How to Watch the 2025 NFL Season Without Cable – Full Streaming Guide
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Are you ready for some football but want to avoid the massive cable bill? Whether it's preseason warmups, the regular season, the playoffs, or the Super Bowl, you don’t need cable to catch every touchdown, sack, and game-winning field goal of the 2025 NFL season.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to watch every NFL game—preseason, regular season, and postseason—without cable TV. Plus, I’ll reveal which games will be exclusively streamed this year, meaning even cable subscribers won’t be able to watch them without an additional streaming service.
Let’s break it all down!
Where to Watch NFL Games in 2025
The NFL is spread across multiple networks and streaming platforms, and knowing where to find your team’s games can save you money and frustration.
Preseason Games
- Some games will air locally on CBS, Fox, and NBC (if your team is in your geographic area).
- National games will be on NFL Network, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video.
- Some teams offer select game streams on their official websites—check your favorite team’s site for details.
Regular Season Games
- AFC Games (1 PM & 4 PM ET slots): Mostly on CBS.
- NFC Games (Sunday afternoons): Mostly on Fox.
- Sunday Night Football: NBC (also streamed on Peacock).
- Thursday Night Football: Exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
- Monday Night Football: ESPN (one exclusive game on ESPN+).
- Peacock Exclusive: One Sunday Night Football game in Week 17.
NFL Playoffs & Super Bowl 2026
- Wild Card Weekend: CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and one exclusive Peacock game.
- Divisional & Conference Championships: CBS, Fox, NBC.
- Super Bowl LX (2026): NBC (also streaming live on Peacock).
How to Watch NFL Games Without Cable
1. Free Over-the-Air (OTA) Antenna
If your team is local, you can watch games for free with a digital antenna:
- Indoor antenna: Works well if you’re close to broadcast towers (picks up CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC).
- Outdoor antenna: Better for rural areas (some users pick up signals from 100+ miles away).
- Pro Tip: If your HOA restricts outdoor antennas, try running a temporary cable outside during games.
2. Standalone Streaming Apps (Paid Options)
If your team isn’t local, these services offer live games:
- Amazon Prime Video – Most Thursday Night Football games (free trial available).
- Paramount+ – CBS games (included with Walmart+ subscription).
- Peacock – NBC & exclusive Sunday Night Football game ($6/month).
- ESPN+ – One exclusive Monday Night Football game ($11/month).
3. NFL+ & NFL+ Premium
- NFL+ ($7/month):
- Listen to live regular-season games.
- Watch preseason games live.
- Stream regular-season games on mobile only.
- NFL+ Premium ($15/month or $100/year):
- Watch all games (full replays shortly after they air).
- Condensed versions (watch a full game in ~45 minutes).
- Commercial-free replays (available ~1 hour after broadcast).
4. Live TV Streaming Services (Cable Alternatives)
These services carry most NFL games (but not streaming-exclusive matchups):
- YouTube TV
- Hulu + Live TV
- DirecTV Stream
- FuboTV
- Sling TV
5. NFL Sunday Ticket (For Out-of-Market Games)
If you want every single NFL game live, NFL Sunday Ticket (via YouTube TV) is the most comprehensive (but expensive) option.
Exclusively Streamed NFL Games in 2025
Some games won’t be on cable at all—you’ll need a streaming service:
- YouTube/YouTube TV: One Week 1 game.
- Amazon Prime Video: 16 Thursday Night Football games.
- Peacock: One exclusive Sunday Night Football game (Week 17).
- Netflix: Two exclusive Christmas Day games.
- ESPN+: One exclusive Monday Night Football game.
Note: If you have NFL+, NFL+ Premium, or NFL Sunday Ticket, you can still watch these games.
Final Thoughts: Cut the Cord & Save Money
Even if you subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket, it’s still cheaper than a full-year cable package. And with free OTA antennas, trials, and standalone apps, you might even watch your team for free.
Need Help?
Got questions about streaming NFL games or other content without cable? Drop them in the comments, and I’ll cover them in a future post!
Remember: When you have streaming questions, you need A Faster PC.
