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

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:

Why You Need a VPN Today

However, first you need a VPN to unblock US streaming services from . Our favourite is ExpressVPN. It’s definitely not the cheapest option at $6.67/month, but it just works – and across all your devices.

They have servers in 25+ US cities/states and 105 countries, which unblock access to premium streaming platforms available only in the US, as well as free “on demand” TV services worldwide.

You’ll have access to local platforms as if you were in the country, meaning you can watch BBC iPlayer as if you were in the UK, CBC Gem as if you were in Canada, plus hundreds more worldwide.

Sign Up for ExpressVPN

Hotdog users get three months free at ExpressVPN, so it’s a “no-brainer” for us. Decide for yourself with their 30 day money-back guarantee.

IMPORTANT: Once you’ve installed your VPN and connected to a US server, you’ll still need to subscribe separately to access premium streaming services.

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.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

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.

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 $79.99/month, but to get NFL RedZone you need either the Sports Pack add-on ($14.99/mo) or the Premier plan ($164.99/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 ($40.00/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 $76.99/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 $72.99/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:

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)

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:

Wrapping Up

If you’re an Eastern Pennsylvanian who longs to break out of the tyranny of Eagles Country, be sure to give NFL RedZone a try. It’s like a live stream of the “good parts” of Sunday afternoon football.

No blackouts. No exclusions. Just exciting play after turnover after long drive after touchdown.

Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.

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 $40.00/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).

Can I watch NFL RedZone on Amazon Prime Video?

No, NFL RedZone is not available on Amazon Prime Video. You can watch Thursday Night Football games on Amazon Prime (it’s actually the only way to watch TNF on your big-screen TV, so most NFL fans will need to get live TV as well as an Amazon Prime subscription to watch all the action).

Why is NFL RedZone not working?

NFL RedZone is an amazing channel, but you won’t notice this if you check it at random times. The channel only operates seven hours per week: Sundays from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm (Eastern Time). If you check outside of that time, you won’t see anything happening.

Instead, during the rest of the week, you can check out NFL Network for news and analysis. And local games as well as Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football will be available with the streaming service you get RedZone with.

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:

• NFL Preseason
  • NFL Draft
• NFL Regular Season
  • Thursday Night Football
  • Sunday Night Football
  • Monday Night Football
• Out-Of-Market Football Games
  • Sunday Ticket Review
  • VPN Out-of-Market How-To
  • Out-of-Market Games With NFL+
  • Out-of-Market Games With NFL RedZone
• NFL Playoffs
  • AFC Championship
  • NFC Championship
  • Super Bowl
  • NFL Combine
  • NFL Pro Bowl
  • NFL Honors

• Author
• Recent Posts

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Frank Moraes

I am a Senior Content Editor at Hotdog.com, specializing in sports streaming and regional programming issues. With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and extensive experience in remote sensing technology, including early video streaming, I bring a unique technical perspective to the streaming industry.

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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