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Nate Lynn runs full speed to try and sack Trey Lance, whose throwing a pass down the field.

Detroit Lions defensive end Nate Lynn (57) tries to block a pass from LA Chargers quarterback Trey Lance (5) during the first half of the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How to watch NFL Preseason without cable in 2025: Football is back!

By Hedy Phillips | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 11:29 PM ET

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If you’ve been anxiously awaiting the NFL season, get excited because it’s almost here. Before the regular season kicks off, the teams will go head to head in three weeks of preseason games. During this time, the teams will work out their rosters, throw in their new players and draft picks, and bring all the guys back up to speed from the offseason — all in front of the public’s eyes. Even though the game result doesn’t count toward the team’s record, how they play can make a big difference in how the roster shakes out once the regular season starts. Who will get cut, and who will thrive? Keep reading to see how you can see the latest in football.

Ahead, find out where to stream the games and which live TV streaming services offer the proper channels so you don’t miss a minute of the action.

Where to watch NFL Preseason

The NFL preseason games will be airing on local networks (ABC, Fox, ESPN) and many will air on NFL Network, which can be found across the board on your favorite streaming services.

	DIRECTV STREAM	Fubo	Hulu + Live TV	Sling TV	YouTube TV
NFL Network	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
ESPN	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Fox	✔	✔	✔	✔*	✔
ABC	✔	✔	✔	✔*	✔
NBC	✔	✔	✔	✔*	✔
*Local channels only available in select locations

Watch on DIRECTV STREAM

ESPN, NFL Network and locals are included with all of the DIRECTV STREAM packages as long as you’re selecting the Choice plan or higher. Unfortunately, with the Entertainment plan (which is the cheapest option), NFL Network is not included. When you pick the Choice, Ultimate or Premier plan, though, you’re in for plenty of channels for sports viewing though, like ESPN2, NBA TV, FS1 and many more.

DIRECTV STREAM also offers unlimited Cloud DVR for its customers so you can record the NFL preseason games if you’re not home (or if you just want to rewatch them later). Recordings are stored for up to nine months.

Watch on Fubo

No matter which of the Fubo plans you choose, you’ll have access to ESPN, NFL Network and locals. In addition to the standard sports channels like FS1 and NBA TV, fans can also find more specialized channels like beIN SPORTS, Fubo Sports and Golf Channel.

Fubo also offers unlimited cloud DVR recording with all of its subscription plans, so you can record the preseason games or anything else you’d like. Your recordings can be kept for up to nine months.

Watch on Hulu + Live TV

If you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, you not only get ESPN, NFL Network and local channels to watch the whole NFL preseason, but you’ll also get a lot more. To start, you’ll get plenty of other sports channels with Hulu’s lineup, including Motor Trend and Golf Channel. Beyond that, you’ll also get Hulu’s whole on-demand library of content. This is comprised of thousands of movies and TV shows, including award-winning titles and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” “The Kardashians” and “Flamin' Hot.”

With Hulu + Live TV, you also have the option of subscribing to the Disney Bundle (the default plan). You’ll get Hulu + Live TV, ESPN Plus and Disney Plus for the price of one streaming service. So you’ll get even more shows and movies — like Star Wars and Marvel content on Disney Plus and commentary and highlights on ESPN Plus. Hulu + Live TV also includes unlimited cloud DVR. Recordings are stored for nine months.

Watch on Sling TV

Sling TV is your most budget-friendly option for watching NFL preseason games. NFL Network is part of Sling Blue and ESPN is on Sling Orange. Though the channel selection is small with Sling Blue, you will get FS1 and USA for more sports viewing. In some markets, you’ll also get your local channels like ABC, NBC and Fox with a Sling Blue plan (but the price will be slightly higher).

If you want even more Sling TV channels, you can opt to get the combo Sling Orange & Blue plan, which gives you all channels from both base plans. Sling also offers 50 hours of cloud DVR, but customers have the option to upgrade to 200 hours for a monthly fee.

NFL Preseason schedule

Preseason kicks off with the Hall of Fame game on Thursday, July 31st before jumping into week 1 games. The full schedule is available below or on the ESPN website.

Thursday, Aug. 7 @ 7 p.m. Indianapolis Colts vs. Baltimore Ravens NFL Network
Thursday, Aug. 7 @ 10 p.m. Las Vegas Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks NFL Network
Friday, Aug. 8 @ 7 p.m. Cleveland Browns vs. Carolina Panthers NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 9 @ 1 p.m. New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 9 @ 4 p.m. Houston Texans vs. Minnesota Vikings NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 9 @ 8 p.m. New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers NFL Network
Sunday, Aug. 10 @ 1 p.m. Miami Dolphins vs. Chicago Bears NFL Network
Sunday, Aug. 10 @ 4 p.m. New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Chargers NFL Network
Friday, Aug. 15 @ 7 p.m. Tennessee Titans vs. Atlanta Falcons NFL Network
Friday, Aug. 15 @ 10 p.m. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Seattle Seahawks NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 16 @ 1 p.m. Cleveland Browns vs. Philadelphia Eagles NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 16 @ 4 p.m. San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 16 @ 7 p.m. New York Jets vs. New York Giants NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 16 @ 9:30 p.m. Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos NFL Network
Sunday, Aug. 17 @ 1 p.m. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New Orleans Saints NFL Network
Thursday, Aug. 21 @ 7 p.m. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Carolina Panthers NFL Network
Friday, Aug. 22 @ 8 p.m. Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 23 @ 1 p.m. Los Angeles Rams vs. Cleveland Browns NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 23 @ 4 p.m. Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 23 @ 7 p.m. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 23 @ 10 p.m. Las Vegas Raiders vs. Arizona Cardinals NFL Network

*All times are Eastern.

FAQ

Where can I watch NFL preseason football?

NFL preseason football games will be airing on ESPN, NFL Network and local networks. These channels are available on DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

Is NFL preseason only on NFL Network?

No, many games will air on local ABC, NBC and Fox stations, with some games airing on ESPN and NFL Network.

How can I watch NFL games for free?

The best way to watch NFL games for free is to snag a free trial for a streaming service. DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and Fubo all offer free trials.