- The 2021 NFL season officially kicks off on September 9
- Games will be broadcasted on ESPN, NBC, Fox, CBS, and the NFL Network
- There are a variety of ways to watch games if you don’t have a cable subscription
On September 9, the NFL’s regular season will kick off with a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2021, the NFL preseason, which begins on August 5, will be shortened to three weeks ahead of an expanded 17-week regular season.
Five networks will broadcast NFL games, including ESPN, NBC, Fox, CBS, and the NFL Network.
CBS will air Sunday afternoon games with an AFC home team, and Fox will air Sunday afternoon games with an NFC home team during the regular season.
Additionally, Sunday Night Football will be broadcast on NBC and Thursday Night Football is available exclusively on the NFL Network. Streaming is also available for some Thursday Night Football games on Twitch and Amazon Prime. Monday Night Football will be available on ESPN.
However, you can access NFL games without cable television using the following services and devices. In order from lowest to highest cost, they are:
ShutterstockYahoo Sports App
Type: iOS and Android phone application
Cost: Free
Games included: Local and primetime games, playoffs, and the Super Bowl, but they can only be viewed on your mobile device.
NFL App
Type: iOS and Android phone application
Cost: Free
Games included: Local and primetime games, playoffs, and the Super Bowl, but they can only be viewed on your mobile device.
ShutterstockParamount Plus
Type: Live TV streaming
Cost: $5-$10 per month
Games included: Only those that air on CBS; restricted to viewing localized games.
Amazon Prime Video
Type: Streaming service
Cost: $9 per month
Games included: Only Thursday Night Football games, staring week five of the season.
ShutterstockHDTV Antenna
Type: TV accessory
Cost: About $25, one time only
Games included: HDTV antennas connect to your regular TV and allow you to pick up local affiliates of broadcasting services. What you get depends on your location, but often includes Fox, CNN and CBS. This is a good choice if you only want to watch your local team’s NFL games.
Sling TV
Type: Live TV streaming
Cost: $10 for your first month, $35-$50 per month afterwards, depending on what subscription you choose.
Games included:
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- Sling Orange – ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3
- Sling Blue – ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Fox, NBC
ShutterstockHulu + Live TV
Type: Live TV streaming
Cost: $65 per month
Games included: All local and nationally televised NFL games, but no option to add the NFL Network or NFL RedZone to access games across the league.
YouTube TV
Type: Live TV streaming
Cost: $65 per month + $11 for NFL RedZone
Games included: Base package in includes all local channels including CBS, Fox and NBC, as well as ESPN and the NFL Network. For $11 per month, you can also get access to the NFL RedZone.
ShutterstockFuboTV
Type: Live TV streaming
Cost: $65 + $11 for NFL RedZone per month
Games included: All local and national games on NBC, CBS and Fox. ESPN for Monday Night Football and NFL Network for Thursday Night Football.
NFL Sunday Ticket
Type: Premier streaming access
Cost:
- To-Go plan for $73.49 per month, for four months
- Ticket Max plan for $99 per month, for four months
Games included: All out-of-market Sunday afternoon games that are otherwise not available on other services. The Max plans adds the NFL RedZone and the DirecTV Fantasy Zone.
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