Quick Summary
- Watch the NFL Draft with free trials from DirecTV Stream and fubo.
- Sling is the cheapest way to get both NFL Network and ESPN starting at $40/mo.
- YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV also offer NFL Draft coverage starting at $72.99/mo.
The NFL Draft is here and there’s nothing better than getting the first look at your team’s next future stars, but how can we watch the NFL Draft without cable?
In this article, we’ll take a look at all of our viewing options and show you the cheapest ways to stream the NFL Draft.
How To Watch The 2024 NFL Draft Live
Fortunately for cord cutters, there are more ways than ever to stream the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Draft will be broadcast live on three channels:
- ESPN
- NFL Network
- ABC
The streaming option you choose depends a lot on which broadcast you prefer.
ESPN’s coverage will be hosted by Mike Greenberg alongside Adam Schefter and Mel Kiper. NFL Network will be hosted by Rich Eisen alongside Ian Rapoport and Daniel Jeramiah. ABC will be hosted by Reece Davis alongside Kirk Herbstreet and Field Yates.
Some streaming services only offer a single channel, while others carry all three options.
Tip: Use A Free Trial
If you’re only looking for a streaming service to watch the NFL Draft, you can just get a Free Trial from DirecTV Stream and fubo, which offer 5 days free and 7 days free respectively.
| Service | Trial Length |
|---|---|
| DirecTV Stream | 5 Days Free |
| fubo | 7 Days Free |
You can cancel any time before the free trial is over, or if you like the service continue with it on a month to month basis.
7 Cheapest Streaming Options
The following is a list of streaming services (and antennas) that air the NFL Draft coverage. Use the links below to skip ahead to each service.
NFL+ Premium (NFL Network Only)
If you’re only looking for NFL Network, you can now watch the draft live on NFL+ Premium for $14.99 per month.
NFL+ Premium offers live coverage of NFL Network and NFL RedZone (when the games are being played, obviously) as well as game replays, including “All 22” coaches film, as well as NFL Films content.
NFL+ Premium is a great deal if you’re only looking for NFL coverage and are not looking for any other channels.
Sling TV
Sling TV is the cheapest way to stream the NFL Draft live on both ESPN and NFL Network.
Sling has 3 plans, and which plan you want depends on which channels you want to watch the draft on. Plans start at $30 for the first month ($40 thereafter).
Sling TV Plans (with NFL Draft Channels)
| Plan | Cost | Draft Channels | Total Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sling Orange | $30 first mo (then $40) | ESPN | 32 |
| Sling Blue | $30 first mo (then $40) | NFL Network | 40 |
| Sling Orange + Blue | $45 first mo (then $55) | Both | 46 |
Before you sign up, make sure you choose the right Sling TV plan.
The Sling Orange plan carries ESPN but not NFL Network. The Sling Blue plan carries NFL Network but not ESPN, so you’ll want to decide which of the two channels you’d prefer ahead of time.
If you want both ESPN and NFL Network you could just subscribe to the Sling Orange + Blue plan which carries both channels so you can flip between the channels to your heart’s content.
If you’d like to learn more about Sling, we have a full Sling TV review that discusses these plans in greater detail.
There is one downside to Sling, and that is that they do not carry local channels (in most markets) so you’d need an HD Antenna to watch the ABC coverage as we discussed earlier. For most people ABC’s NFL Draft coverage ranks a distant third so this may may not be an issue for you.
You can watch Sling TV on most streaming devices including Roku, FireTV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, and most Smart TVs.
YouTube TV
Another option for watching the draft is YouTube TV which offers more than 100 channels for $72.99 per month, which includes both ESPN and NFL Network, as well as your local ABC channel in most markets so you won’t need to choose between the three broadcasts.
YouTube TV is also the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket so it may be worth considering if you plan on getting that package. That said, it may not be worth it months before the season starts.
YouTube TV includes three simultaneous streams per plan and includes unlimited DVR. You can use YouTube TV on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, Playstation, XBox and most brands of Smart TV.
fubo
fubo is another great option, made specially for sports fans, with a 7 Day Free Trial.
fubo starts at $79.99 and features 154+ sports-packed channels including NFL Draft channels ESPN, NFL Network, and ABC (in most markets) as well as sports channel staples like FS1, FS2, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL RedZone, SEC Network, Big 10 Network, Pac 12 Network, and their own fubo Sports channels.
fubo’s base plan includes 10 simultaneous streams on your home networks, which is great for large families. They also include 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage. fubo works with Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android and most Smart TVs.
Hulu + Live TV
The next cheapest option for watching the NFL Draft is Hulu + Live TV, which costs $76.99 per month for over 85 channels including local networks (in most areas) as well as both ESPN and NFL Network.
While Hulu + Live TV is a good bit more expensive, it includes free ESPN+ (a $10/mo value) which will be airing interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and bonus draft coverage of its own during the three draft days.
Additionally, Hulu + Live TV includes Disney+ for free, two simultaneous streams as well as unlimited DVR. Hulu + Live TV is available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, Playstation, XBox, and most Smart TVs.
DirecTV Stream
The last NFL Draft streaming option we’ll take a look at is DirecTV Stream, which offers a 5 Day Free Trial, perfect for catching the draft.
DirecTV stream has 3 streaming plans:
- Entertainment Plan – $84.98 first 3 months ($94.98 thereafter)
- Choice + Sports Pack – $98.99 first month ($123.98 thereafter)
- Ultimate + Sports Pack – 109.99 first month ($134.98 thereafter)
The Entertainment plan, which is the DirecTV Stream base plan, carries your local ABC affiliate (in most markets) as well as ESPN. It does not carry NFL Network however. To get that you’ll need to upgrade to Choice or Ultimate to get all three channels that air the draft.
DirecTV Stream is also offering a $100 Gift Card when you sign up for the Choice Plan or higher, so if you’re on the fence, now would be a great time to sign up.
While DirecTV Stream isn’t cheap, it does offer up to 150+ channels which include Regional Sports Networks (RSN’s) in many markets, which can be difficult to find in other streaming packages.
DirecTV Stream offers unlimited DVR and unlimited simultaneous streams inside your house and 3 away from your house, which is a great feature for large families sharing the plan.
DirecTV Stream is available on most devices including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, and most Smart TVs.
HD Antenna – ABC Only
For many years the NFL Draft was only available on cable channels but in 2024 the NFL Draft can be watched completely free over the air on ABC, provided you have an HD antenna that can pick up your local network.
If you don’t have an HD antenna don’t worry, indoor antennas are fairly cheap (usually $20-30) and are available on Amazon or most stores that have an electronics department.
Conclusion
Unlike many sporting events, the NFL makes it easy to watch their events for cheap and even free. Fortunately, the NFL Draft is one of those events, especially if you get good over-the-air reception for your local ABC station. When the NFL season rolls around be sure to check out our article about how to watch NFL RedZone so you can keep up on all the action every Sunday.
