Don’t look now, but the 2022 NFL season is just around the corner. Training camps opened in July, preseason games started in August and the official NFL season itself kicks off on Sept. 8. Each team plays three preseason games before it cuts down to its final, 53-man roster to begin the season. The final nationally televised game of the first week features the Minnesota Vikings against the Las Vegas Raiders at 4:25 p.m. ET (1:25 p.m. PT) on NFL Network.
Here’s what you need to know to watch NFL preseason games without cable.
With Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Kirk Cousins testing positive for COVID-19, backup Kellen Mond (pictured) is expected to get reps in today’s preseason game against the Raiders.
David Berding/Getty Images
The NFL Network will broadcast most of the nationally televised preseason games, while CBS, Fox, ESPN and Prime Video will show a few other national games. Local networks, including CBS, NBC and Fox, carry the rest of the games.
Looking ahead to the regular season, CBS (and Paramount Plus) and Fox carry the games on Sundays, ESPN shows Monday Night Football, Prime Video shows Thursday Night Football and NBC (and Peacock) shows Sunday Night Football.
Here’s the remaining NFL preseason TV schedule for the last day of week 1 (all times ET), as well as a look ahead to week 2, with nationally televised games in bold.
Sunday, Aug. 14
- Minnesota Vikings at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m. on NFL Network
Week 2
Thursday, Aug. 18
- Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks, 8 p.m. on ESPN
Friday, Aug. 19
- Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots, 7 p.m. on NFL Network
- New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers, 8 p.m
- Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams, 10 p.m. on NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 20
- Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. on NFL Network
- Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.
- Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs, 4 p.m. on NFL Network
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tennessee Titans, 7 p.m. on NFL Network
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars, 7 p.m.
- Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins, 7 p.m.
- San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings, 7 p.m.
- Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers, 10 p.m. on NFL Network
Sunday, Aug. 21
- Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. on NFL Network
- Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants, 7 p.m. on NFL Network
- Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals, 8 p.m. on Fox
Monday, Aug. 22
- Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
For the full preseason schedule check out NFL.com.
Four of the five major live TV streaming services carry NFL Network — all but DirecTV Stream. All five carry ESPN and Fox, and all but Sling TV carry CBS. For the games on CBS and Fox, keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries CBS and Fox in your area.
YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes NFL Network along with CBS, Fox and ESPN. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area. Read our YouTube TV review.
Hulu with Live TV costs $70 a month and includes all four channels needed to watch NFL preseason games. 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.
Sling’s $35-a-month Blue package features NFL Network and Fox, but Fox is available in only a handful of areas. Sling’s $35-a-month Orange package includes ESPN. You can combine the two plans for $50 a month. Read our Sling TV review.
Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home to Thursday Night Football for the upcoming season. It will show one preseason game on Thursday, Aug. 25 between the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. For millions of Amazon Prime subscribers, the Prime Video channel is already included at no extra cost. It costs $9 a month for non-Prime members. Read our Amazon Prime Video review.
You’ll be able to watch only three NFL preseason games with DirecTV Stream. Its basic, $70-a-month Entertainment package includes CBS, Fox and ESPN, but none of its plans include NFL Network. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our DirecTV Stream review.
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.