The new NFL season brings many new streaming services. Last year, rope cutters needed to use Live TV streaming service Like YouTube TV to watch NFL games. This season, there are several ways to put together streaming services and pay less than the $83 a month you need for YouTube TV.
ESPN and FOX respectively announced new direct consumer streaming services, while Fubo and Sling’s new thin bundles offer the most but not all channels to watch the week of the NFL season. I’ve priced new services, checked their channel lineup, and found the best combination for NFL fans.
Don’t miss our unbiased technical content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET As the preferred Google source on Chrome.
The winning combination is the new Fubo Sports Skinny Bundle paired with the Peacock. Read on to find out why this is the best choice for NFL fans this season and why YouTube TV is still a good choice, especially if you are not a subscriber yet.
NFL fans looking to save some money can use Fubo’s new skinny bundles and Peacocks to watch the vast majority of NFL games this season, including the Dallas Cowboys for the U.S. team.
NFL channel lineup
The NFL season is divided into six channels:
- CBS: Sunday afternoon game
- Fox: Sunday afternoon game
- NBC: Sunday Night Football
- ABC/ESPN: Monday Night Football
- NFL Network: Seven International Games Played in Europe
What is not included above is Thursday Night Football, which circulates in Prime videos, and two Christmas games on Netflix. For the purposes of this exercise, I assume you have an Amazon Prime account that allows you to watch TNF games on Prime Video, and you have a Netflix account, or you will spend Christmas with someone who owns Netflix in two Christmas games.
Streaming order options
My first time using a new survey ESPN DTC and Fox One Streaming service, as well as Paramount Plus and Peacock watch the NFL this season. The coverage is as follows:
- Paramount Plus: Sunday afternoon CBS game
- Fox One: Sunday afternoon Fox Game
- Peacock: Sunday night football on NBC
- ESPN DTC: Monday Night Football on ESPN/ABC
Pricing is as follows:
- Paramountainga: $8 per month
- Fox One: $20 per month
- Peacock: $11 per month
- ESPN DTC $30 per month
This is a total of $69 per month and the price for the four-month season is $276. And it will be very few soon, because ESPN and FOX announce a bundle So starting on October 2, $40 per month. So if we subtract $10 per month in the last three months of the season, you’ll pay $246 for this quartet for the NFL season from early September to early January.
There are two reasons why I don’t like this plan. First, it doesn’t save you all the money compared to other options, as shown below. Second, switching between CBS and FOX games on Sunday afternoon is much slower and clumsier, as you have to turn off Paramount Plus and then turn on Fox One and vice versa to change the channel. I’d rather be able to switch between CBS and FOX on the same service.
So this led to my thin bundle research.
Sports focus bundles from Fubo and Sling
Fubo and Sling TV each released tight bundles for sports fans, but neither provided all the channels you need to watch the NFL.
Sling’s new thin bundle $20 per month, including NBC and ABC and Fox radio stations Choose a market and NFL networks. However, it does not offer CBS or ESPN. So if you choose a $20 monthly sling selection plan, then Sunday afternoon CBS Games and DTC ESPN app get Paramount for $30 per month and $8 per month for $30 per month. It’s $58 a month and $232 a four-month season.
Fubo’s new thin bundle The monthly fee is $56 and includes ABC, CBS and FOX as well as ESPN and NFL networks. The missing piece is NBC’s Sunday Night Football, so you’ll need to pair it with a Peacock premium of $11 per month for a total of $67 per month. Currently, Fubo Sports enjoys a $10 discount in its first month. So for this season, the Fubo Sports costs $214 and the Peacock costs $44, totaling $258.
The Fubo and-peacock plan is the better choice in two thin bundle combinations. Although it costs more than my Sling/Paramount Plus/ESPN plan, I like the idea of watching CBS and FOX Games on Fubo on Sunday afternoons and only use the Peacocks for Sunday night games. Also, it’s easier to track which game uses two streaming services on which service than the trio required for sling routes.
In both cases, you spend less than YouTube TV. However, YouTube TV currently has a deal that can keep costs close if you are not a subscriber. Currently, new customers can get YouTube TV for $50 a month first two months, meaning you will be paying $266 during the NFL season. But the current subscriber price is $332.
Two of the best NFL streaming options
| YouTube TV | Fubo Sports and Peacock Premium | |
| Monthly fee | $83 | $56 + $11 = $67 |
| Current discounts for new subscribers | $50 for the first two months/month | Fubo Sports’ first month for $46 per month |
| Cost of the 4-month NFL season for new subscribers | $266 | $258 |
| Seasonal cost for current subscribers | $332 | N/A. |
| Add a red zone? | $11/month additional | $10/month additional |
| Seasonal costs for new subscribers with red zones | $310 | $298 |
| Seasonal costs for current subscribers with red zones | $376 | N/A. |
The main package of Fubo costs $85 a month, but it has a new thin bundle that includes most channels needed for the NFL and Multi-View to follow up to four channels at a time. The new FUBO Sports program costs $56 per month ($46 in the first month), including FOX as well as ABC and CBS (but not NBC) in addition to ESPN and NFL Network. It also includes access to new streaming applications for ESPN. You can add Redzone in Fubo’s Skinny Bundle for an extra $10 per month.
According to Fubo, Fubo Sports is currently available in 50 markets and is expanding every day. You can insert a postal code Fubo’s Welcome Page Check if your area is available.
YouTube TV costs $83 per month, check all NFL boxes and is the best sports streaming service for NFL fans. Local channels ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, as well as ESPN and NFL networks are all included in most markets, so you can watch Sunday and Monday nights. Its multi-view feature is great on Sunday afternoons, with games on both CBS and FOX (in addition, you can add two more sports events to the October U.S. Open final or MLB playoffs). You can get Redzone using the Sports Plus add-on for $11 per month.
Insert your zip code on YouTube TV Welcome page See what local networks are available in your region.
Fubo Sports Availability in NFL City
| Fubo Sports? | |
| AFC East | |
| Buffalo bills | No |
| Miami Dolphins | Yes |
| New England Patriots | Yes |
| New York Jets | Yes |
| AFC North | |
| Baltimore Raven | Yes |
| Cincinnati Bengali | No |
| Cleveland Brown | No |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Yes |
| South of AFC | |
| Houston Texans | No |
| Indianapolis Colts | No |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Yes |
| Tennessee Titan | No |
| AFC West | |
| Denver Bramble | Yes |
| Chief of Kansas City | No |
| Las Vegas Raiders | No |
| Los Angeles Charger | Yes |
| NFC East | |
| Dallas cowboys | Yes |
| New York Giant | Yes |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Yes |
| Commander of Washington | No |
| NFC North | |
| Chicago Bear | Yes |
| Detroit lion | Yes |
| Green Bay Packers | No |
| Minnesota Vikings | Yes |
| NFC South | |
| Atlanta Falcon | No |
| Carolina Black Panther | No |
| New Orleans Saints | No |
| Tampa Bay Pirates | No |
| NFC West | |
| Cardinal Arizona | No |
| Los Angeles Rams | Yes |
| 49 people in San Francisco | Yes |
| Seattle Seahawks | No |
Of the 50 subway markets that currently have Fubo Sports, it is available in 14 NFL cities, but New York and Los Angeles have two teams, half of the league’s 32 teams.
It pays for existing YouTube TV subscribers to switch
When you consider it in the current YouTube TV and FUBO sports discount for new subscribers, you can save only $8 by recommending Peacock and Fubo pairing ($12 if Redzone is included ($12 if Redzone is included). In this case, I recommend YouTube TV because it is convenient for watching NFL football instead of two streaming services.
YouTube TV is the best single-media streaming service for football fans. This is the cheapest live TV streaming service, which has all NFL channels and multi-views, allowing you to watch up to four games at once. Fubo’s standard plan is close second; it costs just $2 more per month than YouTube TV, which includes all the channels you need in NFL games and offers multi-views.
Math for existing YouTube TV subscribers is different. If you don’t want to watch Red zone with new adsif you unsubscribe and use Fubo Sports and Peacock instead, you can save $74 throughout the season. And, if you include Redzone in the equation, existing YouTube TV users will save $78 this season by switching to the duo of Fubo Sports and Peacock.
