NFL Live Streaming Services Review: Best Apps to Watch NFL Online

If you are stuck debating between cutting the cord or looking to see what the best options to watch football are, we have you covered. With more of us on the go and/or cutting the cable cord, finding ways to watch NFL might still be a priority. Between the new streaming services with live TV and each channel now having a streaming app, there are a wide variety of ways to get your NFL fix. Get the rundown the 2020 NFL season is here.

1. Hulu + Live TV

Overview: For NFL fans, Hulu‘s streaming package alone isn’t enough to get you games. You will need the Live TV package that costs $54.99 a month to get TV. The Live TV bundle offers up FOX, CBS, ESPN, and NBC. These channels cover all the primetime and the nationally televised games in the afternoon. Hulu also has a cloud DVR where you can record games if you are going to miss them.

Price: To get the NFL coverage on live TV channels, you are going to need The Hulu + Live TV. This is $54.99 a month, which is going to carry the channels that a cable company would. Now this package does off a week-free trial if you wanted to test out on any given week to potentially purchase for the rest of the season.

Reliability: One of the most common questions for streaming services is how reliable is it? The cable companies have that advantage of consistent real-time broadcasting where streaming services are slightly behind. Hulu + Live TV is one of the more reliable services, even with multiple people at the same time.

Interface: There isn’t a lot of significant differences between interfaces these days, especially between the services that offer up live tv. The DVR and live TV guide functions are the most important to have easy functionality, and Hulu delivers there.

Positives: In terms of football coverage, any service with the live channel options is going to have an edge. You are going to get the nationally televised games all in one spot in comparison to spreading out over various apps due to different channels.

Negatives: There are not a whole lot of negatives for Hulu and their coverage of football. The only downside is there is currently no NFL Red Zone offering. The price is also somewhat of a negative if you are looking to cut back from the cable prices.

2. FuboTV

Overview: FuboTV has really stepped up its sports coverage, and its football product is one of the best because it includes the NFL Red Zone channel as an add-on. This is all in addition to the live TV package they have. While FuboTV is undoubtedly one of the pricier options, it is tough to pass up on the amount of sports coverage they offer in addition to the NFL.

Price: The family package includes 105 channels, and it is $59.99 a month. There is an ultra package with the sports package included, and that is $84.99. The sports package that consists of the NFL Red Zone channel is $10.99 a month extra on top of the standard package. It is a bit more expensive, but you are getting a lot.

Reliability: As FuboTV built its product, the performance of its streaming has been underrated. They are also streaming 4K on certain channels and building that 4k availability. This is already more than other sites.

Interface: The sleek and dark home screen and guides is an easy way to get through their app. Everything can be grouped together or customized to make it easy to get to your favorite channels. The DVR use is also very easy, and you do get 500 hours of DVR cloud use.

Positives: The extra sports packages for FuboTV is a big positive for the service. While it is an expensive group of channels, you might be looking to group everything into one streaming app. Adding the NFL Red Zone is going to give FuboTV a major edge over any other service. It is also a reliable service to use, even when multiple screens are viewing.

Negatives: The pricing of FuboTV can be viewed as a negative if you are looking to get rid of cable for a cheaper service. This is really the only downside of their service, but they do offer up more features compared to other streaming services.

3. NFL Sunday Ticket

Overview: NFL Sunday Ticket has been one of the most popular ways to watch football over the last two decades. DirectTV has made it more accessible, with it being able to be purchased as an individual package. Playstation users have been able to download Sunday Ticket through their console. If you are looking to sign up for DirectTV, you can get the 2020 season for free. You will now be able to stream games through your tablet, mobile device, tv, or laptop. It also comes with the NFL Red Zone.

Price: The Sunday Ticket package is a total of $293.94, which can be broken out into $49 a month. They also have a Sunday Ticket Max feature for $395.94, which includes the Red Zone channel and the Fantasy Zone channel. If you are a new DirectTV customer, then you can get the package for free this season. After that, you will begin to be charged.

Reliability: Sunday Ticket through DirecTV is going to be reliable, but the streaming aspect of it has had its issues in the past. The app can be a bit clunky at times navigating through games, but otherwise, the true video playback is much improved.

Interface: They have upgraded the interface over the last few seasons as it was one that didn’t sit well with fans. It is a more in-depth look with stats and fantasy stats. You are also able to jump from game-to-game more easily.

Positives: This is going to give you just about max coverage, especially if it is combined with a cable service or any sort of live TV bundle. If you get it with the NFL Red Zone channel, then you are sitting with just about everything you need. However, if you are looking for just the Red Zone channel, you can find it cheaper through other services.

Negatives: If you have an in-market game, you will need to have a local channel to cover it, which means needing another streaming service or cable package to watch. The reliability can be a bit spotty when streaming at times, which is disappointing because of the price.

4. ESPN+

Overview: Monday Night Football and the occasional wild card playoff game is the only NFL coverage on ESPN. With already a limited schedule, ESPN+ serves zero purposes for NFL coverage unless it is simply attached to a cable or streaming service that has ESPN channels in their package. ESPN+, on its own, has some benefits if you are looking for ESPN premium articles, which would include fantasy football advice.

Price: For the price tag, $5.99 isn’t a bad add-on for those who have ESPN included somewhere else. It is simply best used as an extension.

Reliability: ESPN+ has been reliable from the beginning. Video playback has very few issues as long as you have an average internet connection. Rarely have I run into problems within the ESPN servers themselves.

Interface: The ESPN+ layout is broken out into what is currently live and then by sport. It is an easy screen to navigate around, and being able to pick a sport and a league to narrow down selections is a nice touch.

Positives: For NFL purposes, the only advantage is being able to access ESPN insider articles through the website. This used to be a pricey monthly addition, but for $4.99 a month, you get extra streaming options for other sports and insider articles.

Negatives: The NFL coverage is nonexistent if you do not have the ESPN app connected to some sort of service that allows you to access the channels. ESPN is not covered in the ESPN+ $5.99 package. Therefore there is no Monday Night Football stream through ESPN+.

5. Sling TV

Overview: Sling TV sits behind FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV as far as live channels go. While it is a bit cheaper, there is some downside to it. Local channels are very limited, and the interface isn’t as modern or sleek in comparison to other apps. Sling TV is reliable for streaming purposes, making it worthwhile if you are looking for a cheaper service to get the basic channels to watch football on. It is a great service for those cutting back yet still want to watch nationally televised games.

Price: The Sling Blue and Sling Orange packages are $30 per month, or you can combine them for $45, which gets you over 50+ live channels.  Sling TV also offers a 7-day free trial.

Reliability: Streaming through SlingTV has been a reliable service, and their focus seems to be on the streaming reliability compared to the bells and whistles. The app is reliable as well, but also very basic.

Interface: The interface isn’t as flashy as some of the other streaming services, but this can be a plus for the older clientele. Given the add-ons and ability to record, you would hope for a bit more features.

Positives: Sling TV is on the cheaper side and can be a true discount from cable in comparison to some of the others. You have the basic cable channels to watch nationally televised games.

Negatives: Sling TV used to have NFL Network and Red Zone channel, but the NFL blocked the rights from them. This is one of the major downsides to the above-average fan. You are also looking at some limited NFL add-ons.

6. CBS All Access

Overview: CBS All Access is an exclusive streaming app for CBS network channels. This means for all NFL games on CBS you can stream them here. However, it is $5.99 to use. Like the Fox Sports app below, this is a way of watching games on the go for CBS. The app is relatively new, and after using it over the last few months, it isn’t quite as reliable as I would like during streams. That might differ for the NFL product as it is rather new.

Price: It is $5.99 a month to get all access to CBS, and there is a free trial to use. If you have a cable, then live tv is covered, but anything else, you will need the $5.99 subscription. This is equal to ESPN+ and its price tag each month.

Reliability: The app is a bit tough to get around, given it lacks quality in comparison to the other streaming apps. The streaming is a few minutes behind live TV, which isn’t a big surprise, but even with an above-average internet connection, you might have to refresh at times to get an up to date feed.

Interface: In addition to the sports coverage, it does have a library for streaming content. It is easy to get around, and the overall live tv setup brings you what is currently live on TV. The more popular events and shows pop up at first, making it easy to tune into a live program from the beginning.

Positives: CBS All Access is cheap for just $5.99 a month, as it should be given. It is another add-on needed if you want to cover most NFL games. There are a lot of other shows, both new and old, available to stream on CBS All Access. The app is available in both Google and Apple app stores, alongside FireTV and other various plugin devices.

Negatives: It only covers NFL games being broadcasted by CBS and might be another monthly charge added up if you are using various services. There are no extended NFL bundles, and you cannot record games like a few of the other services.

7. Fox Sports Go

Overview: The Fox Sports app is free to use as long as you have a cable subscription. This isn’t exactly cutting the cord, but FOX is at least not making you pay a fee to take their programs on the run. You can stream any NFL game that is being broadcasted by Fox. This can be helpful for those with a cable subscription, while those without one will be searching elsewhere. The app has been redesigned over 2020, and it is a lot better in comparison to where it was before.

Price: The app is free, and the service is free as long as you have a cable subscription. Simply log in to the app with your cable ID and company, and you will have full access to live FOX Sports programs.

Reliability: Fox Sports is not quite on par with consistent service in comparison to the other apps above, but it is close. Streaming live games will be slightly delayed, and a quick refresh might be needed at times if the game hangs up. This isn’t too different from other services, except this one is at least free to use.

Interface: The app used to be one of the biggest negatives, but a revamped design has helped the Fox app become one of my favorites. It is more personalized, and you can find live programming instantly. The upcoming and sports searches also make it easy to see what is on deck for live programming.

Positives: Certainly, the biggest plus of the app is that it is free, and there is no small charge to use. You can stream all sports that are broadcasted on Fox, alongside their sports news coverage.

Negatives: If you are looking for all NFL games in one place, the Fox Sports app is going to be a let down as you are better off getting a bundled service through someone else.

NFL Streaming FAQ

• How Do I Stream NFL Games?
• Do I Need A Cable Subscription To Stream NFL Games?
• Can I Stream NFL Games For Free?
• Are Nationally Televised Games Available For Stream?
• Why Are Local Games Blacked Out When Streaming?