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Fortune
Fortune
Chris Morris

How to watch Week 16 of the NFL live online for free on New Year's Day—and without cable

(Credit: Timothy T Ludwig—Getty Images)

Just like last week was a weird one for the NFL, this week is unusual too. New Year’s Day is typically the home of college football. But with the holiday falling on a Sunday, the NFL is shoving the bowl games to aside for a day. (Those will resume tomorrow and climax on Jan. 9, with the college national championship.)

This is the penultimate week for the NFL, though, so a win or loss could make all the difference for teams that are still on the bubble.

So, while beer and wings might not have the same appeal as usual after last night, grab some black-eyed peas and settle in. Here's a look at who's playing today—and several different ways to watch.

Which NFL teams are playing this week? And what channels are airing the games?

Here’s a look at this week’s matchups. As always, the home team is listed second.

Sunday, Jan. 1

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Giants, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Cleveland Browns vs. Washington Commanders, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox

New York Jets vs. Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox

Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS

Los Angeles Rams vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC

Monday, Jan. 2

Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

How can I watch my local NFL team for free—even if I am out of market?

The best way to watch any sort of network programming for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. And watching most NFL games is fairly simple, since many air on broadcast networks, meaning you’ll be able to watch even if you don’t have a cable subscription. To ensure the most reliable signal, be sure to test the antenna in multiple locations in your home.

Note that this option will not work for games on the NFL Network, which is not broadcast over the air.

How can I stream NFL games live online if I don't have a cable subscription?

There are several ways to do so…

Peacock

NBC’s streaming service gives you access to several games, including all Sunday night matchups. You can get a seven-day free trial, followed by a $5 or $10 monthly charge. (The free version of Peacock does not include live sports.)

Paramount+

CBS’s streaming service gives you access to games aired on that network. You can get a one-week free trial, followed by a $5 or $10 monthly charge.

Disney+

Disney's bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you must pay $13.99 per month for all three combined (or $19.99 per month for no ads on Hulu). Including Live TV in the bundle bumps the price to $70 per month ($76 with no ads).

Hulu with Live TV

The free trial on this service is no longer available. Instead, you have to pay $70 per month.

YouTubeTV

After up to a two-week trial, monthly charges are $65.

Sling TV

Dish Network's Sling recently increased its prices. The lower-tiered "Orange" plan is now $40 per month. Adding the more comprehensive "Blue" plan bumps the cost to $55 per month. (A $5 per month increase for each.) The seven-day free trial has disappeared, but the cord-cutting service is offering 50% off of the first month’s bill.

DirecTV Stream

Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow and AT&T TV, this oft-renamed streaming service costs $70 per month and up after the free trial option.

Fubo TV

This sports-focused cord-cutting service carries broadcast networks in most markets. There's a seven-day free trial, followed by monthly charges of $70 to $100, depending on the channels you choose.

Can I watch NFL games on Amazon?

Amazon is, for the next 11 years, the exclusive home to Thursday Night Football, but does not carry any weekend games. Next up is the Dallas Cowboys vs Tennessee Titans on Dec. 29.

Does the NFL offer any viewing packages to watch the games I want?

Three of them!

NFL App

The NFL App lets you stream games that are being broadcast locally in your market on Sundays. If you want to watch an "out of market" game, you've got two choices.

NFL+

Watch live local and out of market games and (with the premium subscription) replays. There's a seven-day free trial, after which it costs $30 per season. ($80 for premium.)

NFL Sunday Ticket

DirecTV customers have access to it, but (if you meet the conditions, like living in an apartment complex or some area where you can’t get DirecTV) you can also sign up for an online version, letting you watch any NFL game live this season. There’s a one-week trial, followed by $73.49 per month for a four-month period or $293.36 for the entire season (or $99 for four months or $396).

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