With the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett is the new starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.
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NFL football is back… well, almost back. Fans of the college game get a full slate this weekend, but for those looking to watch largely meaningless NFL preseason games, all of the week 4 contests are happening tonight. With exactly a week left until opening day — the Packers take on the Bears Sept. 5 — it’s time for NFL teams to start making their final roster evaluations.
After last week’s surprise Andrew Luck news and Lamar Miller’s unfortunate injury, a few teams are looking for answers before the real games begin. What happens with the Chargers and Cowboys backfields? Is Duke Johnson the answer in Houston? Will the Colts let Jacoby Brissett take snaps against the Bengals? As fantasy football drafts continue to roll through the holiday weekend, we’ll start getting answers to these questions and more this Thursday night.
Here’s how cord cutters can watch the games live without cable.
Watch this:
Live TV streaming services for cord cutters: How to choose…
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What’s the full schedule for NFL preseason week 4?
Here’s every game Thursday night, per NFL.com.
7:00 p.m. ET
- Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Jets
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Carolina Panthers
- Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals
- Minnesota Vikings vs. Buffalo Bills
- Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
7:30 p.m. ET
- New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Washington Redskins
- Detroit Lions vs. Cleveland Browns
8:00 p.m. ET
- Miami Dolphins vs. New Orleans Saints
- Los Angeles Rams vs. Houston Texans
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears
9:00 p.m. ET
- Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos
10:00 p.m. ET
- Oakland Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Los Angeles Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers
How can I stream my local team’s NFL preseason games?
For teams in your local market — Jets and Giants fans in New York, Cleveland fans in Ohio, and so on — you’ll be able to watch your local team’s preseason games on a major local network channel (ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC; note that CBS is the parent company of CNET).
Many live TV streaming services — including DirecTV Now, FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue and YouTube TV — carry one or more local networks, so they’re the best bet for cord cutters who don’t want to use an over-the-air antenna.
The catch is that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries the network you want in your area.
Other stuff to know about live TV streaming services:
- You’ll need a solid internet connection.
- You can watch any of them on TV as long as your smart TV has the service’s app. You can also watch on your TV using a media streamer, such as a Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or Chromecast.
- You can also watch on iPhones, Android phones, tablets and computer browsers.
- You can sign up and cancel anytime, no contract required.
- All of them offer free trial periods, so you can sign up to watch and then cancel.
How can I stream out-of-market preseason games?
For other markets the NFL Network will broadcast 14 preseason games live — including the two games tonight — and show replays of all 65 preseason games. Click here for the NFL Network’s broadcast schedule for both live games and replays of preseason games. Live games will be blacked out on the NFL Network in the participating teams’ over-the-air station markets.
Here’s the schedule for the remaining live preseason games on the NFL Network:
Thursday, Aug. 29
- 7 p.m. ET: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Carolina Panthers
- 10 p.m. ET: Los Angeles Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers
Only three of the big six streaming services carry the NFL Network. It’s not offered on DirecTV Now, Hulu or YouTube TV, leaving NFL fans with a choice of FuboTV, PlayStation Vue and Sling TV. Check out your live TV streaming options below for the NFL Network.
Note CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the services featured on this page.
Sling TV’s Blue package includes the NFL Network. Sling’s Blue package usually costs $25 a month but is currently discounted to $15 a month for the first month.
PlayStation Vue’s $55-a-month Core plan includes the NFL Network.
FuboTV costs $55 a month and includes the NFL Network.
Originally published Aug. 2.
Update, Aug. 15 and Aug. 22: Adds the latest game details.