Budget NFL Streaming: How to Watch Every Game Without Cable or Breaking the Bank

With the NFL season about to kick off, cord-cutters face a familiar dilemma: how to watch their favorite teams without paying for expensive cable packages. A recent Engadget guide breaks down the cheapest ways to access live games, from local broadcasts to national and out-of-market options.

For local matchups, an over-the-air digital antenna remains the most economical choice. Prices range from $15 to $150 with no ongoing subscription fee—just a one-time purchase for reliable reception. This covers games broadcast on local affiliates, including Sunday afternoon matchups and primetime slots on NBC and ESPN.

Moving beyond local broadcasts, NFL+ offers the most affordable streaming entry point at $6.99 per month for mobile and tablet viewing. To cast games to a television, the premium tier jumps to $14.99 per month and includes NFL RedZone, which delivers live look-ins during Sunday afternoon scoring opportunities, plus full-game replays for later viewing.

Conference-specific fans can trim costs further. For AFC teams, Paramount+ Essential at $8.99 per month streams regional Sunday afternoon games on CBS. Sunday Night Football is available through Peacock Premium at $12.99 per month. NFC viewers, meanwhile, will need FOX One’s $19.99 per month package for their regional slate.

Those seeking a comprehensive live TV replacement have several all-in-one services to weigh. YouTube TV’s Sports Plan starts at $54.99 per month, while Hulu + Live TV with ads runs $89.99 per month. Fubo offers NFL coverage for $64.99 per month (with a first-month discount to $54.99), and Sling splits coverage between its Blue and Orange plans—each $45.99 per month, or $60.99 combined. Notably, none of these include out-of-market games unless you add YouTube TV’s NFL Sunday Ticket, which costs $240 for new subscribers or $378 for returning ones.

For Thursday Night Football, Amazon Prime Video is the home, bundled with an Amazon Prime subscription or available standalone for $8.99 per month. Budget-conscious fans can also watch TNF free on Twitch.

International and holiday games are scattered across multiple services this year. Netflix will carry Christmas Day matchups, while Thanksgiving games air on CBS, Fox, and NBC. The Black Friday game and December contests stream on Prime Video, with Peacock also carrying late-season games. The Super Bowl is slated for ESPN and ABC.

Engadget’s take: There is no single affordable service that delivers every live game. The most cost-effective strategy combines an OTA antenna for local games with NFL+ Premium for RedZone and replays, plus Prime Video for Thursday nights. That skips the heftiest live-TV packages and still covers the bulk of the season—a play worth calling if you’re willing to pick and choose.