LAST UPDATED ON SEP. 17, 2022 AT 1:58 PM | 8 MINUTE READ
Can you watch NFL football online free?
Absolutely.
More importantly, should you watch NFL football online without paying?
Truly, that’s a question only you can answer…
Should I watch NFL football online for free?
Notably, there’s a reason that this page is located at the bottom of a content hierarchy.
And the reason is: Free streaming sites are risky.
First of all, the majority are virtual minefields of malicious links. Spyware, malware, ransomware, DeMarcus Ware – you name it, they’ve got it. Often, you’re a click away from infecting your PC.
But I digress. I’m not here to pass judgement. Furthermore, I get it. Inflation is running amok, and the cost of nearly everything seems to rise every month. You do what you have to in order to get by.
That being said, I neither condone the patronage of free streaming sites, nor do I think that financial issues are a justifiable excuse.
So, if you choose to proceed, here are…
3 ways to watch NFL football for free
- Amazon Prime Video. This is, of course, free only if you have a Prime subscription. For the 2022 season, there will be 15 Thursday Night Football games on Prime and Twitch.
- NFL Mobile App. This gives you access to all local games, plus the NFL Network for a bit extra. The Yahoo Sports App does the same, sans NFL Network.
Interactive NFL TV Schedule for 2023
- Free sites. There are websites that give you free access to almost any and every NFL game out there. I can’t endorse nor recommend any of them, because they’re illegal in most places, and that’s just one of the concerns. While it won’t cost you a cent above your existing data plan, you’re going to have to endure a ton of pop-up ads and possible malware.
If you’re still willing to take those risks in order to save money, keep reading…
HOW TO WATCH OUT OF MARKET NFL GAMES ONLINE
4 sites to watch NFL football online free
Crack Streams
Whoever thought of this name must’ve been on – well, you get the idea. Despite the moniker, this site has offered a decent experience thus far.
Clicking on any of the links – or anywhere on the page, for that matter – will produce a full screen pop-up ad. Of course, this is to be expected from these free sites, but I was able to start watching a live stream within seconds. Over the course of an hour, there were 4 instances of buffering, each lasting for 3-7 seconds.
Strikeout
Stream NFL football games in 3 simple steps. You must endure more pop-ups, but that’s the “price” you pay when it comes to free.
But first, you need to ignore the click bait:
Then:
And finally:
FBStream
This site sets the standard when it comes to the number of pop-up windows you need to close before you can watch NFL football online live.
First, choose a stream from the list to commence the pop-up-athon:
What comes next is a group of seemingly innocuous link choices:
Don’t click on the ‘Live Stream Now’ button, it will only make things worse. It leads to a sign-up window, where you’ll have to enter some personal information to continue. Closing that window, of course, generates a heinous, ‘Your PC has been infected’ pop-up, complete with beeping noises and a moving cursor.
Instead, use the ‘Stream 1’ link (circled), and you’ll get this:
Now don’t get too excited, because it only looks like you’re ready to watch NFL football online. Clicking on the red and white button will produce – what else? – a pop-up ad. By now, you’ll be so sick of these you’ll want to quit before clicking on any more links.
But fear not, your patience will soon be rewarded – as soon as you click on ‘Click here to close and play’, that is. What follows – another pop-up ad – is no surprise. Close it, click on the link again, and you’ll get… WTF?! Another pop-up?!?! (Sigh) Close that, and finally:
Full-screen mode featured smooth playback and good resolution, and as an added benefit you won’t have to stare at those hideous ads:
After enduring all of those ads, you’ll be glad to know that there was negligible buffering – it happened just once over the course of 70 minutes.
Sportsurge
Since this site is touted as an “official Reddit NFL stream”, I was expecting the experience to be above average. By and large, it was not 👎.
To start with, you get a nice-sized list of streaming links. I chose one at random to begin the er, fun:
So far, so good! However, clicking on any part of this page can lead you to an external site:
Or produce the following curiosity, which you can only get rid of by closing the tab:
Alternately, you’ll also get an unspeakable full screen ad, which I’m not going to show.
This process went on for a few minutes before I decided to return to the first page and try another link. I went through another six links before I finally struck paydirt:
Full screen mode was sharp & clear:
All in all, it took 8 tries before I was able to watch live football action. While the stream was smooth, the journey to get there was anything but. Remarkably, there wasn’t any noticeable buffering over the course of an hour. Additionally, NFL RedZone is available.
Wait a minute!
Should you finally decide to cut the cord, do your due diligence by comparing your streaming options. Because while the benefits of free NFL streaming are obvious, the drawbacks are not. So before you tell your cable provider to f*** off, read The Best NFL Streaming Services.
All things considered, you should give NFL Game Pass a shot. While it’s not free, you can watch as many live games as you want, using the Game Pass workaround. In short, you get unlimited live action for $100 (plus the cost of a VPN), and that’s as close to free as you can get.
7 Reasons Why You Need NFL RedZone Stream
Did you watch NFL football online?
Have you tried any of the sites mentioned on this page? If so, please provide a brief review below, or suggest a site.
Related reading
- What Are The Best NFL Streaming Services?
- The Cheapest Way To Watch NFL Games
- How To Stream NFL Games Year Round
- Cutting the Cord: Pros and Cons of Streaming NFL Games
- 7 Reasons You Need NFL Red Zone
- How To Watch Out Of Market NFL Games