As we approach a new NFL season, streaming is once again a big part of the viewing experience. As we’re a society on the go, we want to be able to take sports with us to view on our mobile phones, tablets and computers. This season, we have new streaming partners as well as the usual suspects returning for another season. So let’s take a look at how we will consume The League Where They Play for Pay online in 2017.
We’ll start with the TV networks first and go from there:
CBS
Last year, CBS hashed out a streaming agreement with the NFL for games to be available on its All Access service. This means that AFC Sunday afternoon and Thursday Night Football games can be seen on All Access. On Sundays, you can only see the games that are being aired on your local CBS affiliate. Unlike the other network apps, to watch your local affiliate’s feed, you will have to pay at least $5.99/month ($9.99/month if you want to view on-demand programs without ads).
CBS has streaming rights on computers, tablets and connected TV devices.
FOX
Like CBS, Fox has streaming rights to NFC Sunday afternoon games. And like CBS, they’re only the games on your local Fox affiliate. The Fox Sports Go is free, but you do have to use your pay TV logins to watch the NFL. And you can see these games on computers, tablets and connected TV devices.
NBC
You can see Sunday Night and Thursday Night Football games on the NBC Sports app provided you authenticate with your pay TV login. And yes, the games are available on computers, tablets and connected TV’s
ESPN
Monday Night Football games can be seen on the WatchESPN and ESPN apps on computers, tablets and connected TV devices. And again, you will need your pay TV logins.
DIRECTV
DirecTV has made its out-of-market Sunday Ticket package available online. Yes, subscribers can see the games including the Andrew Siciliano-fronted Red Zone Channel. And there are packages available to non-DirecTV subscribers like military personnel, college students and people living in apartment buildings that can’t access DirecTV.
If you have access to Sunday Ticket, you can watch this on mobiles, computers, tablets and connected TV’s.
Now to the other NFL partners:
VERIZON
Verizon has the mobile rights to the NFL and has access to all games. As long as you’re a Verizon mobile customer, you can see in-market Sunday afternoon games from CBS and Fox, Sunday Night, Monday Night and Thursday Night games. Verizon is in the final year of a four-year contract signed in 2013.
Verizon is the exclusive rightsholder for the Baltimore Ravens-Jacksonville Jaguars game in Week 3 on September 24. This will be available to everyone on computers, mobiles and tablets. Verizon will stream the game on AOL, Fios, its go90 platform as well as Complex. The game will be produced by CBS and be made available on TV in the local markets, but be online everywhere else.
AMAZON
As you know by know, Amazon has replaced Twitter as the official online home of Thursday Night Football. It will stream the 11 games that will be aired on CBS and NBC. You can watch this on the Amazon Video app on mobiles and tablets. Amazon Video will have a dedicated app on Apple TV and that is expected to be released before the NFL season.
Unlike Twitter where you didn’t have to be a member to watch TNF, you will have to be a member of Amazon Prime to see the Thursday Night Football games. There is no geographical restrictions, the games will be available to every Amazon Prime member around the world.
NFL NETWORK
We left this one for last because of one interesting development that occurred during the summer.
NFL Network is available on the NFL Mobile app and once only available to Verizon customers on smartphones, it’s now streaming on non-Verizon phones as well. The move was made rather quietly and you can watch live preseason games there too. NFL Network was always available on the NFL tablet and connected TV apps and you could watch as long as you authenticated with your pay TV logins. You will need to do the same on the NFL smartphone app.
NFL Network will stream the Thursday Night Football games not aired on CBS and NBC. And they will be available on the aforementioned platforms.
So there’s your guide on NFL streaming for 2017.
