If you’re still paying a cable or satellite bill just to watch NFL games, you’re not alone, but you’re probably overpaying. In 2026, there are more ways than ever to catch every game without a cable subscription. Some cost almost nothing. Some cost quite a bit. Most fall somewhere in the middle.
This post breaks down every realistic option, what each one actually covers, and how to figure out which one is right for your situation.
Why People Are Dropping Cable for NFL
The average cable bill in 2026 runs $80–$120 per month, and that’s before any sports add-ons. For a lot of people, the NFL is one of the last reasons they kept cable at all. Now that streaming has caught up, in terms of both content and reliability, that justification is harder to make.
The tricky part is that NFL rights are split across multiple networks and streaming platforms. There’s no single service that carries every game. That’s still the reality in 2026. But depending on which games you care most about, one or two services might cover everything you need.
How NFL TV Rights Are Distributed in 2026
Before comparing services, it helps to know who holds which rights:
- NBC, Sunday Night Football (the most-watched game of the week)
- CBS, AFC games on Sundays
- FOX, NFC games on Sundays
- ESPN/ABC, Monday Night Football
- Amazon Prime Video, Thursday Night Football (exclusive streaming rights)
- NFL Network, Select games, RedZone channel
- NFL Sunday Ticket (YouTube TV), Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games
The local broadcast networks (NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC) are the backbone. If you can receive them over-the-air or through a streaming service that carries local channels, you’ll get the majority of games. The gap-fillers are Thursday Night Football (Prime Video), Monday Night Football (ESPN), and out-of-market games (Sunday Ticket).
All Your Options in 2026
1. Free Over-the-Air with an Antenna
Cost: $20–$50 one-time for an antenna
Covers: CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC local broadcasts
This is the most overlooked option. If you live in or near a metro area, a basic indoor antenna will pull in your local CBS, NBC, FOX, and ABC affiliates for free. That covers Sunday afternoon games on CBS and FOX, Sunday Night Football on NBC, and Monday Night Football when it airs on ABC.
What you miss: Thursday Night Football (Prime Video), Monday Night Football on ESPN-only weeks, NFL Network games, and any out-of-market matchups.
If your team plays in your local market most weeks, this covers a lot of ground for almost nothing.
2. Amazon Prime Video
Cost: $14.99/month (Prime membership)
Covers: Thursday Night Football (exclusive)
Amazon holds exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football. There’s no legal way to watch these games live without Prime Video, it’s not on cable, not on satellite, not anywhere else. If Thursday night games matter to you, this is a mandatory add-on. If they don’t, skip it.
3. NFL Sunday Ticket (via YouTube TV or YouTube Primetime Channels)
Cost: Approximately $350/season (standalone); bundled pricing varies
Covers: Out-of-market Sunday afternoon games
Sunday Ticket is the product for fans who want to watch their team when they’re not in the local market, for example, a Bills fan living in Atlanta who wants to watch every Bills game instead of the local Atlanta matchups on CBS and FOX.
At around $350 per season, it’s a significant spend for a single season’s worth of out-of-market games. If you’re a die-hard fan of a specific team and they’re rarely in your local market, it might be worth it. For casual fans who just want to watch football on weekends, it’s hard to justify.
4. YouTube TV
Cost: $72.99/month
Covers: CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, ESPN, NFL Network; Sunday Ticket available as add-on
YouTube TV is the most complete single-service option for NFL coverage. It carries all the major broadcast networks plus ESPN for Monday Night Football and NFL Network. Add Sunday Ticket for another fee and you have almost everything.
The drawback is cost. At nearly $73/month, you’re spending close to what cable costs, and that’s before the Sunday Ticket add-on. It’s a polished service with no long-term contract, but the bill adds up.
5. Hulu + Live TV
Cost: $82.99/month
Covers: CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2
Hulu + Live TV is priced similarly to YouTube TV and covers the major broadcast networks plus ESPN. It doesn’t carry NFL Network. It bundles Disney+ and ESPN+ into the subscription, which adds some value if you use those services. Like YouTube TV, the monthly cost is comparable to a cable bill.
6. Sling TV
Cost: $46–$65/month depending on plan
Covers: ESPN (Orange plan); FOX and NBC vary by market
Sling is cheaper than YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV, but coverage is more limited. The Orange plan includes ESPN (for Monday Night Football) but not always your local CBS or FOX affiliate, depending on where you live. Check your local channel availability before committing. It’s a reasonable budget option if your local market is covered, but it requires more research upfront.
7. KrushTV
Cost: $20/month, $50/3 months, $80/6 months, or $120/year
Covers: Hundreds of live channels including NFL, NFL RedZone, NBA, MLB, NHL, Premier League, Champions League, UFC, NASCAR, Golf + 35,000+ on-demand movies and series
KrushTV is a live TV streaming service built around sports. It includes NFL coverage, NFL RedZone, and a broad lineup of other live sports channels, all in one subscription. The annual plan works out to $10/month, which is the lowest cost-per-month of any full sports streaming option on this list.
Beyond sports, it includes over 35,000 movies and series on demand. You’re not just paying for football season, it covers your entertainment year-round.
KrushTV works on Firestick, Android TV, phones, and tablets. You get two simultaneous streams per account, so two people in different rooms (or different cities) can watch at the same time.
There’s a 3-day free trial with no credit card required: krushtv.com/free-trial.
NFL Streaming Options Compared
| Service | Monthly Cost | NFL Coverage | Other Sports | On-Demand Content | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antenna (OTA) | $0 (after hardware) | Local CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC | Local broadcasts only | None | None |
| Amazon Prime Video | $14.99 | Thursday Night Football only | Some | Prime Video library | Month-to-month |
| NFL Sunday Ticket | ~$29/mo (billed annually at ~$350) | Out-of-market Sunday games only | None | None | Season |
| Sling TV | $46–$65 | Partial (varies by market) | ESPN, some regional | Limited | Month-to-month |
| YouTube TV | $72.99 | CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, ESPN, NFL Network | Broad | YouTube content | Month-to-month |
| Hulu + Live TV | $82.99 | CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, ESPN | Broad | Hulu + Disney+ | Month-to-month |
| KrushTV | $10–$20 | NFL + NFL RedZone | NBA, MLB, NHL, UFC, Golf, Soccer | 35,000+ movies & series | Month-to-month |
KrushTV monthly cost shown as range: $20 billed monthly, ~$10 on the annual plan.
Which Option Is Right for You?
There’s no universal answer, but here’s a simple way to think about it:
If you only care about your local team and they play in your market most weeks: An antenna plus Amazon Prime (for Thursday games) gets you most of the season for under $20/month.
If you’re a fan of a specific out-of-market team: You’ll need Sunday Ticket at around $350/season, plus a way to watch Thursday and Monday games separately.
If you want everything in one place and don’t mind paying cable prices: YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV cover most bases.
If you want live sports year-round, including the NFL, NBA, soccer, UFC, and more, at the lowest monthly cost: KrushTV gives you the most coverage per dollar. At $10/month on the annual plan, it’s less than most people spend on a single streaming service they barely use.
KrushTV: The Best Value for Sports Fans
Most streaming services make you choose between sports and entertainment. You pay for the sports tier, then realize you’re missing movies and series, and end up adding another subscription.
KrushTV bundles both. You get live sports channels, NFL, NFL RedZone, NBA, MLB, NHL, Premier League, Champions League, UFC, NASCAR, Golf, alongside 35,000+ on-demand titles. It’s one bill instead of three.
The pricing is straightforward:
- $20/month, month-to-month, cancel anytime
- $50 for 3 months, about $16.67/month
- $80 for 6 months, about $13.33/month
- $120 for a year, about $10/month
Compare that to $350 for Sunday Ticket (Sunday out-of-market games only) or $73/month for YouTube TV. KrushTV covers NFL games, RedZone, and a full sports lineup for a fraction of the cost.
It works on the devices most people already own: Firestick, Android TV, Android phones and tablets. Setup takes a few minutes. Two streams means you can share one account with another household member without conflicts.
If you’ve been waiting to cut the cable cord but weren’t sure what would replace it for sports, KrushTV is worth trying before you commit to anything else.
Start Watching NFL Without Cable Today
The easiest way to find out if KrushTV covers what you watch is to try it yourself. The 3-day free trial requires no credit card, you sign up, get access, and decide from there.
Start your free trial at krushtv.com/free-trial
If you want to compare plans before signing up, the full pricing breakdown is at krushtv.com/pricing.
Cable was never really about the cable. It was about the sports. Now you can get the sports without the cable bill.