Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers began their 2022 campaign with a win Sunday night in Dallas. In Week 2 they will visit the New Orleans Saints, who are similarly undefeated after an improbable fourth-quarter comeback against the Atlanta Falcons.
The game will be shown on Fox in the Tampa and New Orleans areas on live TV streaming services, but there may be cases where you’re blocked because of an internet location glitch or just want an added layer of privacy for streaming. There’s an option that doesn’t require subscribing to something like NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Plus, or searching the internet for a sketchy website: a virtual private network, or VPN.
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the New Orleans Saints this Sunday.
Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Here’s how you can watch the game from anywhere in the US with a VPN.
Read More: NFL 2022: How to Watch, Live Stream Every Game Live Without Cable
Buccaneers vs. Saints: When and where?
For week 2 of the NFL season, the Bucs are taking on the Saints at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. The game is set to take place in New Orleans at Caesars Superdome.
How to watch the Bucs vs. Saints game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally due to incorrectly applied blackout restrictions, you may need a different way to watch the game and that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea for when you may be traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US and Canada, as long as you’ve got a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. Of course you should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks. Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Sarah Tew/CNET
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $12.95 per month, and can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get 3 months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the Bucs vs. Saints game in the US
This week’s Buccaneers vs. Saints game is on Fox, so in addition to a VPN you’ll need a live TV streaming service that carries a local Fox affiliate that is broadcasting the game. The least expensive such service is Sling TV Blue. You’ll need to be subscribed to Sling Blue to be able to watch the game, and you’ll need to switch your VPN to the Tampa Bay area (note that Sling Blue doesn’t have a local New Orleans Fox affiliate, so Tampa Bay is your only option).
Sling/CNET
Among the live TV streaming services that carry local Fox stations, the cheapest is Sling TV Blue at $35 per month. Note that Sling is currently running a promotion where the first month of service is half-price ($17.50) for new subscribers.
One important caveat: In our experience, Fox local affiliates will only be available if your billing address is in one of the 18 metropolitan areas covered in Sling’s agreement. If you’re outside of one of these areas, you’re probably better off going with one of the alternate services listed below.
Numerous other live TV streaming services carry local Fox stations as well, namely YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, DirecTV Stream and FuboTV. They all cost more than Sling TV, but they also carry more channels, including football-specific channels like ESPN, NFL Network and/or RedZone. Check out our live TV streaming channel guide for details.
The Tampa Fox affiliate will be broadcasting Sunday’s game.
Sling TV/Screenshot by CNET
Quick tips
- As noted above, Sling Blue is only an option if and when the ability to get Fox local affiliates is active on your account. You may want to verify that your billing address is eligible for that option before committing your credit card.
- With three variables at play — your ISP, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary. Our Fox-enabled Sling account worked on the first try on a PC, as did YouTube TV on a PC and Mac. But YouTube TV on our iPhone wouldn’t show different local stations even when the VPN was active.
- Tampa isn’t a default option for ExpressVPN, but it’s available using the “search for city or country” option.