Watch the entire NFL season through the Super Bowl with Fubo.
You can almost feel it. The crisp, early-autumn air that signals the start of the NFL Football season. We love football and if you’re here, you do too. But if you’re concerned about cutting the cord and losing access to games, don’t! You don’t need cable to watch all the action!
In a hurry? If you just want to make sure you have access to the entire NFL season, these streaming services will give you everything you need and more:
- 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.
- Sling TV: This low-cost service allows you to select just the channel lineup you want. Save 50% on Sling TV now.
If you can’t watch your favorite sports because of your location, get ExpressVPN to access the content you deserve.
Looking for info on watching the regular season? See our complete NFL Viewer’s Guide.
Table Of Contents
Watching the regular season can be complicated if you want more than the local and primetime games. Learn how to watch it all in our NFL Out-of-Market Game Guide.
Preseason Football Schedule
As with last year, the NFL starts with the Hall of Fame game and then 3 weeks of preseason play. It all starts on Thursday, Aug 3rd at in Canton, Ohio.
The normal preseason games start on Aug 10th. Here is the complete NFL Preseason schedule:
NFL Hall of Fame
- Thu Aug 3 : Cleveland Browns (21) at New York Jets (16) (NBC)
NFL Preseason Week 1
- Thu Aug 10 : Houston Texans (20) at New England Patriots (9) (NFL Network)
- Thu Aug 10 : Minnesota Vikings (13) at Seattle Seahawks (24) (NFL Network)
- Fri Aug 11 : Green Bay Packers (36) at Cincinnati Bengals (19) (NFL Network)
- Fri Aug 11 : New York Giants (16) at Detroit Lions (21)
- Fri Aug 11 : Pittsburgh Steelers (27) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (17)
- Fri Aug 11 : Atlanta Falcons (19) at Miami Dolphins (3)
- Fri Aug 11 : Washington Commanders (17) at Cleveland Browns (15)
- Fri Aug 11 : Denver Broncos (17) at Arizona Cardinals (18) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 12 : Tennessee Titans (17) at Chicago Bears (23) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 12 : Indianapolis Colts (19) at Buffalo Bills (23)
- Sat Aug 12 : New York Jets (27) at Carolina Panthers (0) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 12 : Jacksonville Jaguars (28) at Dallas Cowboys (23)
- Sat Aug 12 : Philadelphia Eagles (19) at Baltimore Ravens (20) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 12 : Los Angeles Chargers (34) at Los Angeles Rams (17) (NFL Network)
- Sun Aug 13 : Kansas City Chiefs (24) at New Orleans Saints (26) (NFL Network)
- Sun Aug 13 : San Francisco 49ers (7) at Las Vegas Raiders (34) (NFL Network)
NFL Preseason Week 2
- Thu Aug 17 : Cleveland Browns (18) at Philadelphia Eagles (18) (NFL Network)
- Fri Aug 18 : Carolina Panthers (19) at New York Giants (21) (NFL Network)
- Fri Aug 18 : Cincinnati Bengals (13) at Atlanta Falcons (13)
- Sat Aug 19 : Jacksonville Jaguars (25) at Detroit Lions (7) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 19 : Miami Dolphins (28) at Houston Texans (3) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 19 : Buffalo Bills (15) at Pittsburgh Steelers (27)
- Sat Aug 19 : Chicago Bears (17) at Indianapolis Colts (24) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 19 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13) at New York Jets (6)
- Sat Aug 19 : Tennessee Titans (24) at Minnesota Vikings (16)
- Sat Aug 19 : New England Patriots (21) at Green Bay Packers (17)
- Sat Aug 19 : Kansas City Chiefs (38) at Arizona Cardinals (10)
- Sat Aug 19 : Denver Broncos (20) at San Francisco 49ers (21)
- Sat Aug 19 : Las Vegas Raiders (34) at Los Angeles Rams (17)
- Sat Aug 19 : Dallas Cowboys (14) at Seattle Seahawks (22) (NFL Network)
- Sun Aug 20 : New Orleans Saints (22) at Los Angeles Chargers (17) (NFL Network)
- Mon Aug 21 : Baltimore Ravens (28) at Washington Commanders (29) (ESPN)
NFL Preseason Week 3
- Thu Aug 24 : Pittsburgh Steelers (24) at Atlanta Falcons (0) (NFL Network)
- Thu Aug 24 : Indianapolis Colts (27) at Philadelphia Eagles (13) (Prime)
- Fri Aug 25 : Detroit Lions (26) at Carolina Panthers (17) (CBS)
- Fri Aug 25 : New England Patriots (7) at Tennessee Titans (23) (NFL Network)
- Fri Aug 25 : Los Angeles Chargers (23) at San Francisco 49ers (12) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 26 : Cleveland Browns (32) at Kansas City Chiefs (33) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 26 : Arizona Cardinals (18) at Minnesota Vikings (17)
- Sat Aug 26 : Cincinnati Bengals (19) at Washington Commanders (21)
- Sat Aug 26 : Seattle Seahawks (15) at Green Bay Packers (19)
- Sat Aug 26 : New York Jets (32) at New York Giants (24) (NFL Network)
- Sat Aug 26 : Miami Dolphins (18) at Jacksonville Jaguars (31)
- Sat Aug 26 : Baltimore Ravens (20) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26)
- Sat Aug 26 : Las Vegas Raiders (16) at Dallas Cowboys (31)
- Sat Aug 26 : Los Angeles Rams (0) at Denver Broncos (41) (NFL Network)
- Sun Aug 27 : Houston Texans (17) at New Orleans Saints (13) (Fox)
Note that the games that do not have a channel will be available to stream with NFL+. This is subject to blackout for local games. See our review for more information.
Unblock Your Favorite Events & Teams With a VPN
If you can’t watch your favorite events or teams because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequaled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.
Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
How to Watch the NFL Preseason Without Cable TV
As you can see in the schedule above, NFL Network is the place for preseason action. Of the 27 preseason games that will be aired, 23 will be on it.
For people who are limited to the local over-the-air channels, the preseason coverage will be pretty thin. You will only get to watch two games via antenna, both on the last day: Dolphins at Bengals (CBS) and Browns at Falcons (NBC). And the Hall of Fame game will air on Fox.
Here’s where the NFL preseason will air:
- NFL Network (21 games)
- ESPN (1 game)
- Fox (1 game)
- CBS (1 game)
- NBC (1 game)
- Amazon Prime (1 game).
Once the season starts, things will be different. Thursday Night Football will be airing on Amazon Prime. And NBC is airing the first week.
Sunday afternoon games will be split between national broadcasts CBS (AFC) and Fox (NFC). And Sunday Night Football will be on NBC. Monday Night Football is on ESPN (and sometimes also ABC).
So football fans want to sign up with a service that gives them NFL Network, ESPN, and all the networks. Luckily, there are a lot of options for this!
How to watch the NFL Prseason with Fubo
Fubo (formerly FuboTV) is one of the best streaming services for sports fans. They offer NFL Network, ESPN, CBS, Fox, NBC, and a whole lot more. Their basic plan comes with 150+ channels including over 35 sports-focused ones. Regardless of your favorite sport, Fubo has you covered.
| NFL Channels | CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, NFL Network |
| Total Channels | 150+ |
| Cloud DVR | 1000 hours |
| Simultaneous Screens | 10 |
| Free Trial | ✅ |
| Fubo Price | $74.99/mo |
If this isn’t enough for you, you can get the Sports Plus add-on for $10.99/mo. It includes NFL RedZone, which allows you to easily keep up on all the games — even the ones playing at the same time. And it comes with 25 other sports channels including the 7 Pac-12, ACCN, SEC Network, and the three big league channels MLB Network, NBA TV, and NHL Network.
All plans come with 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage. You can also watch on up to 10 devices at the same time. It’s easy to find out if Fubo is right for you. Sign up for a free trial. Or check out our extensive articles:
How to watch the NFL Preseason with DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is a good choice to watch the NFL Preseason and other NFL games in general. The base plan get you 75+ channels including local channels and ESPN.
| NFL Channels | CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, NFL Network |
| Total Channels | 75+ |
| Cloud DVR | unlimited |
| Simultaneous Screens | unlimited |
| Free Trial | ✅ |
| DIRECTV STREAM Price* | $79.99/mo |
However, to get NFL network which will be airing majority of the preseason games, you will need to upgrade to the Choice plan for a monthly fee of $108.99/mo. All DIRECTV plans offer unlimited hours of cloud DVR and streaming on unlimited devices at the same time. Check the links below for more information on DIRECTV STREAM.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
How to watch the NFL Preseason on Sling TV
Sling TV is the low-cost streaming leader for the preseason games. The Sling Blue plan is just $40.00/mo and includes NFL Network as well as Fox and NBC in most areas (so you’re also good for the Super Bowl most years). If you want ESPN, you can opt for the Orange & Blue plan for $55.00/mo.
| NFL Channels | Fox, NBC, NFL Network |
| Total Channels | 40+ |
| Cloud DVR | 50 hours |
| Simultaneous Screens | 3 |
| Free Trial | ❌ |
| Sling TV Price* | $40.00/mo |
The hole in Sling TV’s coverage is CBS. There are a couple of ways to get around this. You can integrate a TV antenna (free if you sign up for two months) with the Sling TV interface. All that is required is that you have a CBS affiliate in your area. Or you could get a Paramount+ subscription.
Sling TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage and the ability to stream up to three devices at once. See our articles on Sling TV for more information:
How to watch NFL Preseason with Hulu + Live TV
We’d like to welcome Hulu + Live TV into the fold. Until recently, it wasn’t offering NFL Network. But just in time for the 2021 NFL preseason, Hulu has added the network back to its live TV plan.
| NFL Channels | CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, NFL Network |
| Total Channels | 85+ |
| Cloud DVR | Unlimited* |
| Simultaneous Screens | 2 |
| Free Trial | ❌ |
| Hulu Price | $76.99/mo |
In addition, you get ESPN, CBS, Fox, and NBC. And, of course, 85+ other channels in addition to its exceptional on-demand library — all for $76.99/mo. And NFL RedZone is now available as an add-on for $10.99/mo.
Hulu + Live TV also comes with unlimited DVR storage and the ability to stream on up to two devices at once.
How to watch the NFL Preseason games on Vidgo
Vidgo is a low-cost streaming service offering over 110 channels for just $69.99/mo. They offer a great selection of national TV channels. These include NFL Network and ESPN. They also offer the local Fox affiliate in most areas.
| NFL Channels | ESPN, Fox, NFL Network |
| Total Channels | 110+ |
| Cloud DVR | ❌ |
| Simultaneous Screens | 3 |
| Free Trial | ❌ |
| Vidgo Price | $69.99/mo |
The downside of Vidgo is that it doesn’t provide CBS and NBC. This won’t be a big deal during the preseason but you really want these channels for the regular season. You can, however, make up for this by installing an antenna.
Vidgo doesn’t provide a cloud DVR but you can run your own at home. It does allow you to stream on up to three devices at once. Try one month for $20. Check out our articles on Vidgo:
Other Ways to Watch the NFL Preseason
There are other ways to watch NFL from the Hall of Fame game to the Super Bowl:
- NFL+: The base plan allows you to watch local and primetime games on mobile devices for just $4.99/mo. With NFL+ Premium for $9.99/mo, you also get replays of all games on all supported devices. It comes with a 7-day free trial! See our NFL+ review for more information.
- NFL App: You will still need your streaming service credentials to log in, but this allows you to watch the preseason wherever you are.
- YouTube TV: Another live TV streaming service similar to Hulu, you get all the channels you need to enjoy the NFL season.
- Peacock: Preseason games aired on NBC can also be watched live on Peacock for $4.99/mo. (Peacock review)
TVs and Devices to Stream the NFL Preseason
The services that we’ve discussed above support almost all the streaming devices currently in use. Except for Vidgo, they support the recent smart TVs from Samsung and LG. Hulu supports the VIZIO SmartCast TVs. And Fubo supports Hisense. And all of them Android-based smart TVs.
If you have a “stick” TV device, you are also covered: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku. The same goes for Chromecast devices. And Android and iOS (iPhone, iPad) mobile devices are universally supported.
Finally, all the services except Vidgo support the Xbox One. Hulu even supports the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. And the VR fans out there can use their Oculus with Sling TV.
And of course, web browsers are also universally supported. And most devices that run them can either cast or physically connect to a TV.
Superpower Your Sports Streaming With a VPN
For the sake of privacy, security, and access, you should be using a VPN. They are low-cost and easy to use. We’ve been using them for years and our top pick is ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
i Our VPN Buyer’s Guide provides a complete introduction and all you need to know to choose the best VPN for your needs.
Wrapping Up
You can stream the NFL preseason live with any of these services that we’ve discussed above. If you want to know more about watching NFL, check out the following articles:
- How to Watch NFL Without Cable
- How to Watch Out-of-Market NFL Games
- NFL+ Review
- NFL Game Pass International
- How to Watch the NFL Draft Without Cable
- How to Watch the NFL Playoffs Without Cable
- How to Watch NFL Network Without Cable
- How to Watch NFL RedZone Without Cable.
Have more questions about how to watch the NFL Preseason without cable? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
FAQ
What is the NFL preseason for?
Preseason games act as an extension of training. Each game allows the coaching staff to try out new strategies and see how players react on the field outside of practice. Some players will make the cut and some won’t. Your favorite players, the starters, may not see too many downs in these preseason games, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to watch to see how your team matches up.
Can I watch the NFL preseason on Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime Video will not be airing any of the NFL preseason games. They will, however, be airing some Thursday Night Football games this season. And starting in the 2022 season, Amazon Prime will be the exclusive provider of the game. So you don’t need it yet, but starting next year, NFL fans may want to sign up for Amazon Prime.
Are there out-of-market preseason games?
There are not really out-of-market preseason games. This is because you can watch any game you like regardless of where you live in the US. Over half the games are broadcast live nationally — mostly on NFL Network. But the rest are available to stream via NFL+.
How can I watch my favorite NFL team?
For those who want to know how to watch their favorite team, we’ve put together specific articles:
More Info on NFL Without Cable
If you still have questions, these resources should help:
Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord
- Pick the right streaming service
- Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
- Supercharge your internet provider
That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!
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