Your cable bill just crossed $150 a month again, and NFL preseason is about to kick off. Here's what most cable subscribers don't realize: every single NFL preseason game this year can be watched legally without a cable subscription — and some of the best options cost nothing at all.
Below, we break down every way to watch NFL preseason football in 2026, ranked from free to premium, so you can decide exactly what's worth your money before the season starts.
Why NFL Preseason Doesn't Require Cable
NFL preseason games are broadcast across NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. In 2026, every one of these networks is fully accessible without a traditional cable package. That's good news if you're already considering the switch — you're not giving up access, you're just changing how you get it.
Option 1: A Free TV Antenna
The cheapest way to watch NFL preseason is also the simplest: a basic TV antenna. In most parts of the United States, an antenna pulls in your local NBC, CBS, Fox, and ABC affiliates at no cost — no subscription, no monthly bill. Many households can also pick up the CW and Ion, which carry additional sports programming like NASCAR and the WNBA.
This matters because the very first game of the NFL preseason, the Hall of Fame Game between the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals, airs nationally on NBC on Thursday, August 6th at 8 p.m. Eastern — completely free with an antenna.
Local affiliates also carry your home team's preseason games. Dolphins fans, Bucs fans, and Jaguars fans across Florida can catch their team's local broadcasts this way, and the same holds true for fans of teams across the country.
A few tips before you buy:
- An outdoor antenna generally pulls in stronger, more reliable results than an indoor one, though an indoor antenna may be all you need depending on your location.
- Use the free FCC DTV coverage map before purchasing — enter your address and it will show you exactly which channels you can expect to receive.
For most households, an antenna alone covers a solid chunk of the preseason schedule at a one-time cost.
Option 2: Budget Streaming (ESPN and NFL Network Games)
An antenna handles your local and nationally broadcast games, but what about games airing on ESPN or NFL Network? That's where a low-cost streaming add-on comes in.
Sling Essentials runs $19.99 a month and includes ESPN. Alternatively, ESPN Unlimited is available directly from ESPN for $29.99 a month and layers in ESPN, NFL RedZone, and full game replays.
One important catch: ESPN Unlimited is a standalone sports package and won't give you your local channels. Pairing it with a TV antenna solves that gap, giving you a complete budget cord-cutting setup for around $30 a month total.
Option 3: Premium All-In-One Streaming Services
If you want zero coverage gaps and everything bundled into one subscription, this is the premium tier. Here's how the four main contenders compare:
- YouTube TV — The most complete single service for NFL preseason coverage. The base plan is $82.99 a month and includes local channels, ESPN, and NFL Network in one package. New users can lock in the Sports Plan at $54.99 a month, which is a strong value for what's included.
- Hulu + Live TV — $89.99 a month with ads, and it bundles in Disney+ and ESPN. Solid, but priced higher than YouTube TV.
- Fubo — Starts at $89 a month and is built specifically with sports fans in mind, though exact pricing varies by market.
- DirecTV Stream — Starts at $59.99 a month for the entertainment plan, but you'll need the Choice package at $94.99 a month to get the full sports lineup.
Bottom line: if you want a single service with complete coverage and no gaps, YouTube TV wins the value comparison — especially at the new-user Sports Plan pricing.
Option 4: NFL+ — The $6.99 Option (With One Catch)
NFL+ is priced at $6.99 a month or $49.99 for the full year, and for preseason specifically it includes live out-of-market games not broadcast in your local area, nationally televised games, in-market games through your team's app, and NFL Network programming. You can even stream the Hall of Fame Game directly through the NFL app.
The catch: live games on NFL+ are limited to phones and tablets, though many users are able to cast the stream to a television.
NFL+ Premium steps things up to $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, adding full replays of every preseason game, NFL RedZone, coaches film, and all-22 camera angles — a useful safety net if games overlap or you run into a local blackout.
NFL+ works best as a strong add-on rather than a standalone replacement. Paired with a basic $20 antenna, it's one of the best budget combinations on this list.
The One Service to Skip for Preseason: NFL Sunday Ticket
NFL Sunday Ticket is a well-known, well-advertised product — but it's exclusively for out-of-market regular season Sunday afternoon games. It does not include any preseason games, no local broadcasts, no national telecasts, and no playoff games.
If you buy NFL Sunday Ticket expecting to catch your team's August preseason schedule, you won't see a single game. Save that money and put it toward one of the options above instead.
Cord-Cutting Questions Florida Families Actually Ask
Choosing the right streaming setup sounds simple on paper, but in the real world, a few practical questions always come up:
- Which service actually works on my TV?
- Will my home network handle 4K streaming without buffering?
- What if I have dead zones in my house where the signal drops?
- What's the real monthly cost once everything adds up?
These are exactly the kinds of questions our team at A Faster PC helps South Florida, Treasure Coast, and Space Coast families work through every week. As a local managed IT services provider, we help households and small business owners cut their cable bills without losing access to the games and shows they actually want to watch — and make sure the home network and Wi-Fi setup can actually support it. If a slow or unreliable home network is part of the problem, our network setup and troubleshooting services can help diagnose dead zones and buffering issues before game day.
Get Help Cutting the Cord the Right Way
Cutting cable doesn't have to mean losing access to football season — it just takes the right combination of antenna, streaming service, and home network setup. A Faster PC proudly serves the Treasure Coast, Space Coast, and South Florida with hands-on, honest technology guidance for families and small businesses alike.
We're currently offering a free, no-obligation consultation. [Schedule your free discovery call] at AFasterPC.com or call us directly at 772-878-5978 to talk through the best cord-cutting setup for your household. For local businesses looking to modernize their IT beyond streaming, check out our cybersecurity services page and contact page to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I really watch NFL preseason games without cable in 2026?
A: Yes. Every NFL preseason game airs on networks that are fully accessible without a traditional cable subscription, including NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. Between a free TV antenna and a handful of low-cost streaming options, you can catch the entire preseason schedule legally without paying for cable.
Q: What's the cheapest way to watch NFL preseason games?
A: A basic TV antenna is completely free after the one-time purchase and pulls in local NBC, CBS, Fox, and ABC affiliates, which covers most local and nationally broadcast preseason games. For games on ESPN or NFL Network, pairing an antenna with a low-cost add-on like Sling Essentials or NFL+ keeps your total cost well under $30 a month.
Q: Does NFL Sunday Ticket cover preseason games?
A: No. NFL Sunday Ticket is built exclusively for out-of-market regular season Sunday afternoon games and does not include any preseason games, local broadcasts, or national telecasts. If you're only trying to watch preseason football, that money is better spent on an antenna, NFL+, or a streaming service like YouTube TV.
Q: What is NFL+ and is it worth it?
A: NFL+ costs $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year and gives you live out-of-market preseason games, nationally televised games, and NFL Network programming, plus the ability to watch the Hall of Fame Game. The main catch is that live games are limited to phones and tablets, though many people cast the stream to their TV. It works best as an add-on to an antenna rather than a standalone solution.
Q: Which streaming service is best if I want everything in one place?
A: YouTube TV is the most complete single option for NFL preseason coverage, bundling local channels, ESPN, and NFL Network into one service. New users can get the Sports Plan for $54.99 a month, which stands out as strong value compared to Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, or DirecTV Stream.
Q: How do I know which channels I can get with a TV antenna at my house?
A: Use the free FCC DTV coverage map online. Enter your address and it will show you exactly which local channels are available in your specific location before you buy an antenna, helping you choose between an indoor or outdoor model.
Q: I live on the Treasure Coast, Space Coast, or South Florida — can A Faster PC help me set this up?
A: Absolutely. A Faster PC is a managed services provider based right here in Florida, and we regularly help families and business owners across the Treasure Coast, Space Coast, and South Florida cut their cable bills without losing the channels and games they care about. We also help troubleshoot home network issues like buffering and Wi-Fi dead zones that can get in the way of a smooth streaming setup.
Q: Will my home Wi-Fi be able to handle streaming NFL games in 4K?
A: It depends on your router, your internet speed, and whether you have dead zones in your home. These are exactly the kinds of questions A Faster PC helps local households sort out with a free, no-obligation consultation before game day.
Watch the full video here: Watch the full video here: Ditch Cable, Keep the NFL: Preseason Streaming Tips.
About A Faster PC
A Faster PC the leading managed services provider (MSP) serving Florida's Treasure Coast, Space Coast, and South Florida. A Faster PC provides responsive IT support, advanced cybersecurity solutions, cloud backup, disaster recovery, breach remediation, patch management, computer repair, and technical support for accounting offices, attorneys' offices, medical offices, dental offices, professional offices, small- to medium-sized businesses, non-profits, churches, home office users, and individuals throughout the regions. We help our clients cut costs in their Internet, TV, and telephone bills and in business operations.
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