Packers vs. Falcons: How to watch NFL games without cable – CNET

It’s week two of the NFL season and this Sunday night, the Atlanta Falcons open their new $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz stadium against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. If you want to watch the game — or any other NFL game — and don’t have cable, this is your guide. 

NFL games are broadcast on CBS and Fox on Sunday afternoons, NBC on Sunday nights and ESPN on Monday nights. A Thursday night game is on the NFL Network each week, but five will be simulcast on CBS, followed by another five on NBC. (And, for the record: CNET is a division of CBS.)

You don’t need a cable or satellite subscription, however, to enjoy live NFL games. Cord cutters can watch on the big five streaming services — PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, DirectTV Now, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV — but channel lineups vary by service. In a first, Amazon Prime members will be able to stream games this year, while Verizon Wireless subscribers will again be able stream games on their phones for free. And, depending on where you live, DirectTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket can be streamed without a satellite dish.

I teamed up with Mr. Cable Cutter from CutCableToday to round up all of the NFL’s live streaming options for the 2017-18 season.

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Nonstreaming option: Free over-the-air TV

Let’s start with the free option. If you live in an area with good reception, you can get football games for free on over-the-air broadcast channels just by attaching an affordable (under $30) indoor antenna to nearly any TV. In addition to the games on CBS, Fox and NBC, if your local team is playing on ESPN or NFL Network, that game will usually be simulcast on a local station, too. In other words, you should be able to watch your local team for free every week. You’ll also get to watch the other games on Sunday broadcast on CBS and Fox as well as the 10 Thursday night games that air on CBS and NBC.