From Die-Hards to Casuals: Here Are Football Fans’ NFL Watch Options
The average price of an NFL ticket in 2022 was $111, according to Statista.
For a family of four, that’s nearly $450, and that’s just to get in the door! That doesn’t include parking, concessions (say hello to a $15 beer in Philadelphia), and the miniature stuffed mascot for the little ones.
Because of those costs, many fans on a budget simply choose to stay at home. And with all the NFL watch options and viewing packages available in 2023, it’s easy to do just that.
Other types of fans might also choose to stay at home – fantasy footballers who want to watch their players, the die-hards who want to be plugged into every single game, and even the casual fans who’d rather watch for free and gather with a few friends at the bar.
NFL Watch Options: From Die-Hards to Casuals, The Best Ways for Fans to Watch Games
With that in mind, we came up with a brief overview of several types of NFL fans and the viewing options they have.
On a Budget
If you love the NFL but just can’t afford some of the pricier viewing packages, you still have options. First, you could just stick with your standard cable or streaming package, which typically include channels like ESPN, Fox, CBS and NBC – which all broadcast games.
Another option is NFL+ – which offers live in-market games and replays of all the NFL games, depending on which package you choose. The standard package includes access to NFL Network, live and local primetime games, and live audio of every game – all for $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
The NFL+ Premium package costs $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year and includes all the above, as well as access to the NFL RedZone Channel and full or condensed replays of every NFL game.
NFL+ is available on the NFL website and in the NFL App. It’s also accessible on iOS 13+, Apple TV, Android 7+, Android TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Xbox.
For Fantasy Football Players
Die-hard fantasy football players are more interested in watching players instead of teams.
That’s where the NFL Redzone Channel comes in handy. The channel offers whip-around coverage of every NFL game for seven hours every Sunday, quickly moving to different games when a team is about to score. The channel is available through many cable and streaming packages. The cheapest option might be getting the NFL RedZone channel as part of the NFL+ Premium package mentioned above.
In addition to the RedZone Channel, this package comes with full and condensed replays of every NFL game, the NFL Network, live preseason games, live local and primetime games, live audio of every NFL game, and few more perks.
For just $14.99 per month or $99.99 for the whole year, fantasy football addicts can get their fix – easily watching their favorite players make impact plays every Sunday.
For the Die-Hards
The die-hard fantasy footballers might be most interested in their own team’s players and the hard-core NFL fans might play fantasy football too. But, really, they just want to watch the games – all the games.
The good news is these NFL fans have a way to watch every game throughout the season. The bad news? It’s not necessarily cheap.
For years, the NFL’s Sunday Ticket package has been exclusively available on DirectTV. Beginning in 2023, the package – which broadcasts every out-of-market regular season game – is much more accessible through YouTube TV.
As a stand-alone, the package goes for $449 per year (or $112.25 per month) or $489 per year ($122.25 per month) if you’d like the RedZone Channel as an add-on.
You can also purchase the YouTube TV Base Plan – which includes 100+ live channels like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN for more live sports and local & national NFL games for $72.99 per month. With that package, you can get a discount on the Sunday Ticket package for $349 per year or $87.25 per month.
Fans Without Cable
Streaming is everywhere, and it’s rather easy to watch NFL games without cable in 2023.
Some of your options, including those mentioned above:
- The NFL Network: The league’s flagship channel is available at no cost via Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, the NFL App via iOS and Android devices and through an XBox One or PlayStation game console. The NFL Network shows one live game per week, then offers repeats of games from the previous week.
- NFL+: Formerly known as NFL Game Pass, NFL+ offers a standard package with access to the NFL Network, live and local primetime games, and live audio of every game for $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year. The NFL+ Premium package costs $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year and includes all the above, plus access to the NFL RedZone Channel and full or condensed replays of every NFL game. NFL+ is available on the NFL website and in the NFL App. It’s also accessible on iOS 13+, Apple TV, Android 7+, Android TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Xbox.
- NFL Sunday Ticket: Also mentioned above, the NFL Sunday Ticket package is offered through YouTube TV. The Sunday Ticket only plan gives access to every out-of-market live regular season game for $449 per year or $112.25 per month. Other plan options include the NFL RedZone Channel and access to YouTube TV’s base plan.
- Other Streaming Services: Many streaming services offer cable channels with regular access to NFL games. Some prominent examples include Amazon Prime Video, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and Paramount Plus. Prices range from $14.99 with Amazon Prime Video (the cost of a Prime membership) to $74.99 for FuboTV – which includes 139 channels and 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR.
For Casual (or Cheap) Fans
If you’re simply just casually interested in the NFL, you really don’t have to pay anything to watch a game.
In fact, many local sports bars pay for the packages listed above, most often the NFL Sunday Ticket. All you need to do is show up with a few friends, order some wings and a beer, and you’ve got free football!
The best bars will have every currently live game on a TV somewhere throughout the bar, so all you need to do is find your team – if you have one – and settle in.
You’re out the door for $15 for wings and a beer, and you’ve got all the football fix you need.
Robert Bruce is a Nashville-based contributing writer for The Penny Hoarder. He’s written about personal finance for more than a decade.
