How to watch Packers vs. Vikings Monday Night Football without cable – CNET

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Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers hope to clinch the NFC North title on Monday night. 


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This story is part of Holiday Survival Guide 2019, featuring tips on the best ways to manage the holiday season.

A busy Sunday in the NFL saw the Saints rally to beat the Titans, the Eagles take control of the NFC East race and the Bengals lock up the first overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. And this is all after a packed Saturday where the Texans clinched the AFC South, the Patriots locked up the AFC East and the 49ers held off the Rams (and after a brutal Seahawks loss Sunday, are now in a position to win the NFC West next week). CBS Sports has a breakdown of where everything now stands in the playoff picture. 

Tonight marks the final Monday Night Football game of the year, and it should be a good one. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings in what could determine not just the NFC North title, but could have major implications for playoff seeding. Both teams have already clinched playoff spots, but if the Packers win they will have the division title and keep themselves in the running for a first-round bye. A Vikings win, however, will mean the division winner will need to be crowned next week. 

Tonight’s game between kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Here’s how cord cutters can watch Monday Night Football without cable — as well as the rest of the NFL games this season on Saturdays and Sundays.


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Stream the game for free on your phone with the Yahoo app

If one of the teams playing is in your local market — Packers fans in Green Bay, Vikings fans in Minneapolis, and so on — you should be able to watch your local team’s games on a major local network channel. For most fans, however, you’ll need to have ESPN to watch tonight’s action. 

If you’re looking to watch for free, Yahoo will be streaming Monday Night Football on its Yahoo and Yahoo Sports apps. 

In previous years, only Verizon Wireless subscribers could livestream games on their phones with the NFL Mobile app. Now, anyone can get a live NFL stream on a phone regardless of carrier with the NFL Mobile, Yahoo or Yahoo Sports apps. You’ll be limited to watching on your phone and will see only local, in-market games and the national broadcasts on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights.

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Which live TV streaming services are best for NFL fans?

The short answer? PlayStation Vue is our No. 1 overall pick for streaming live NFL football. It’s going dark in January 2020, but until then football fans can still subscribe and watch.

Read more: Best ways to watch football live without cable

The longer answer: Many live TV streaming services — including Vue as well as AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV — carry one or more local networks (namely CBS, Fox and NBC), 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. If you’re looking for the NFL Network you’ll want to focus on Sling TV Blue, PlayStation Vue or FuboTV. 

Other stuff to know about live TV streaming services:

PlayStation Vue offers all the networks that show NFL games, and you can add the NFL RedZone channel for $10 a month extra. The $55 Core plan is the cheapest option that includes the five channels NFL fans need — CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network — and the $10-a-month Sports Pack will get you NFL RedZone. As we mentioned above, Vue is shutting down in January, but until then it’s still available.

Sling TV splits its live NFL options across its $30-a-month Blue plan and $30-a-month Orange plan, which forces NFL fans into a tricky decision or encourages them to spring for both at $45 a month. 

Sling Blue includes Thursday and Sunday games on NBC, Fox and the NFL Network. Sling Orange includes Monday night games on ESPN. And if you want to add the NFL RedZone, you’ll need Sling Blue. Blue — but not Orange — subscribers can add the $10-a-month Sports Extra package, which includes NFL RedZone. Sling TV does not offer CBS, which typically carries AFC games on Sunday afternoons.

Sling’s packages are discounted by 40% for the first month.

Hulu with Live TV costs $55 a month and includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN but not NFL Network or RedZone.

YouTube TV costs $50 a month and includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN, but not NFL Network or RedZone.

FuboTV costs $55 a month and includes CBS, Fox, NBC and NFL Network but not ESPN. You’ll miss out on Monday Night Football on ESPN but will get the games on Sunday afternoons (CBS and Fox), Sunday nights (NBC) and Thursday nights (NFL Network). The $9-a-month Sports Plus package adds NFL RedZone.

AT&T TV Now includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN but not the NFL Network or RedZone. Its basic, $65-a-month Plus package will let you watch games on CBS and Fox on Sunday afternoons, Sunday Night Football on NBC, Monday Night Football on ESPN and Thursday Night Football on Fox.

CBS All Access costs $5.99 a month and lets you watch AFC matchups on Sunday afternoons. It makes for a good add-on for Sling TV subscribers, who don’t get CBS.

Prime Video will stream the Thursday Night Football games this season that will be simulcast on Fox. The games on Prime Video will also be streamed live on the Amazon-owned Twitch, which means you don’t need an Amazon Prime membership to stream Thursday night football.

How can I watch my local team’s NFL games in general?

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 games on a major local network channel. 

Games are typically broadcast on CBS and Fox on Sunday afternoons, NBC on Sunday nights, ESPN on Monday nights and the NFL Network on Thursday nights (note that CBS is the parent company of CNET). Most of the Thursday night games are simulcast on Fox, Amazon Prime and Twitch. 

There is also NFL RedZone to consider, a channel that springs to life each fall and shows live coverage from around the league with the promise to show you every touchdown from every Sunday afternoon game. It’s a great way to watch out-of-market action and has been essential viewing for fantasy football GMs.

Originally published earlier this year. Regularly updated with the latest game details.

source: cnet.com