The 2021 NFL season is underway. After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys battled to open the season on Thursday, Sunday brings a nearly full slate of games as much of the league kicks off their 2021 campaigns.
There are plenty of storylines as the new season starts and a few interesting matchups for Week 1. After a busy opening slate, the afternoon games are headlined by the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Cleveland Browns at 1:25 p.m. PT (4:25 p.m. ET).
Sunday’s action closes with the Chicago Bears heading to Los Angeles to take on the upgraded Rams on Sunday Night Football. Kickoff for that game is set for 5:20 p.m. PT (8:20 p.m. ET) on NBC.
From your local games to RedZone, here’s what you need to know to watch without cable.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs return to action on Sunday.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
How to stream today’s games
Major streaming providers such as YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, FuboTV and DirecTV Stream offer nearly all the major channels you will need for Sunday football. This includes CBS, NBC and Fox as well as ESPN (which is needed for Monday Night Football).
Sling TV offers NBC and Fox in some markets with its Blue package, but it lacks CBS. It’s also worth noting that to get ESPN you will either need to switch to its Orange package or go for its Blue and Orange bundle.
Those who are fine with watching on phones or tablets, meanwhile, can also use the Yahoo Sports app to stream the games that are broadcast on your local stations for free.
What about RedZone and the NFL Network?
All of those options above, with the exception of DirecTV Stream, offer the ability to get RedZone and the NFL Network. RedZone will usually require you to spend another $10 or $11 per month as an add-on.
If RedZone is all you care about, the cheapest option is getting Sling TV Blue for $35 per month and adding the $11 per month Sports Extra add-on. This gets you all the football channels with the exception of ESPN and CBS.
How about Thursday Night Football?
Most Thursday Night Football games will be broadcast on Fox, NFL Network and Amazon Prime Video. The first Thursday night game between the Cowboys and Bucs, however, was technically part of NBC’s Sunday Night Football schedule. The rest of the Thursday night games in September will be broadcast just on NFL Network, with Fox and Prime Video’s coverage starting in October.
Check out the full Thursday Night Football schedule here and our recommendations for the best ways to watch NFL without cable throughout the season.
What about Paramount Plus?
Paramount Plus offers live CBS feeds with its Premium tier for $10 per month. Depending on where you live, however, your local CBS station (and those NFL games) might not be available. CBS offers livestreaming services in many markets; you can check for yourself if your area has live CBS streaming here.
What about Peacock?
All of NBC’s regular-season NFL games will be available to stream on its Peacock streaming service, so long as you pay for one of its “Premium” subscriptions.
There are two of these tiers, a $5 per month “Premium” option that has ads (when watching nonlive content) and a $10 per month “Premium Plus” that will stream nonlive content ad-free (and download some content to watch offline).
Sling TV’s $35-a-month Blue plan includes NBC, Fox and the NFL Network. Enter your address here to see which local channels are available where you live.
Note: This version of Sling TV does not include ESPN. For that, you’ll need to switch to the similarly priced Orange plan or go for the combined $50 per month Orange and Blue bundle. RedZone is also available for an extra $11 per month.
Read our Sling TV review.
YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes all the major football channels, with RedZone available for an extra $11 per month. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
Read our YouTube TV review.
FuboTV costs $65 per month and has all the major NFL channels with RedZone available as an $11 per month add-on. Click here to see which local channels you get.
Read our FuboTV review.
Hulu with Live TV costs $65 a month and includes all the major football channels, with RedZone available for an extra $10 per month. Click the “View channels in your area” link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
Read our Hulu with Live TV review.
Formerly AT&T TV, DirecTV Stream’s basic $70-a-month package includes nearly all the major channels for football with the notable exceptions of RedZone and the NFL Network. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live.
Read our AT&T TV review.
Peacock will show NBC’s full slate of Sunday Night Football games. You will, however, need one of the service’s Premium plans to watch Sunday Night Football live and full-game replays, though highlights are available on the free tier.
The ad-supported Premium plan costs $5 a month, and the ad-free Premium Plus plan costs $10 a month.
Read our Peacock review.
Those looking for CBS games will be able to stream them on Paramount Plus with its $10 per month Premium tier. You can check for yourself if your area has live CBS streaming here.
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials (except Peacock, which just has a free tier that doesn’t stream live NFL games), allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.