We are only a few weeks away from the NFL preseason kicking off. What is even better is the fact that you do not need to pay the high cost of cable with long term contracts to enjoy it.
The NFL is most commonly asked about when it comes to sport coverage questions. The good news is with an antenna, 90% of Americans will be able to access their local CBS, FOX, and NBC stations. Add in a streaming service such as Sling TV or PlayStation Vue for ESPN and the NFL Network and you have the same coverage your local cable TV company can give you.
Step #1: CBS, FOX, and NBC
In 2017, most NFL games will be aired free over the air on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. The best part is many of the biggest games every week will be free over the air.
If you have the option, an antenna is always the best way to watch college football to avoid the delay or the risk of the stream crashing out. Streaming is great, but you will find a 30 second or so delay on average. Sometimes more if you are seeing a lot of buffering.
If you need an antenna or want to see what channels you can get where you live, check out AntennaRecommendations.com.
Over 90% of Americans have access to some or all of these channels; however, that still leaves 30 million Americans who struggle to get one network or another over the air. For them, a growing number of services, such as DIRECTV NOW, Hulu, and PlayStation Vue, all offer locals. We recommend you check out each site to see what locals they offer in your area. CBS All Access now streams in-market Sunday games through its streaming service.
You can also watch Thursday night games from CBS and NBC on Amazon Prime this year. You will need to be an Amazon Prime member to watch them. (Unless you use an antenna.)
Step #2 NFL Network Thursday Night & ESPN Monday Night Football
An antenna won’t give you every game, as some Thursday night games and all Monday Night games air on a cable network. The good news is Sling TV and PlayStation Vue have you covered.
At this time only two live TV streaming services offer both ESPN and the NFL Network; PlayStation Vue and Sling TV. What is even better is they both offer a free trial so you can test it out before you pay.
Bonus NFL Redzone
NFL Redzone allows you to bounce around from game to game so you never miss the biggest plays happening at that moment. Both Sling TV & PlayStation Vue offer it as a add-on to their streaming services. With Sling TV it is part of the Sport Add-on for $10 a month. PlayStation Vue last year they charged $39.99 and I would expect it to be the same this year.
Step #3 Enjoy Some Football
Well there you have it- you now have the same access to the NFL that you would get if you paid for Comcast or Spectrum.
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