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+)
- Sat Jan 20 : Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens (ABC/ESPN)
- Sat Jan 20 : Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers (Fox)
- Sun Jan 21 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (NBC)
- Sun Jan 21 : Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (CBS)
- Sun Jan 28 : AFC Championship Game (CBS)
- Sun Jan 28 : NFC Championship Game (Fox)
- Sun Feb 11 : Super Bowl LVIII (CBS)
Hulu + Live TV Basics
Hulu + Live TV is the most popular live TV streaming service in the world. It is a complete replacement for cable TV. But more than that, it is pretty much a one-stop entertainment service with the whole NFL season, other major sporting events, all your favorite TV shows, and more.
In terms of content, you really can’t beat it (and mostly, you can’t even match it):
- 100+ live TV channels
- Arguably the best general on-demand library in the business
- Disney+ (with ads)
- ESPN+.
Those 100+ live channels include pretty much everything you would expect for a great cable plan. But on this page we’ll focus on the live sports channels.
First, Hulu gives you all the channels you need to stream NFL live during the postseason as well as the regular season: ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, and NBC.
You also get a great selection of sports channels with CBS Sports Network, ESPNews, Fox Sports (FS1, FS2), and NFL Network. And also all the channels you need to follow the college football season: ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN College Extra, ESPNU, and SEC Network.
For $9.99/mo more, you can get the Sports Add-On, which gives you NFL RedZone, Outdoor Channel, Fanduel Racing, Randuel TV, MAVTV, and Sportsman Channel.
All Hulu + Live TV subscribers get the ability to stream on up to 2 devices at once (upgradable). And the plan includes unlimited cloud DVR storage (with a 9-month limit on individual items).
What You Need to Watch NFL Playoff Games on Hulu Live
With Hulu, you can stream live NFL playoff games, but you’ll need the right equipment.
The first thing you need is a reliable Internet connection and a Hulu + Live TV subscription.
Once you have a Hulu + Live TV subscription, you need a compatible device and the latest Hulu app.
Hulu allows you to live stream on most mobile devices including Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, LG, Samsung, and Vizio smart TVs as well as those based on the Android TV standard, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV and Fire TV stick, iPhones and iPads (iOS), Nintendo Switch, Playstations, Xbox consoles, select models of Roku and Roku Stick, and other devices with Live TV compatibility.
We explain exactly which models of these streaming devices are compatible in this Hulu review.
It’s also a good idea to confirm Live TV network coverage available in your area. Not all NFL regular season games are available for every Hulu + Live TV user as coverage is subject to regional availability and blackout restrictions, but the playoffs and the Big Game itself aren’t subject to these limitations.
Finding NFL Games on Hulu Live
Hulu makes it easy to find games on game day with their NFL Football series page and NFL Games Sports collection. You can also search in the Hulu app for “NFL Football” to find games available live in your area.
Hulu also makes it easy to keep up with your favorite teams by giving you the option to add them to “My Stuff” where you can enable push notifications on your phone. This will remind you when the game comes on so you don’t miss a single play.
Alternatives to Hulu + Live TV for the NFL Playoffs
Hulu + Live TV is pretty hard for cord-cutters to beat. That’s especially true with its industry-leading on-demand library and the addition of Disney+ and ESPN+ to its plan. But it isn’t the perfect service for all viewers or even football fans. Here are its closest competitors:
- Fubo: Get well over 150 channels for $79.99/month including all the NFL channels. (Fubo review)
- DIRECTV STREAM: Offers 75+ channels for $86.99/month. Upgrading to the Choice plan for $114.99/month includes the best RSN selection in the business as well as MLB Network and NBA TV. (DIRECTV STREAM review)
- Sling TV: This is a great low-cost service but it doesn’t offer any CBS channels. Sling Orange has ESPN as part of its lineup and Sling Blue has Fox and NBC.. (Sling TV review) (Super Bowl on Sling)
- YouTube TV: Get 100+ channels for $82.99/month.
If you want to fill in some channel gaps, you may want to consider Peacock (NBC) and Paramount+ (CBS).
Wrapping Up
Hulu + Live TV isn’t the perfect streaming service for everyone — though it is for a great many people, especially those looking to watch the NFL playoffs. And for the rest, it’s still an excellent source.
You simply can’t go wrong with Hulu Live. Sign up today.
Further Resources On Hulu
If you want to know more about Hulu before signing up, check out these dedicated reviews. Most review specific aspects of the service:
- Overview of Hulu as an on-demand streaming service (deal details)
- Hulu + Live TV guide and review
- Hulu Live’s channel line-up and add-ons
- Hulu Live’s local channels and regional availability
- Hulu device support.
FAQs
Does Hulu have NFL Sunday Ticket?
No. At this writing, you can only get NFL Sunday Ticket via YouTube and YouTube TV. The Ticket lets you watch all the games on Sunday afternoon during the NFL regular season. Note that it is very expensive and you may be better served with NFL RedZone.
How can I use Hulu Live to watch my favorite team?
We have written team viewer guides:
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My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.
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