The NFL Preseason is the first official time you can watch NFL teams compete live. It is obviously not the same as the beginning of the regular season, but any true NFL fan knows this is one of the best ways to scout new talent throughout the NFL. Not just young or rookie talent either, but this is the ideal opportunity to see how the chemistry will work amongst teams that brought in new players.
If you are a fantasy football fan this is critical to help build strategy during draft day, but even those who do not like fantasy football can use the preseason to scout which teams and players will be ones to watch for the year.
The NFL Preseason is also the best way to learn about your team’s season. You can get to know all of the new faces and also will be the first insight into any new strategies like changes on offense or defense. Whether it is a new offensive or defensive coordinator, a new quarterback, or even a new star player signed in the offseason it truly is your first insight into how the season will go.
If you are one of those who want to make sure you are watching as much preseason action as possible, you’ll be glad to hear you can do so even if you have cut cable. We put together this guide over at CutCableToday to provide detailed options for how to watch the NFL Preseason without cable. Below are some of the highlights.
Watch Network Coverage with an Antenna
The antenna will certainly be the best option to use to watch NFL Preseason games if you do not have cable. There are a bunch of other services you can use as a cable cutter, but most are on a subscription basis. The antenna is ideal, because you only have to pay once for the antenna and watching TV on it is completely free. Plus, for the NFL Preseason it’s great since it receives channels like CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC.
CBS, FOX, and NBC all have agreements with the NFL and will be likely broadcasting preseason games. You can watch all of the games on these channels in incredible crisp, clear high-definition picture. Some say it’s better than they’ve ever received in HD on cable.
If you want to improve this setup, you can even add in an over-the-air DVR, like a Tablo. This gets you the traditional DVR features for whatever you receive on your antenna and you can also live stream everything your antenna receives. The DVR syncs up to your internet connection and lets you watch live or recorded TV on your computer, phone, or tablet.
Live Stream Preseason Games on NFL Game Pass
Another option for the ability to actually watch preseason games live is NFL Game Pass. It is the NFL’s subscription streaming service and actually offers every out of market preseason game live streaming. You can check out the preseason schedule to see which games would be available for you. The total cost for the service is $99 for the season. During the regular season, you cannot live stream games, but do get full access to all of the games on-demand through the service.
The time when NFL Game Pass is the best is if you are based out of the US. For international NFL fans, the service is a must-have since you can live stream every single NFL game with NFL Game Pass. Plus, you get all of the normal features of NFL Game Pass including NFL RedZone live streaming on Sunday, on-demand access to all the regular season games, and you can watch NFL Network’s broadcast anytime you would like.
Both of these options meet different needs for those looking to watch the preseason games without cable. We obviously think the antenna is the top choice and it will be the best one during the regular season as well, since you can use it to watch plenty of football in high-definition each week. If you have any questions, leave a comment below!
Antenna + Sling Blue = Total NFL Coverage
After the preseason ends and the real action begins, you can continue to enjoy regional & national broadcasts with your antenna in full HD. You can also throw in a subscription to Sling Blue and enjoy NFL Network as part of the base package. If that’s not enough football, for $5 more, you can add the Sports Extra package and unlock NFL RedZone among other specialty sports channels. Yes, it’s a monthly subscription like cable/satellite, but it’s lower cost and higher flexibility – you can start/stop your subscription with the click of a button anytime you want.
Trying to figure out your cord cutting setup for the regular NFL season? Check out this complete guide for streaming NFL games here.
