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How to watch Chicago Bears vs Carolina Panthers: Live Streaming Options

Written by Derek Fleming

Last updated on

Watch the Carolina Panthers live without cable on the device of your choice, including Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, and more.

Watch the Panthers
Carolina Panthers viewing guide.
Table of Contents
  1. Important channels
  2. Top picks
  3. Out-of-market
  4. FAQ
  5. Find Your NFL Team By Conference

The early performance of CJ Stroud has to have Panther fans scratching their heads about last year’s NFL draft, but the diehard fans will tune in to watch their favorite team nonetheless. If you can’t make it to Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte to watch the Panthers in person, this viewing guide offers the best streaming options.

Although several live TV streaming services carry WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte, our top pick for watching the Panthers, Fubo, offers CBS, FOX, ESPN, and NBC in the base package, plus Bally Sports Carolina for in-market Carolina Hurricanes games.

To save almost $1,000 a years over services like Fubo, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV STREAM, try NFL+ Premium. NFL+ offers full coverage of the Panther’s season for local fans, but is only available on mobile and tablets.

Fubo

Watch WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and Bally Sports South and Southeast.

$74.99 / month

7 Day Free Trial

Sling Blue

Watch in-market Panthers game that air on WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte.

$35 / month

Explore offers

NFL+ Premium

LOCAL FANS. Watch Panthers games on a mobile phone or tablet.

$79.99 / year

7 day free trial

Important channels

The most important channels for Panthers fans will be CBS, FOX, ESPN, and NBC, and of all these, FOX, the channel with rights for most NFC games through 2033, will be the most important for watching the Panthers.

NFL coverage for each channel:

  • CBS – In-market AFC games / some NFL Playoff games
  • FOX – In-market NFC Games / some NFL Playoff games / Super Bowl
  • ESPN – Monday Night Football / some NFL Playoff games
  • NBC – Sunday Night Football / some NFL playoff games

The table below documents the live TV streaming providers that carry the most important channels for watching the NFL.

FuboDIRECTV STREAMParamount+Sling Orange & BlueYouTube TVHulu + Live TV
ABC ABC
CBS CBS
ESPN ESPN
FOX FOX
NBC NBC
NFL Network NFL Network
NFL RedZone NFL RedZone

Note: Sling TV carries FOX and NBC, but only in select markets.

Top picks

Fubo is an excellent choice for NFL action and offers full local coverage for Panthers fans in Charlotte.

Pros

  • Pause subscription while the NFL is in off-season
  • 4K option with Fubo Elite
  • Fubo offers an upgrade to gain access to NFL Red Zone
  • Watch Duke and UNC hoops
  • Watch the Hurricanes, Hornets, Grizzlies, and Braves in-market

Cons

  • Lacks TNT and TBS
  • Lags behind competition with DVR storage


Streaming services are getting too expensive for many families, which is why we list Sling Blue here. Although the service doesn’t offer NBC in Charlotte, it does carry FOX 46. If you live in North Carolina, you can watch every in-market Panthers game that airs on FOX with Sling Blue.

ABC, CBS, and NBC can be added to Sling using an air antenna, or you can watch CBS with a Paramount+ subscription. For $15 more per month, Sling Orange & Blue will get you ESPN.

Pros

  • Watch the Panthers on FOX 46 in Charlotte
  • Add Sports Extra to get ACC Network

Cons

  • Lacks ABC, CBS, and NBC in Charlotte market
  • Lacks regional NBA, NHL, and MLB games
  • Can’t watch Super Bowl LVIII
  • Adding ESPN negates the cost savings that makes Sling an attractive option in the first place

Read our full Sling TV review for sports fans.


Yes, DIRECTV STREAM offers all the channels you need to stream the Panthers games.

Pros

  • Full local Panthers coverage in Charlotte
  • As an added bonus, the service carries Bally Sports South and Southeast, the local regional sports networks that broadcast the Charlotte Bobcats and Carolina Hurricanes.

Cons

  • No 4K option

Read our DirecTV Stream review for sports fans.


Yes, you can watch the Carolina Panthers on Hulu + Live TV. The platform carries CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC, and offers NFL Network in the base package.

Pros

Cons

  • No 4k option
  • Ordering UFC PPV from the Hulu app can be buggy

For more information, read our Hulu + Live TV review for sports fans.


Yes, YouTube TV is an excellent choice for streaming NFL action, and allows Panthers fans to watch every in-market game. The platform has innovated with a number of excellent features, including a mobile only fantasy football dashboard that integrates with live game action.

Pros

  • Full local Panthers coverage from Charlotte
  • 4K option is best in class
  • Innovative features for watching football, including Stats View and Key Plays
  • NFL Sunday Ticket
  • NFL Network
  • UNC and Duke hoops coverage

Cons

  • Slower to setup than some services because a Google account is required

Read our YouTube TV review.

Out-of-market

If you don’t live within driving distance of Bank of America stadium in Charlotte, your best bet to guarantee access to every Panthers game is NFL Sunday Ticket, the NFL’s premium out-of-market offering that allows fans to choose which regional games they watch.

YouTube TV holds the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. To watch the Panthers out-of-market, simply add NFL Sunday Ticket to your YouTube TV account.

Note: Sunday Ticket is an additional fee ($349) over the YouTube TV subscription base price.


FAQ

How can I watch the Carolina Panthers game today for free?

There are several good options for watching the Panthers live without cable in a free trial. Three live TV streaming services, YouTube TV, Fubo, and DIRECTV STREAM carry WJZY-TV FOX 46 and also offer free trials. Of the three, YouTube TV offers the longest free trial at 14 days.

Keep in mind that the option to watch the Panthers in a free trial is available only once per platform. There isn’t an option for watching the entire Panthers season for free. If the goal is to watch the Panthers and save money, try NFL+ if you live close to the intersection of Trade and Tryon.

Although NFL+ only carries regular season games for mobile and tablet users, local fans can get full access, plus the Playoffs and Super Bowl, for a savings of $800 per year versus most competitors.

Which cities get Panthers football games in-market?

Even when you cut the cord and ditch cable, NFL TV coverage is determined regionally for most regular season games. This means that Charlotte, and some nearby markets, will reliably get the Panthers game every week on their local FOX affiliate. In Charlotte, the local FOX affiliate is WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte.

Based on TV coverage maps published by 506 Sports, we estimate the following markets will get the Panthers regularly, and be considered in-market for many Panthers games:

Charlotte, NC
Raleigh, NC
Greensboro, NC
Columbia, SC
Charleston, SC
Myrtle Beach, SC
Greenville, SC
Knoxville, TN

This doesn’t mean the Panthers won’t be on in some other major markets on a regular basis, but it depends on the NFL schedule, flex games, and bye weeks. The most reliable markets for getting the Panthers regional games are listed above. When the team is featured in a national game, like Monday Night Football, Panthers fans can tune in regardless of location.



Find Your NFL Team By Conference

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