6 Cheap Ways to Watch NFL Games Without a Cable Package

Chris Brantner

After a painfully long summer, the 2017-2018 NFL season is finally getting underway. And despite the fact that the average football fan will watch six times more commercials than actual game action this season, according to analysis from news site Streaming Observer, millions of people will still tune in to get their football fix.

However, with the average cable bill sitting at more than $103 per month, according to Leichtman Research Group, and many viewers paying more for extra NFL packages, football season can break the bank if you aren't careful.

Luckily, there are better options than ever for watching NFL games without a pricey cable contract. Some are even free. With that in mind, here's a look at some of the best ways to cut the cord and still watch NFL action for a fraction of the cost. (Note: These options will only work for viewers in the United States.)

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Go old-school with an antenna. Did you know that all your local team's games are broadcast for free over-the-air in your local market? With an antenna, you can get the big four broadcast networks (NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC) for free in high definition right to your TV. Even if your team is playing nationally on ESPN, one of your local stations will broadcast over-the-air. This alone is plenty of coverage for the average football fan.

Try a skinny bundle cable TV alternative. During the last two years, several livestreaming services have launched to replace your cable service at a much cheaper price point. Many of these services will cover a good deal of your NFL needs with no contract.

For example, Sling TV can get you access to ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone and even local Fox and NBC affiliates in certain markets. PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now and FuboTV all offer similar packages. And the best part is that each is available to try free for a week. Theoretically, you could hop around from service to service and watch several weeks of the football season for free.

Switch to Verizon Wireless and watch on mobile for free. Verizon Wireless has a special deal with the NFL that gives the company exclusive mobile streaming rights for the 2017-2018 football season. What that means for Verizon customers is that they can download the NFL Mobile app and stream a ton of games on their mobile devices for free ... without incurring data charges. Coverage includes "Sunday Night Football," "Monday Night Football" and more.

Watch after-the-fact with NFL Game Pass. Are you someone who records games to watch later? If so, then NFL Game Pass might be a good option for you. The package costs $99 for the season and allows you to stream every single game after it airs. While $99 might sound like a lot, that's less than you'd probably spend on a single month of cable service.

Game Pass also features livestreaming of out-of-market preseason games, the NFL Films Archives and more. As with other streaming services, there's a free trial, so you can try it out with no commitment.

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Leverage your Amazon Prime membership. In April, the NFL officially announced its deal with Amazon Prime for "Thursday Night Football." This season, Prime members will gain free livestreams of 10 "Thursday Night Football" games. This comes as part of the Prime subscription, so there's no additional charge.

While it's far from a complete cable replacement for die-hard NFL fans, if you're a casual watcher, this might be enough of a taste of football for you.

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For $6 per month, AFC fans can use CBS All Access for most games. CBS All Access is a streaming service that features livestreaming of CBS local affiliates in 90 percent of the United States. So, any games that air on CBS in your area will be featured on the app, assuming you're in one of those markets. (You can check to see if you get livestreaming on the CBS website).

This is most useful for people whose home teams are in the AFC, as the majority of their games will be broadcast on the station. CBS All Access will also include many "Thursday Night Football" and Sunday afternoon games.

Note: For international viewers, you can check out the international version of NFL Game Pass, which allows you to stream all games live as they air.

Chris Brantner is the founder of CutCableToday.com, a website focusing on helping people save money by cutting the cord and finding legal cable TV alternatives to continue viewing their favorite TV programs. He has contributed to Business Insider, VICE, the Houston Chronicle and many other major publications. He resides in Texas with his wife and two kids.