Despite sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks that caused a handful of teams to have their schedules adjusted, the 2020 NFL season remains doggedly on track as we enter the final weeks of the regular season.
After Sunday’s games of Week 15, the Bills captured their first AFC East crown in 25 years by blowing out the Broncos, and the Patriots lost to the Dolphins and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Meanwhile, Tom Brady led a team to another comeback over the Atlanta Falcons, the Chiefs topped the Saints in the marquee game of the week and the Jets upended the Rams for their first win in the biggest upset of the year. While the Jets will avoid the distinction of going 0-16, they may have also lost the top pick in the draft and a chance to select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. Even when the Jets win, they still lose!
Monday night saw yet another upset as the Bengals handed the Steelers their third straight loss, opening up the AFC North division race. With only two weeks to play, much is still up for grabs.
Friday kicks off Week 16 with a special Christmas Day edition of Thursday Night Football when the Vikings visit the Saints. A New Orleans win would keep Drew Brees and co. in the running for a possible first-round bye, while Minnesota needs to win (and have the Arizona Cardinals lose) to keep their slim postseason chances alive.
Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT) on Fox, the NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch.
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
How can I watch the NFL without cable?
You can stream the 2020 NFL season, no cable required, on any live-TV streaming service that carries channels with live games. Numerous such services offer broadcast networks like CBS, NBC and Fox as well as ESPN, the NFL Network and NFL RedZone. Exact channels may also vary based on where you live, but the best services for NFL fans are YouTube TV and FuboTV.
Thursday Night Football is also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video (so long as you subscribe to Amazon Prime), Twitch or the Yahoo Sports or NFL apps. Fox and the NFL Network broadcast Thursday Night Football games as well.
Week 16’s Saturday games will require both the NFL Network and Amazon Prime Video to watch all the action outside of local markets. The NFL Network will exclusively air the 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) Buccaneers versus Lions matchup and the 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT) showdown between the Dolphins and Raiders. Amazon Prime Video will be the exclusive national option for the 49ers and Cardinals game at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT).
For those looking for a different experience, Fox will be streaming its Thursday night games in 4K on FuboTV (as well as offering the 4K feed on certain cable and satellite providers). Amazon, meanwhile, will be adding the option to choose from a variety of different announcers in its Prime Video app, so you have options just in case Fox’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman aren’t to your liking.
Read more: NFL streaming: Best ways to watch the 2020 football season live without cable
YouTube TV
Offers all available NFL channels
YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes all the channels NFL fans need: CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network. There’s also an option for RedZone for an extra $11 a month. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
FuboTV
Offers all available NFL channels
FuboTV costs $65 a month for its Family plan and includes CBS, Fox and NBC plus ESPN and the NFL Network. An $11-a-month Sports Plus add-on will get you into the RedZone, and FuboTV will also stream the Fox Thursday Night Football games in 4K. Click here to see which local channels you get.
Hulu Plus Live TV
Offers CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $65 a month and includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. Click the “View channels in your area” link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code. The NFL Network and RedZone aren’t available from this service.
AT&T TV
Offers CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN
AT&T TV basic, $60-a-month Plus package includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. The NFL Network and RedZone are not available.
Sling TV
It’s complicated, but Sling offers Fox, NBC, NFL Network, RedZone and ESPN
Sling TV splits its live NFL options across its $30-a-month Blue plan and $30-a-month Orange plan, which forces NFL fans into a tricky choice or encourages them to spring for both at $45 a month. Sling Blue includes the NFL Network, NBC and Fox as well as the option to add RedZone through the Sports Extra add-on for $10 per month. Sling Orange includes ESPN.
Sling TV doesn’t offer CBS, but its packages are discounted by $10 for the first month. Enter your address here to see which local channels are available where you live.
CBS All Access
Offers CBS
CBS All Access costs $6 per month and will let you watch the games being broadcast on your local CBS station on Sundays if you live in one of these 206 markets where the service offers live TV. It makes for a good add-on for Sling TV subscribers, who don’t get CBS.
All of the services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our massive streaming services guide.
As mentioned above, the NFL is continuing to stream games live on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch. The full list of remaining dates and games for that platform is:
- Dec. 26: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (this game is on Saturday night and will be exclusive to Prime Video and Twitch outside the teams’ respective home markets)
- Jan. 10: AFC Wild Card playoff game that also airs on CBS
Finally, cord-cutters can receive free local CBS, Fox and NBC broadcasts using an over-the-air antenna.
When did the NFL season start?
The NFL regular season began on Thursday, Sept. 10, with the Houston Texans visiting the Kansas City Chiefs.
Where are games being played?
Teams play their games as scheduled in their respective home stadiums.
Are fans allowed in?
Some teams allow fans and some do not.
The Chiefs, for example, hosted their home opener on Sept. 10 with 15,895 fans in attendance, 21% of Arrowhead’s capacity.
Other teams, including the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears, hosted their respective home openers without fans in the stands in Week 2. This so far has been a team-by-team, city-by-city situation that is subject to change throughout the season.
What happened to the preseason?
The NFL canceled the entire 2020 preseason in July, with teams focusing on doing their own training camps to prepare for the upcoming season.
Which players are sitting out?
Like in other sports, a fair amount of NFL players have opted out of the 2020 season. Here are a few of the notable players not participating this year, with a larger list available at ESPN:
- Patrick Chung, S, New England Patriots
- Dont’a Hightower, LB, New England Patriots
- Marqise Lee, WR, New England Patriots
- Marquise Goodwin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
- Devin Funchess, WR, Green Bay Packers
- Geronimo Allison, WR, Detroit Lions
- C.J. Mosley, LB, New York Jets
- Nate Solder, OT, New York Giants
- Damien Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs