How to watch NFL Preseason without cable in 2025

Where to watch NFL Preseason

The NFL preseason games will be airing on local networks (ABC, Fox, ESPN) and many will air on NFL Network, which can be found across the board on your favorite streaming services.

Watch on DIRECTV STREAM

ESPN, NFL Network and locals are included with all of the DIRECTV STREAM packages as long as you’re selecting the Choice plan or higher. Unfortunately, with the Entertainment plan (which is the cheapest option), NFL Network is not included. When you pick the Choice, Ultimate or Premier plan, though, you’re in for plenty of channels for sports viewing though, like ESPN2, NBA TV, FS1 and many more.

DIRECTV STREAM also offers unlimited Cloud DVR for its customers so you can record the NFL preseason games if you’re not home (or if you just want to rewatch them later). Recordings are stored for up to nine months. 

Watch on Fubo

No matter which of the Fubo plans you choose, you’ll have access to ESPN, NFL Network and locals. In addition to the standard sports channels like FS1 and NBA TV, fans can also find more specialized channels like beIN SPORTS, Fubo Sports and Golf Channel. 

Fubo also offers unlimited cloud DVR recording with all of its subscription plans, so you can record the preseason games or anything else you’d like. Your recordings can be kept for up to nine months.

Watch on Hulu + Live TV

If you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, you not only get ESPN, NFL Network and local channels to watch the whole NFL preseason, but you’ll also get a lot more. To start, you’ll get plenty of other sports channels with Hulu’s lineup, including Motor Trend and Golf Channel. Beyond that, you’ll also get Hulu’s whole on-demand library of content. This is comprised of thousands of movies and TV shows, including award-winning titles and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” “The Kardashians” and “Flamin' Hot.”

With Hulu + Live TV, you also have the option of subscribing to the Disney Bundle (the default plan). You’ll get Hulu + Live TV, ESPN Plus and Disney Plus for the price of one streaming service. So you’ll get even more shows and movies — like Star Wars and Marvel content on Disney Plus and commentary and highlights on ESPN Plus. Hulu + Live TV also includes unlimited cloud DVR. Recordings are stored for nine months.

Watch on Sling TV

Sling TV is your most budget-friendly option for watching NFL preseason games. NFL Network is part of Sling Blue and ESPN is on Sling Orange. Though the channel selection is small with Sling Blue, you will get FS1 and USA for more sports viewing. In some markets, you’ll also get your local channels like ABC, NBC and Fox with a Sling Blue plan (but the price will be slightly higher).

If you want even more Sling TV channels, you can opt to get the combo Sling Orange & Blue plan, which gives you all channels from both base plans. Sling also offers 50 hours of cloud DVR, but customers have the option to upgrade to 200 hours for a monthly fee. 

Watch on YouTube TV

YouTube TV has just one plan, and it includes ESPN, NFL Network and local channels. Also in YouTube TV's 100-plus-channel lineup, customers will find more sports offerings like FS1, FS2, Motor Trend, NBA TV and more. 

The streaming service also includes unlimited Cloud DVR so you can record games while you’re not home — or in case you just want to watch a preseason game again and again. Recordings are stored for up to nine months before they’re deleted.

NFL Preseason schedule

Preseason kicks off with the Hall of Fame game on Thursday, August 1 before jumping into week 1 games. The full schedule is available below or on the ESPN website.

• Thursday, Aug. 8 @ 7 p.m. Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots NFL Network
• Friday, Aug. 9 @ 7 p.m. Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 10 @ 1 p.m. Chicago Bears vs. Buffalo Bills NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 10 @ 4 p.m. Las Vegas Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 10 @ 7 p.m. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Network
• Sunday, Aug. 11 @ 1 p.m. Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL Network
• Sunday, Aug. 11 @ 4:30 p.m. Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams NFL Network
• Thursday, Aug. 15 @ 7 p.m. Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 17 @ 1 p.m. Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 17 @ 4 p.m. Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 17 @ 7 p.m. Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 17 @ 10 p.m. Dallas Cowboys vs. Las Vegas Raiders NFL Network
• Sunday Aug. 18 @ 8 p.m. Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos NFL Network
• Thursday, Aug. 22 @ 8:15 p.m. Chicago Bears vs. Kansas City Chiefs NFL Network
• Friday, Aug. 23 @ 7 p.m. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons NFL Network
• Friday, Aug. 23 @ 10 p.m. San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 24 @ 1 p.m. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Detroit Lions NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 24 @ 4 p.m. Los Angeles Chargers vs. Dallas Cowboys NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 24 @ 7:30 p.m. New York Giants vs. New York Jets NFL Network
• Saturday, Aug. 24 @ 10 p.m. Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks NFL Network
• Sunday, Aug. 25 @ 2 p.m. Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints NFL Network

*All of the times are Eastern.

FAQ

Where can I watch NFL preseason football?

NFL preseason football games will be airing on ESPN, NFL Network and local networks. These channels is available on DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. 

Is NFL preseason only on NFL Network?

No, many games will air on local ABC, NBC and Fox stations, with some games airing on ESPN and NFL Network.

How can I watch NFL games for free?

The best way to watch NFL games for free is to snag a free trial for a streaming service. DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and Fubo all offer free trials.