I don’t have full access to playoff coverage through Sling TV, so I use Fubo for watching all the games. Anyone can try it first with their free trial offer.
Fans can watch the NFL preseason, regular season, and playoffs without cable TV.
In a hurry? Cord-cutters can just sign up for the Sling Blue plan for $45.99/month. That will let you watch a ton of games throughout the year.
Table Of Contents
If you are looking for an easy and affordable way to watch the NFL this season, you should consider signing up for Sling TV. You have a lot of options.
You can stick with the Sling Blue plan and watch about four regular-season games per week plus about half the playoffs. Or you can get the Orange & Blue plan that also includes ESPN for even more coverage. Or you can easily integrate an antenna and get everything.
NFL Channels
During the regular season, games featuring AFC teams are typically shown on CBS while games featuring NFC teams are primarily broadcast on Fox. If an AFC team is playing an NFC team, the game will be shown on CBS if the AFC team is on the road and on Fox if the NFC team is playing on the road.
In recent years, the NFL has given networks the right to shuffle football games in an effort to ensure that they both have access to appealing matchups. Therefore, it’s possible that a game featuring two AFC teams will be shown on Fox while a game featuring two NFC teams will make its way to CBS.
Note that these Sunday afternoon games are scheduled such that between two and four are played at the same time. So you can’t watch them all live — unless you get NFL RedZone, which is available from Sling as an add-on.
Nationally broadcast Sunday and Monday night games will always appear on NBC and ESPN regardless of who is playing. Fox and the NFL Network simulcast Thursday night games until next season when Amazon Prime Video acquires those rights.
During the playoffs, ESPN gets exclusive rights to a Monday night wild card playoff game while NBC gets the rights to a Saturday or Sunday night game during the first two weeks of the postseason.
Otherwise, CBS will (again) show postseason games involving AFC teams while Fox gets playoff games involving NFC teams. The Super Bowl generally rotates between Fox, NBC, and CBS. In 2022, NBC will be the exclusive broadcast provider of this contest.
NFL on Sling TV
The Sling Blue package offers NBC and Fox in select markets and NFL Network, USA, and Fox Sports 1 (FS1) everywhere. Check out our discussion of Sling TV’s local channels to see if your local NBC and Fox affiliates are available, and what your options are if they aren’t.
The Sling Orange package gives you access to ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. The last of these also provides access to all ABC Sports events. Besides these 3 ESPN channels, the main Orange-specific channel is Disney.
With these plans, you can watch the following during the regular season:
- Sunday afternoon football — two games (Blue)
- Sunday Night Football — one game (Blue)
- Monday Night Football — one game (Orange).
Thursday Night Football is now mostly exclusive to Amazon Prime Video, so you need to be a subscriber regardless of what other service you rely on.
CBS
CBS is an essential channel for NFL fans — especially during the playoffs. And even during the regular season, you want CBS if your favorite team is in the AFC since it covers most games played by them. There are two ways to get access to these games.
Paramount+
Since Sling TV is far less expensive than other streaming services, it isn’t unreasonable to add a Paramount+ subscription. For just $7.99/month for the Essential plan, you get live access to all the CBS-aired NFL games — and many other sports besides.
You can also get a Paramount+ with Showtime plan for $12.99/month, which gives you access to your local CBS affiliate as well as ad-free streaming of on-demand content. You can learn all the details in our Paramount+ review.
Antenna
With an antenna, you can stick with just the Sling Orange plan and get access to all the games — assuming you are in a relatively large media market. You do have to set up an antenna, but Sling makes this really easy. And you will get other local channels like ABC, The CW, Univision, and Telemundo (depending on where you live).
If you pre-pay for three months of service, they will give you an indoor HD antenna and AirTV 2 device for $49.99. Given this is worth roughly $150, you are getting the service for free.
With this hardware, you can watch all your local channels right from within the Sling TV app. No moving back and forth between apps. This is like having a top-self streaming service like DIRECTV STREAM at half the cost.
Our HD antenna guide tells you all you need to know to get free TV over-the-air (OTA). There’s also more information in our Sling TV review.
Fox and NBC
If you live in an area that isn’t covered with Fox and NBC through Sling, you have a couple of options. You may be able to use TV Everywhere to watch with the Fox and NBC apps. But given the regional nature of NFL broadcasts, you may not get access to games.
For NBC, you can also sign up with Peacock Premium for $7.99/month. This will allow you to watch all NBC Sports broadcasts live.
NFL RedZone
NFL RedZone is a channel that is affiliated with NFL Network and features live coverage of every game being played on Sundays.
As the name suggests, the channel focuses on games featuring teams that are within scoring range. If no game features a team that is close to scoring, it will default to any game that is perceived to be the most interesting.
One of the unique features of this channel is that you don’t have to sit through commercials. When one game goes to a commercial break, you will be shown another game that is currently in action.
You can get RedZone for $11 a month as part of the Sling Blue Sports Extra add-on or for $15/mo with the Sling Orange & Blue Sports Extra add-on. It is not available if you only subscribe to Sling Orange. In addition to NFL RedZone, this add-on comes with MLB Network, MLB StrikeZone, NBA TV, NHL Network, and many more.
Recording Games
Since the Sunday afternoon football games are played at the same times, you will likely want to record some of them. Games appearing on the streaming channels ESPN, Fox, and NBC can be recorded with the included 50 hours of cloud DVR storage.
Games that appear via antenna can be recorded using the AirTV device. You will have to provide external storage but this can be as simple as a thumb drive (must be at least 50 GB, however).
2024 NFL Playoff Schedule
You can watch some of the NFL playoffs for the 2023-2024 regular season — including Super Bowl LVII. The only exceptions are the games that air on CBS. These games can be viewed either by setting up an antenna or subscribing to Paramount+ (as discussed above).
Here is the schedule:
- 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 : Philadelphia Eagles (9) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32) (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
- 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 28 : NFC Championship Game (Fox)
Unfortunately, you can’t watch the Super Bowl with Sling TV this year since it airs on CBS.
Alternatives to Sling TV
We will never pick favorites but we will admit to having a very large soft spot for Sling TV. Not only is it the first live TV streaming service, it’s also the most flexible. But we understand that what we consider flexibility others consider complexity.
Beyond this, other streaming services have their own advantages and may work better for you. If you aren’t sure about Sling TV, consider these alternatives.
FuboTV
For $79.99/month, FuboTV gives you access to all of the channels you need to watch the NFL: CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, and the NFL Network. In all, you get over 130 channels. Of these, 35+ are sports channels including CBS Sports Network, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, TUDN, and beIN Sports.
Fubo Extra ($7.99/mo) offers 50+ additional channels including sports-focused ones like MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, and Tennis Channel. And the Sports Plus ($10.99/mo) includes 35+ channels including NFL RedZone.
See our FuboTV review for all the details.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) is one of the best streaming services for those who want access to local channels. For $86.99/month, you will get all the channels you need to watch the whole NFL season.
It is also a great pick for those who want access to regional sports networks. Although the NFL is only shown on national networks, regional channels can be ideal for those who enjoy watching hockey, basketball, or baseball. You can get your favorite local, regional, and national networks through the DIRECTV STREAM Choice package for $114.99/month.
For details, see our DIRECTV STREAM review.
Hulu + Live TV
Starting at $82.99/month, Hulu + Live TV offers all the channels that NFL games air on. Furthermore, you get access to Hulu’s industry-leading on-demand library.
For more information, see our Hulu + Live TV review.
YouTube TV
Like many of the major streaming services, YouTube TV is also available starting at $82.99/month. It also has all of the channels that you’ll need to watch the whole NFL regular season and all of the postseason. Learn more in our YouTube TV review.
Devices to Live Stream NFL Games on Sling TV
Sling provides excellent support of modern streaming devices and smart TVs:
- AirTV
- Amazon Fire Tablet
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android mobile
- Android TV devices
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- iOS mobile
- LG smart TVs
- Portal
- Roku
- Samsung smart TVs
- TIVO Stream
- Web browsers
- Xbox Series S/X.
Summing Up
If you are looking to watch your favorite NFL teams this year, it may be in your best interest to sign up for Sling TV. It comes with NBC, Fox, and NFL Network with its Blue plan and ESPN with its Orange plan. These plans are $45.99/month or $60.99/month for the two combined.
You have a couple of options to get CBS as well. And NFL RedZone can be yours for $11/mo to help you keep track of every game going on at any given time even if it isn’t being broadcast in your local market.
What are you waiting for? Sling TV is the best deal around for football fans.
FAQs
Can I watch the NFL playoffs with Sling TV?
Sling TV allows you to stream most of the 2023 NFL playoff games. There are a total of 13 games. You can stream 7, including the 2023 Super Bowl, with Sling Blue. Sling Orange allows you to stream the Wild Card game on ESPN. The remaining 5 games are on CBS and not available to stream with Sling TV.
You can, however, integrate an HD antenna with Sling TV to watch these five games. Or you could sign up for Paramount+ for an extra $7.99/month. Regardless, Sling TV represents the cheapest way to watch all of the NFL playoffs.
Can I watch every NFL game on Sling?
Sling TV provides you with access to most channels that allow you to watch NFL games. But you can’t watch every game for two reasons. The first is that Sling TV does not provide CBS. But you can get it by setting up an antenna. The fundamental problem is that Sunday afternoon NFL football games play at the same time, so you can’t actually watch them all — live anyway.
How do I subscribe to Sling TV?
To subscribe to Sling TV, you simply select your desired service plan and provide some basic information about yourself. Once you have verified your email address and payment information, you should be able to start using your account. Sling generally allows you to modify or cancel your account at any time. So there is no risk.
How do I find information on streaming individual NFL teams?
We’ve created streaming guides for every team in the NFL:
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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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