The NFL Preseason is must-watch TV for diehard football fans nationwide, yet the broadcasts are increasingly confusing to watch. In this NFL preseason viewing guide, I will walk fans through the best available options for watching their team’s preseason matchups.
Most games are broadcast regionally on a typical NFL Sunday during the regular season, with a handful of marquee matchups featured in the three big nationally televised games: MNF, Sunday Night Football, and Thursday Night Football.
However, the rules change in the NFL preseason, and the focus is more localized. If you live in the same market as your favorite NFL team, you can watch every preseason game on local channels (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC).
Watch local channels, NFL Network, ESPN, and more. | $74.99 / month | 7 Day Free Trial |
Watch EVERY NFL Preseason game OUT-OF-MARKET. | $39.99 / year | 7 day free trial |
Watch local channels, NFL Network, and upgrade for NFL Sunday Ticket. | $72.99 / month | 14 Day Free Trial |
If you live in the same region as your NFL team but not locally, as a Broncos fan in Boise, you can watch the entire preseason on NFL+. The same principle applies for out-of-market fans. NFL+ will carry all of your team’s preseason games.
Further, local NFL fans don’t have to worry about the national preseason broadcasts. Local affiliates will still carry the games.
Local Fans
Watch every preseason game on your local affiliates (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC).
Regional & Out-of-market
Watch every preseason game on NFL+, or “mix and match” with NFL Network, ESPN, and national channels.
Why Preseason games are so confusing to watch
Perhaps of all NFL games, preseason games are the most confusing to watch.
For example, in the screenshot below, I added a screenshot of Google’s “TV and streaming” options for a preseason game between the Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The TV options are listed as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, but every channel is listed as “not available in your region.” How can this be?
Because Google is referencing local affiliates, not national broadcasts.
Remember, in-market NFL preseason games aren’t carried regionally, they are only carried locally on a handful of affiliates.
So, is Google search wrong?
It is technically correct that an ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliate has the Dolphins vs. Bucs game, but only in hyper local broadcasts that most fans don’t have access to.
This is why NFL+ comes into play, the NFL’s streaming service has access to every out-of-market preseason game.
Unlike the regular season where NFL+ only has mobile rights to games, NFL+ carries all NFL preseason broadcasts out-of-market on both mobile and smart TVs, and incorporates NFL Network programming.
For the majority of NFL fans, the go to viewing options for the preseason are NFL Network and NFL+. Don’t be thrown off by the national channels showing up as carrying the games.
Which live TV streaming services carry NFL Network, ESPN, and national NFL channels?
| Fubo | YouTube TV | Hulu + Live TV | DIRECTV STREAM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| $74.99 / month | $72.99 / month | $69.99 / month | $74.99 / month |
Why NFL fans might not want to signup for NFL+ to watch the preseason
For local fans wanting to watch the regular season at a great price, and who are fine with NFL streaming only on mobile devices, it’s impossible to beat NFL+.
However, if you’re a regional fan, or an out-of-market fan, NFL+ won’t carry your team’s game each week once the preseason ends.
For this reason, it will be more convenient for many households to watch the preseason on a streaming service, like Fubo, that carries NFL Network and the most important NFL channels. This way, all the bases are covered with both preseason and regular season access.
Pure out-of-market fans will want to sign up for YouTube TV so they can add NFL Sunday Ticket when the regular season gets underway.