Streaming NFL games without cable could be a lot less expensive

The NFL recently announced new TV broadcasting rights starting in 2023 and it looks like it will be cheaper than ever to watch the NFL online.

Thursday night games will be available (mostly) exclusively on Amazon Prime, meaning they will only be available streaming and not through traditional television. Some FOX games will be on free streaming service Tubi. CBS games will be available on Paramount+ where plans currently start at $6. Sunday Night Football games will be streamed on Peacock TV where plans start at $5. Finally, ESPN will stream some Monday Night Football games on ESPN+ which costs $6, and one international game will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.

That means the vast majority of NFL games could be streamed for a grand total of $17 per month at current prices, plus an Amazon Prime membership. That is far less than the $45+ for a cable replacement streaming service that was required for the 2020 season. 

We’re still waiting to hear the details on NFL RedZone, NFL Sunday Ticket, and mobile streaming rights (all local games were free on mobile in 2020). Also, the pricing or restrictions of watching NFL games on these streaming services may change before the season starts. For example, how many games will be available on ESPN+ and Tubi each week, or will CBS/NBC require higher-priced plans to access NFL games? But all indications are this is a great move for NFL fans who have cut the cord or have been waiting to do so.

Update to best streaming services for sports, and my favorites for 2020

I recently updated the streaming sports page with new products, pricing, and channel availability. There are a lot of updates for 2020, and for the first time in years fewer services than the year prior. The prevailing trend seems to be higher prices, with every single service implementing price hikes.

Sling continues to be a great option, as it is affordable, includes all of the major national sports channels, and the two separate packages can make it even more affordable for fans of particular sports. However, Sling is in a dispute with the NFL and is not currently carrying the NFL Network. Assuming they work this out before the NFL season begins, Sling is my first recommendation for sports fans looking to get rid of cable. I used Sling last NFL and NHL seasons, and the only major complaint I have is that the picture quality is consistently mediocre compared to other streaming services and traditional cable/satellite. Luckily, this can be partially remedied by using your Sling account info to sign into apps from the sports networks (ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, etc), but this does not work for the NFL Network or RedZone, and those channels were the main draw for me to use Sling last year. The other issue with Sling for NFL fans is a lack of CBS. Personally, I do not mind that much as I prefer to watch RedZone most of the time, but this will be a dealbreaker for some.

Fubo continues to get better. They recently added ESPN, and are the best source of 4k sporting events (though I remain unconvinced of the benefits, but that’s a discussion for another time). However, Fubo dropped TNT and TBS, which will be a tough sell for NBA and MLB fans. At the moment, it is the only service that offers NFL Network and RedZone, but I do expect that to change by the fall. YouTube and Hulu continue to be solid options with some nice bonus features, but each are missing some key channels and have seen big price hikes.

I’m also a little disappointed we haven’t seen more innovation from streaming services and media players. I would’ve hoped by now we would see support for live pausing/rewinding, picture-in-picture, greater availability of 4k and HDR, and other new features. But the overall presentation of live sporting events over the internet hasn’t changed much at all since the days of cable. Maybe next year.