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When I first cut the cable nearly 8 years ago now, my biggest concerns were how to watch sports channels like NFL Network. Back then it wasn’t very easy to do but now there are a lot of streaming services that carry NFL Network.
You can watch NFL Network without cable with streaming services including Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and fuboTV.
In this article, we’ll show you how to stream NFL Network if you don’t have cable. We’ll also show you which options are cheapest and let you know which devices you need to watch them.
For the most NFL coverage, be sure to check out our article about how to watch NFL RedZone and the NFL Draft without cable too.
4 Ways To Watch NFL Network Without Cable
- Cheapest Option – Sling TV
- Free ESPN+ and Disney+ – Hulu + Live TV
- NFL Sunday Ticket Option – YouTube TV
- Most Sports Channels – fuboTV
Cheapest Option – Sling TV
The cheapest way to stream NFL Network without cable is Sling TV’s Blue package. NFL Network is not carried in the Sling Orange package.
The Sling Blue package starts at $40 per month and gives you 39 channels including NFL Network as well as popular channels like HGTV, TNT, TBS, A&E, and AMC.
Sling Blue also includes up to 50 hours of DVR and 3 simultaneous streams.
One thing to note if you’re a sports fan is that Sling Blue does not include ESPN, which is exclusive to the Sling Orange plan.
If you’re looking for both NFL Network and ESPN you’ll need to subscribe to Sling’s Orange & Blue plan, which includes the best of both packages. Sling Orange & Blue costs $55 per month and includes 43 channels.
While Sling’s cable channel lineup is impressive for the price, it does not include local channels in most markets, which may be an issue for football fans trying to watch their team’s games on CBS or FOX.
To get these local channels you’d need either an HD antenna or subscribe to one of the other Live TV streaming services that do include local channels (more on those in the next section).
You can watch Sling TV on most streaming devices including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, and most brands of Smart TV.
Free ESPN+ and Disney+ – Hulu + Live TV
The next cheapest option for streaming NFL Network is Hulu + Live TV, which costs $69.99 per month.
Although Hulu + Live TV is more expensive than Sling TV, it does include 85+ channels, which is significantly more. It also includes local channels, unlimited DVR, 2 simultaneous streams, and free ESPN+ and Disney+ as part of their base package (a $21/month value), so the additional cost may be worth it to you.
In addition to NFL Network, Hulu with Live TV also includes sports channels like ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and FS2, as well as popular channels like TNT, TBS, USA, and news channels.
Hulu with Live TV can be watched on most streaming devices like Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and most Smart TV brands.
NFL Sunday Ticket – YouTube TV
The next cheapest way to watch NFL Network is YouTube TV, which costs $72.99 per month for over 100 channels.
Starting in 2023 YouTube TV will also be the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket, where you can watch out-of-market games for all 32 NFL teams every Sunday.
It is important to note that NFL Sunday Ticket does require an additional fee though and is not included with the base plan.
Like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV includes local channels (in most markets) and unlimited DVR but allows you to watch 3 streams at a time. YouTube TV also allows you to share your plan with up to 6 accounts, each account having its own separate DVR, which is an excellent option for families.
In addition to NFL Network, YouTube TV carries most major sports channels including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNNews, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, and CBS Sports Network.
YouTube TV can be viewed on most streaming platforms like Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, Playstation, Xbox, and most Smart TV brands.
Most Sports Channels – fuboTV
The last option to watch NFL Network without cable is fuboTV, which starts at $74.99 per month for 155 channels.
What sets fuboTV apart from the other options is the number of sports channels available on their platform. In addition to NFL Network, the ESPN family, and the FS family, fuboTV also includes channels like Big10 Network, beIN Sports, TUDN Extra, and their own channel, fubo Sports.
fuboTV also offers regional sports networks in many markets so you can watch your local team’s NBA, MLB, and NHL broadcasts, an option not available on any of the other services mentioned above.
fuboTV also includes the ability to stream up to 10 streams simultaneously, as long as they’re all at your home, and 3 simultaneous streams outside of your house. This is a great option for large families.
fuboTV is available on most smart devices including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Android, Mac, PC, Xbox, and many Smart TV brands.
Live Streaming Services That Do Not Carry NFL Network
Unfortunately, not every live tv streaming service carries NFL Network. The following networks do not carry NFL Network at the time of this article.
- DirecTV Stream
- Sling Orange
- Philo TV
Philo TV doesn’t carry sports networks at all (see our Philo TV Review for more information on them) and we discussed Sling TV’s Orange/Blue channel split earlier, but DirecTV Stream not carrying NFL Network is a bit surprising, especially considering how DirecTV was the exclusive host of Sunday Ticket until this year. Considering the large number of sports channels DirecTV Stream carries.
If any of these services add NFL Network we’ll be sure to update the list in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch NFL Network on the NFL Network App?
While you can watch NFL Network on your Apple or Android device using the NFL Network app, you do need to log in to your cable or streaming tv service provider before the app will allow you access to the network. Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and fuboTV subscriptions can all be used to access the app.
Can I Buy Just NFL Network?
Unfortunately, NFL Network is not available to purchase on its own. To watch it you’ll need either a cable or Live TV streaming service subscription from the options we discussed above.
Can I Watch NFL Network On Roku?
Yes, you can watch NFL Network on Roku but you’ll need a cable or live TV streaming service subscription to do it. You can watch on Roku either by downloading the NFL Network app and logging in with your cable or Live TV service provider, or download the Roku app for Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or fuboTV and watch on there. I would recommend the latter option since you can watch other networks as well.
Can I Watch NFL Network On Fire Stick?
Like Roku, you can watch NFL Network on Amazon Fire Stick by downloading the NFL Network app and logging in with your TV provider (cable or streaming), or by downloading your Live TV streaming service’s Fire TV app and watching through that.
Is NFL Network on Amazon Prime?
The NFL Network channel is not available as part of an Amazon Prime subscription. Amazon does broadcast live NFL games exclusively on Prime Video every Thursday night so if you’re a football fan you may want to become an Amazon Prime subscriber to watch your team’s TNF game. For more information on Amazon Prime be sure to check out our full Amazon Prime review.
Is NFL Network on Peacock?
NFL Network is not available on Peacock at this time. Peacock will however carry one NFL playoff game exclusively on their streaming service, so this is yet another subscription plan that may be worth it to NFL fans.
Fortunately, Peacock is one of the cheaper services at just $4.99 per month, which also includes Premier League soccer (or football if you will), and WWE premium live events.
Does NFL Network Show All NFL Games?
While NFL Network does show replays of many NFL games throughout the week, the channel does not show them live. Your local team’s games are shown live on your local Fox and CBS stations, Sunday Night Football is broadcast on NBC, Monday Night Football is broadcast on ESPN, and Thursday Night Football is broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.
You can also watch out-of-market games with an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription (now exclusive to YouTube TV) and you can also keep up with every live game with the NFL RedZone channel.
Does NFL Network Still Show Thursday Night Football Games?
NFL Network no longer shows Thursday Night Football games live. TNF games are now exclusively shown on Amazon Prime Video.
