★ Quick answer
The cheapest NFL setup: a $30 antenna catches every CBS + FOX Sunday afternoon game in your market, all 18 NBC Sunday Night Football games, and ABC simulcasts of ESPN Monday Night Football. That's roughly 75% of all games — free.
For full coverage of every game (in + out of market): antenna + Peacock + Prime Video + ESPN+ + NFL Sunday Ticket = approximately $480 for the season.
1The 6 NFL broadcast packages
Every NFL game in 2026 falls into one of these packages. Pick which games you want, then pick the package.
FREE OTA
📺 Sunday CBS + FOX (afternoon games) $0/mo + ~$30 antenna
What it covers: The 1 PM ET + 4 PM ET Sunday afternoon games — the bulk of every NFL slate. CBS carries AFC home games; FOX carries NFC home games. Local market gets the games involving the closest team(s) plus marquee national games.
- Free with any antenna in every US market — including the Super Bowl on FOX (2027)
- Local market only — out-of-market games require Sunday Ticket
- Roughly 50-60% of every NFL game played
Shop antennas →
Affiliate link · Mohu Leaf 50 ($45) · Antop AT-400BV ($90) for outdoor/attic
FREE OTA
🌙 Sunday Night Football (SNF) $0/mo + ~$30 antenna · or Peacock $7.99/mo
What it covers: 18 marquee Sunday-night games on NBC, plus the season opener Thursday Sept 10. 8:20 PM ET kickoff. Premier showcase package.
- FREE on NBC broadcast in every market with an antenna
- Also streams on Peacock Premium ($7.99/mo) — Peacock-exclusive sims that don't air on NBC linear
- Flex scheduling: games can be swapped to ensure best matchups
Try Peacock →
Shop antennas →
🏈 Monday Night Football (MNF) ESPN cable · ABC simulcasts FREE
What it covers: 17 Monday-night games on ESPN. About 10-12 games per season also simulcast on ABC broadcast. ESPN-exclusive games require cable or streaming.
- ABC simulcasts FREE with antenna — but only the games chosen for simulcast
- ESPN cable carries every game · YouTube TV ($83), Hulu+Live ($83), Sling Blue ($46) all carry ESPN
- Some MNF games go to ESPN+ exclusively — verify week by week
Try ESPN+ →
Try Sling →
📦 Thursday Night Football (TNF) — Amazon Prime $14.99/mo or $139/yr
What it covers: 15 Thursday-night games (Weeks 2-17) exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Thanksgiving + Black Friday + Week 1 opener also simulcast on NBC + the local market's CBS/FOX/NBC affiliate.
- Prime Video exclusive — not on cable or any live-TV streaming service
- Comes with Amazon Prime membership ($14.99/mo or $139/year)
- If you have Prime already for shipping, TNF is included free
- Black Friday game = simulcast on NBC (also FREE with antenna that day)
Try Prime →
Affiliate link · 30-day free trial · also includes Prime Video, Music, free shipping
🎟 NFL Sunday Ticket — YouTube TV add-on or YouTube standalone $349-$479/season
What it covers: Every out-of-market Sunday CBS + FOX afternoon game. If you're a Bills fan living in Arizona, this is the only legal way to watch every Buffalo game live.
- $349/season as a YouTube TV add-on (requires YT TV base at $83/mo)
- $479/season standalone (no YT TV subscription needed)
- $169/season student pricing — must verify with .edu email
- Includes NFL RedZone for the season
- The replacement for DirecTV's Sunday Ticket package that ended in 2022
Get Sunday Ticket →
📱 NFL+ (mobile only) + NFL RedZone $6.99/mo or $39.99/season
What it covers: NFL+ is the league's mobile/tablet streaming app — live in-market Sunday + MNF + SNF + TNF games on your phone/tablet (not TV). Includes NFL RedZone all season + game replays + NFL Network.
- $6.99/mo or $39.99 for the season
- NFL+ Premium ($14.99/mo) adds Coaches Film + ad-free
- NOT a substitute for TV viewing — mobile only by design
Try NFL+ →
📡 NFL Network (cable) Included in most TV bundles
What it covers: Shoulder programming, Thursday Night Football pre-game, NFL Total Access, NFL GameDay coverage, plus a handful of live regular-season games per year (typically the December slate of late-season Thursday + Sunday games).
- Included with YouTube TV ($83), Hulu+Live ($83), Sling Blue ($46), DirecTV Stream ($90)
- NOT included with Sling Orange · NOT included with Peacock or ESPN+
- Cable subscribers — check your bundle, NFL Network is usually in mid-tier
Try YouTube TV →
2The 3 cheapest stacks — pick yours
Stack 1: Casual fan — local team + Sunday Night Football
$30 antenna (one-time) + Peacock Premium ($7.99/mo for SNF Peacock exclusives) = ~$70 for the entire 18-week season + playoffs through Super Bowl.
Covers: Every Sunday CBS/FOX game in your market · all 18 SNF games on NBC · ABC MNF simulcasts · Thanksgiving + Black Friday TNF (NBC simulcasts only).
Misses: Most TNF (Prime Video required) · most MNF (ESPN cable required) · out-of-market Sunday games.
Total: ~$70 / season
Stack 2: Avid fan — every prime-time + your team out of market
$30 antenna + Peacock ($8/mo × 5 months) + Prime Video ($14.99/mo × 5 months) + ESPN+ via Disney bundle in Hulu+Live ($83/mo × 5 months) = ~$575 for the regular season.
Covers: Every Sunday afternoon game in market · all SNF · all MNF · all TNF · NFL Network shoulder programming.
Misses: Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games (requires Sunday Ticket).
Total: ~$575 / regular season
Stack 3: Maximum coverage — every game, every package
Antenna ($30) + Peacock ($8/mo) + Prime ($15/mo) + YouTube TV ($83/mo) + Sunday Ticket add-on ($349/season) = ~$880 for full regular-season coverage.
Covers: Every single NFL game played in 2026 — in market + out of market + all prime-time games + NFL RedZone.
Total: ~$880 / season
4Common questions
Can I watch NFL games for free in 2026?
Yes. A $30 antenna catches every Sunday CBS/FOX afternoon game in your market, every Sunday Night Football game on NBC, and ABC simulcasts of ESPN Monday Night Football. That's roughly 75% of every NFL game in 2026 — completely free.
What channel is Sunday Night Football on?
NBC broadcast (free OTA) + Peacock Premium ($7.99/mo). Football Night in America starts at 7 PM ET; kickoff ~8:20 PM ET.
What channel is Monday Night Football on?
ESPN, with select games simulcast on ABC (free OTA). ESPN requires cable, ESPN+, or a live-TV streaming service.
Where is Thursday Night Football in 2026?
Amazon Prime Video — exclusive package. Prime is $14.99/mo or $139/year. Thanksgiving + Black Friday + Week 1 opener also simulcast on NBC.
How do I watch NFL Sunday Ticket?
YouTube TV add-on ($349/season) or YouTube standalone ($479/season). Student pricing $169 with .edu verification. Replaces DirecTV's Sunday Ticket from 2022.
What is NFL+ and how is it different from NFL Network?
NFL+ ($6.99/mo) is mobile/tablet streaming with NFL RedZone. NFL Network is a cable channel with shoulder programming. Different products.
When does the 2026 NFL season start?
Thursday September 10, 2026 (Kickoff Game). Super Bowl LXI is February 7, 2027 on FOX.
What is the cheapest way to watch every NFL game?
Casual (local + SNF): ~$70/season with antenna + Peacock. Avid (all prime-time + in-market): ~$575/season. Maximum coverage (every game including out-of-market): ~$880/season.