As streaming giants grow larger, they are vying for more access to live sports broadcasts. As one of the largest, Amazon Prime Video already offers live broadcasts to several professional sports organizations, including the NFL. At this time, there are still few premium video-on-demand (VOD) services that provide live coverage. Not even the NFL’s own service NFL Game Pass delivers live broadcasts. So, it’s sort of a big deal that a non-cable-alternative like Amazon Prime Video earned the rights for live NFL games.
Amazon Prime Video offers thousands of episodes and movies within its catalog. Outside of its own collection, Amazon Prime allows you to rent and purchase titles that are otherwise difficult to track down. Check out Amazon Prime Video along with its features and movie catalog with our review. If you’re 3rd and inches, so to speak, but need to know more about packages and pricing before you decide, we cover that too in our breakdown.
With live sports now available on Amazon Prime Video, NFL games can be streamed live just like traditional TV. Find out how to stream your Amazon Prime Video NFL package below.
Can I Stream Every NFL Game on Amazon Prime Video?
Just like any other professional sport, the NFL is tied into numerous, complicated contracts with local and national networks. We won’t bore you with the details, but the short answer is that, no, Amazon Prime Video doesn’t stream every NFL game. As of today, you can find live Thursday Night Football games on Prime Video.
At this point in time, if you want to catch every NFL game live, you’ll need either a traditional or cable-alternative service, such as DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, Vidgo, or YouTube TV. Live NFL games are available to stream on Paramount+, Peacock, and with Sunday Ticket, you can watch live out-of-market games.
There’s also Amazon Prime Video’s X-Ray feature. This is a feature that’s particularly useful to fantasy football and superfans who want to be kept up-to-date on key insights and all the league stats. The X-Ray feature not only lets you watch replays, but it lists stats such as completion probability, running speeds, and time the QB has in the pocket. There are also helpful features like important milestones, trivia, and simple box score statistics.
What Other NFL Content Does Amazon Prime Video Offer?
Just because you can’t tune into Sunday’s game lineup using Amazon Prime Video doesn’t mean you can’t get a football fix with your current subscription. Live games aside, Amazon offers some original game scheduling to help fans analyze games and more.
NFL content available to all Amazon Prime Video subscribers includes:
NFL Next: This weekly show features hosts Kay Adams, Andrew Hawkins, Daniel Jeremiah and Chris Long. The pigskin experts look ahead to the week in the NFL prior to the Thursday night kickoff.
All or Nothing: This unique documentary series began in 2016. The series follows one team over the course of an NFL season, offering you behind the scenes footage in the locker room and beyond. There are currently 5 seasons available.
NFL Icons: Brett Favre is covered in the first episode of this new documentary series. Each episode will cover an NFL icon. You can see the first episode as a Prime subscriber; get an EPIX free trial to binge the other episodes if you don’t want to pay.
NFL content available with Amazon Prime Video channel add-ons includes:
Inside the NFL: This content is available with a Paramount+ add-on. Each week’s episode is available from Tuesday evening until Sunday at 12 PM ET. Episodes recap the previous week’s games and offer analysis and predictions.
It’s worth noting that as of the 2022 football season, Amazon will be the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. The games will no longer be shown on FOX. Viewers in the local markets of participating teams will still be able to watch the games on local channels. All other viewers will need to view the games on Prime Video. This new arrangement could lead to a bounty of new NFL content on the streaming service, so keep your eyes peeled for newly announced shows in the next few years.
Which Devices Can I Use to Stream the NFL on Amazon Prime Video?
You can watch live events on Amazon via numerous streaming devices. The general rule of thumb is as long as the device supports the Amazon Prime Video app, you can stream live sports. These include all popular devices like game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and web browsers. Take a look at the full list below.
- Amazon Fire TV
- Amazon Fire Tablet
- Android devices
- Apple TV
- Google Chrome
- iOS devices
- PlayStation
- Roku
- Web browsers
- Xbox One
If you see your device listed here but you’re unable to download the Amazon Prime Video app or successfully stream content, you may have an outdated operating system. Older devices are often retired and unable to download the latest software updates. If this is the case, you’ll need to get a newer device in order to watch the NFL on Amazon Prime.
More on NFL streaming with Amazon
Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of Prime Video sports.
When Does NFL Coverage Start on Amazon Prime?
You can watch Thursday night games with a live kickoff time of 8:20pm ET/5:20pm PT. Before the first quarter, the network puts on the official NFL Network pregame show at 7:30pm ET. This is available in addition to Prime Video’s pregame show, NFL Next, which airs on Tuesdays at 8:00pm ET. You can also watch a 10-minute post-game recap after every available Thursday night game.
What are the Announcer Options for Thursday Night Football?
Thursday Night Football has a broadcast team that features a mixture of new faces, veterans, and legends. Al Michaels does play-by-play commentary with Kirk Herbstreit joining him as color commentator. Other personnel include
Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter), Terry McAulay (rules analyst), Charissa Thompson (pregame host), and Tony Gonzalez (pregame analyst).
Also, you may be able to switch between announcers throughout the game.
To choose your commentary, go to the “Audio and Commentary” option on your smart TV or other device. If you have a Fire TV, you can hit the “Menu” button on your remote. A drop-down menu will appear and you can scroll through the available announcers for that game and select the one you want.
Are There Any Playoff Games Available on Amazon Prime Video?
Yes. The Thursday Night Football arrangement between Amazon and the NFL includes a playoff wild card game.
Where Can I Find Live NFL Games on Amazon Fire TV?
Live NFL games, like Thursday Night Football, will appear on the Home screen of Fire TV’s operating system in the Sports section. If, for any reason, the game isn’t populating, navigate to the Live tab in the main menu.
Where Do I Find Live NFL Games on the Amazon Prime Video App?
Are you using an Amazon Fire Stick, connecting with Amazon Prime via your cable provider (like Cox’s Contour service), or using Chromecast? Finding NFL content is still easy. Scroll down to the Sports section of your Prime Video app. You’ll see the available games for the whole week, with the most imminent games to the left in the lineup.
Why Am I Having Buffering Issues with Amazon Prime Video’s NFL Live Stream?
First, make sure that you’re using one of the devices that support the NFL on Amazon Prime Video. The device you’re using needs to have capable download speeds. Buffering issues also hinge on whether you’re watching standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD) content. Amazon recommends a minimum of 1 Mbps for SD and 5 Mbps for HD live streams.
What Are Other Ways to Live Stream NFL Games?
Outside of Amazon Prime Video, cord cutters have many options to watch their favorite team compete on the gridiron throughout the NFL season. You can stream NFL games on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or any compatible device with a subscription to DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, Vidgo, YouTube TV, Paramount+, or Peacock.
How to Watch NFL Games on DIRECTV STREAM
- Price: Starts at $74.99/mo.
- Channels: 75+
- Free trial: 5 days
- DVR: Unlimited hours
- Sign up for DIRECTV STREAM
For $74.99 per month for the lowest package, you gain access to ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and over 75 channels. One notable exception is you will not have access to the NFL Network, so you’ll miss any games streaming exclusively on that channel unless you upgrade to the Choice package, which includes over 105 channels for $99.99 per month.
With DIRECTV STREAM, all plans include a 5-day free trial, unlimited DVR storage, no contracts or hidden fees.
How to Watch NFL Games on Fubo
- Price: Starts at $74.99/mo.
- Channels: 150+
- Free trial: 7 days
- DVR: 1000 hours
If you’re wondering how to watch the NFL season, Fubo is a solid bet. It comes with all the channels you need like ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and the NFL Network in the Pro plan for only $74.99 per month.
Fubo is perfect for sports fans because the service offers the ability to watch up to 10 screens at once, live stream more than 150 channels, and over 100 live sporting events, so you can catch your favorite NFL team competing throughout the season. With 1000 hours of DVR space included, you can record and rewatch your favorite shows, games, movies, and more.
New subscribers can try Fubo for free for one week.
How to Watch NFL on Sling TV
- Price: Starts at $40/mo.
- Channels: 32+
- Free trial: None
- DVR: 50 hours
- Sign up for Sling TV
If you want an affordable way to stream NFL games live during the 2023 preseason, Sling TV might be the right fit. It offers three packages, starting from $40 per month. The Sling Orange + Blue is the best option for NFL fans, as it comes with over 45 channels like ABC, FOX, and NBC in select markets, ESPN, and the NFL Network for $55 per month.
That said, you will need another way to watch games airing on CBS. With the platform, you receive up to three streams, thousands of on-demand programming options, and 50 hours of recording space
How to Watch NFL Games on Hulu + Live TV
- Price: $69.99
- Channels: 85+
- Free trial: None
- DVR: Unlimited
- Sign up for Hulu + Live TV
With Hulu + Live TV, you can live stream many NFL games. The service includes over 85 channels in a lineup that features ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and the NFL Network for only $69.99 per month.
Hulu pairs its live TV with its robust catalog of on-demand shows to stream for $69.99 a month. A subscription includes unlimited hours of DVR space and access to Disney+ and ESPN+.
How to Watch NFL Games on Vidgo
- Price: Starts $69.99/mo.
- Channels: 110+
- Free trial: None
- DVR: 90 days
Vidgo carries over 110 live channels, including live NFL games on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network in the Plus plan for $69.99 per month. With DVR and on-demand programming, Vidgo is an excellent option for NFL games, however, CBS and NBC aren’t carried, which means you’ll have to find another option to stream live games on the networks.
Vidgo offers up to 3 simultaneous streams, DVR is included in the Premium subscription, and up to 90 with the Plus plan.
How to Watch the NFL Games on YouTube TV
- Price: Starts at $72.99/mo.
- Free trial: Varies (Up to 2 weeks)
- DVR: Unlimited hours
YouTube TV is one of the best options for football fans. It comes with ESPN, the NFL Network, ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, giving you access to stream most NFL games live. And if you miss one, you can use the unlimited DVR to catch it later.
With the platform, you receive over 100 channels, 6 household accounts, and three streams.
How to Watch the NFL Games on Peacock
NBC is available to stream with a subscription to Peacock. Live stream the NFL games with a subscription to Peacock Premium for only $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year, or upgrade to Premium Plus subscription, which gives you access to your local NBC, and no ads for only $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year. Peacock gives over 80,000 hours of entertainment, and live sports, including the Premier League, WWE, IndyCar, and much more.
Watch the NFL Preseason on Paramount+
As the streaming home of CBS, you can stream live games on Paramount+. A Paramount+ subscription is the perfect supplement for those who are subscribed to a live TV streaming service that doesn’t include CBS. With your subscription, you can stream thousands of hours of classics, originals, and new programming, including live sports.
Live NFL games are available for as low as $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year with the Paramount+ Essential plan. Upgrade your experience to gain access to fewer ads, your local CBS station, and Showtime originals, movies, and sports with Paramount+ with SHOWTIME for $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year.
Each Paramount+ plan includes a 1-week free trial for new subscribers.
The Final Cut
With the NFL increasing its presence on Amazon Prime Video, it’s not only great for Prime members but anyone with a streaming device. Now, if you have traditional TV with access to all the major networks, this might be huge news. But if you’re someone who cut the cord and currently uses various streaming services in place of the cable experience, you’ll find this as a huge win.
The writing on the wall points to streaming devices as the future of live professional broadcasting. Amazon Prime members can watch Thursday Night Football and will even have a direct line to the NFL Wild Card round. Are you thinking about cutting the cord? What if you could obtain access to local networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC for a one-time cost? With a digital antenna, you’ll gain access to live HD programming of local channels and regional sports networks (RSNs), while having the ability to record live programming for future viewing.