The National Football League has returned. No one would mistake preseason football for must-see action, but it’s the first chance for many fans to see rookies in live-game action, to watch players on the cusp of making the opening-day roster, and even to get a hint of what top players are going to break out this year.
Almost all NFL preseason games will air on the local affiliate network for that team (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CW, MyTV and so on), and many of those games will air nationally on the NFL Network, and a few will be nationally broadcast on Amazon Prime, CBS, Fox, ESPN and NBC. Without cable or living outside of market of the team you wish to watch, we’re going to break down all the best ways to live stream NFL preseason games in 2024.
Upcoming NFL preseason 2024 schedule
- August 8: Panthers at Patriots, 7:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network, locals
- August 8: Lions at Giants, 7:00 p.m. ET, locals
- August 9: Texans at Steelers, 7:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network, locals
- August 9: Falcons at Dolphins, 7:00 p.m. ET, locals
- August 8: Eagles at Ravens, 7:30 p.m. ET, locals
- August 10: Commanders at Jets, 12:00 p.m. ET, locals
- August 10: Bears at Bills, 1:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network, locals
- August 10: Raiders at Vikings, 4:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network, locals
- August 10: Packers at Browns, 4:25 p.m. ET, locals
- August 10: Chiefs at Jaguars, 7:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network, locals
- August 10: Bucs at Bengals, 7:00 p.m. ET, locals
- August 10: 49ers at Titans, 7:00 p.m. ET, locals
- August 10: Seahawks at Chargers, 7:00 p.m. ET, locals
- August 10: Saints at Cardinals, 8:00 p.m. ET, locals
- August 11: Broncos at Colts, 1:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network, locals
- August 11: Cowboys at Rams, 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network, locals
Can you watch NFL preseason games for free?
That depends on where you live, and on the station airing your team (market-dependent; you can see every in-season market viewer info right here), but for the most part, in-market games and nationally televised games are available to watch live in Fubo.
The ‘Pro’ base channel package brings ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC to the set, in almost all markets, while the CW and MyTV will play in a handful of markets; meanwhile, NFL Network—which will show plenty of live out-of-market games and every single preseason game on a replay—is also included.
Fubo will set you back $80 a month, but you can get a free seven-day trial, meaning that if you just want to see one particular game, you can sign up, watch the game and then cancel before having to pay anything.
YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream are viable here as well. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are included in YouTube TV’s “Base Plan” in most markets, CW and MyTV are in some markets, and neither service carries NFL Network. The Base Plan is the only way to get NFL Sunday Ticket this year if you’re planning to watch out-of-market games during the regular season. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are all included in DirecTV Stream’s “Entertainment” channel package in most markets, as are CW and MyTV in just a couple of markets. If you want NFL Network, you’ll need to move up to the “Choice” bundle.
Both YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer five-day free trials.
Watch out-of-market NFL preseason games on NFL+
If you’re looking to watch a game that’s out of your local broadcasting area (and not being nationally televised), all you need is a subscription to NFL+, which is only $7 per month or $50 for the season.
Besides watching every out-of-market regular-season and preseason game live, through the subscription package you will be able to watch the NFL Network, as well as the local and primetime regular-season games live through your phone or tablet.
Watch NFL preseason games from abroad
For fans outside of the US and China, every single NFL game (preseason, regular season and playoffs) is available via a DAZN subscription, though access for Canadians is included in their regular DAZN subscription while fans elsewhere must sign up for Game Pass International through DAZN.
Alternatively, you can access a VPN, which will disguise your location and allow you to sign in to a digital server based in another country (say, the US) – thus avoiding the geoblock and allowing you to watch on Fubo, YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream if you are outside the US.Our recommendation for this is NordVPN, but you can also take a glance of our round-up of the best VPN services.
