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Stream Every NFL Preseason Game Online + Keep Football When You Ditch Cable

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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.

In a hurry? Unfortunately, we don’t know a streaming service in that offers this TV channel/sport. But if you’ve already paid for the right service, and just can’t watch because of your location, there is an easy way to get the sports, movies, and TV you deserve. You need a VPN, like one of the following.

ExpressVPN

1. ExpressVPN: Established VPN provider in 105 countries. Smart DNS, a built-in ad-blocker, and unlimited bandwidth. Try it with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access

3. Private Internet Access: The only no-logs VPN with a location for every US state. Get 82% off + 2 months free.

If you’re overwhelmed and not sure where to begin, you’ll find all the answers in our full VPN guide.

Looking for info on watching the regular season? See our complete NFL Viewer’s Guide.

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

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

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.

Get ExpressVPN Today

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!

FuboTV NFL Network

How to watch the NFL Prseason with Fubo

fubotv logo

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 ChannelsCBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, NFL Network
Total Channels150+
Cloud DVR1000 hours
Simultaneous Screens10
Free Trial
Fubo Price$79.99/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:

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

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 ChannelsCBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, NFL Network
Total Channels75+
Cloud DVRunlimited
Simultaneous Screensunlimited
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 logo

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 ChannelsFox, NBC, NFL Network
Total Channels40+
Cloud DVR50 hours
Simultaneous Screens3
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:

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

How to watch NFL Preseason with Hulu + Live TV

hulu logo

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 ChannelsCBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, NFL Network
Total Channels85+
Cloud DVRUnlimited*
Simultaneous Screens2
Free Trial
Hulu Price$76.99/mo
* 9 month storage

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.

Try Hulu + Live TV Today!

Vidgo NFL Network

How to watch the NFL Preseason games on Vidgo

vidgo logo

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 ChannelsESPN, Fox, NFL Network
Total Channels110+
Cloud DVR
Simultaneous Screens3
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:

Try Vidgo Today!

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)

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

TVs and Devices to Stream the NFL Preseason

Sling TV NFL Android
Android phone with Sling TV and NFL shows.

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:

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:

AFC East AFC North AFC South AFC West
Buffalo Bills Baltimore Ravens Houston Texans Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins Cincinnati Bengals Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots Cleveland Browns Jacksonville Jaguars Los Angeles Chargers
New York Jets Pittsburgh Steelers Tennessee Titans Las Vegas Raiders
NFC East NFC North NFC South NFC West
Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals
New York Giants Detroit Lions Carolina Panthers Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia Eagles Green Bay Packers New Orleans Saints San Francisco 49ers
Washington Commanders Minnesota Vikings Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seattle Seahawks

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

  1. Pick the right streaming service
  2. Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
  3. Supercharge your internet provider

That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!

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