How to watch NFL games online in 2021

If football is the thing that's keeping you from cutting ties with cable TV, this one's for you; how to watch NFL games online, no cable required, no missed games and if you've got fast, reliable internet access, no worries.

After last year's wonky season, 2021's NFL season is back on track. The preseason kicked off on August 5 with the Steelers dropping the Cowboys 16 - 3 at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. After a few packed weeks of pre-season games five days a week, the season will continue with its usual Thursday, Sunday, and Monday cadence until the postseason.

How to watch NFL games online

Thursday

Amazon Prime Video will soon have the exclusive streaming rights to Thursday Night Football, but for 2021, they'll be streaming 11 out of the 19 TNF games, starting with the October 7 game (Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks) in week five and going through week 16. All you'll need is your Amazon Prime subscription and a solid internet connection.

Weeks two, three, four and 12, and three other games later in the season, will only be available to watch on NFL Network. However, you can stream these NFL Network exclusive games if you subscribe to one of the many TV streaming subscription services available. Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV will all give you streaming access to NFL Network, though how much you pay to have NFL Network included in your package may vary.

Saturday

Fall Saturdays are usually for college ball but the NFL will have a couple of doubleheaders on Saturday after the traditional college football season ends. These games will be streamed on ESPN+, which you can buy as a standalone over-the-top (OTT) service for $5.99 per month or $59.99 for the year. Or, if you're a Sling TV subscriber, you can get ESPN in the Sling Orange offering.

There will be two games on Christmas Day, which falls on a Saturday this year. Amazon Prime will be streaming the Packers-Browns game at Lambeau Field, while the Colts-Cardinals game will be available only on NFL Network.

Sunday

Sundays are your usual mix of CBS and Fox broadcasting the daytime games, with CBS usually airing AFC games and Fox airing NFC games. NBC will take the primetime Sunday Night Football game. The CBS and Fox Sunday afternoon games are somewhat in flux, so keep an eye on the schedule.

For CBS, you can stream your local game through Paramount+ for $4.99 per month with ads for non-NFL programming or $9.99 per month with no ads for on-demand programming, but you'll still have to watch ads during games.

For games that air on Fox, you'll need to subscribe to a service like Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, or YouTube TV, or you could use Tubi, the free live TV app owned by Fox.

Sunday Night Football will be available to stream live through Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service. This includes NBC's postseason games as well.

Monday

ESPN will broadcast 17 weeks of Monday Night Football, and you can stream these via ESPN+ or one of the aforementioned OTT services that includes ESPN. This year, though, ABC (ESPN's sibling network) will also be airing two games. You'll be able to stream those via ESPN+ too.

How to keep up with your favorite team

Aside from the proper streaming subscriptions, what you really need to enjoy the smorgasbord that is the NFL's schedule is an internet connection as tough and durable as Kansas City's offensive line.

For people living in a Ting Internet fiber town, you're in luck. In this case, the question of how to watch NFL games online has a simple answer: Upgrade to streaming TV and use one of the aforementioned streaming services.

To help you keep up with your favorite team, we've put together a handy repository of team schedules for this season.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are the closest NFL team to Greater Sandpoint, Idaho, for 1,000 miles—so if you're not a 12th Man, you're probably surrounded by them if you live in this area. Here's the Seahawks' schedule.

Rams, Chargers, Raiders, and '49ers

If you're from Solana Beach, Fullerton, Culver City, or Encinitas in California, chances are high that you're rooting for the Rams or the Chargers. These will be the local games you'll have streaming access to via Paramount+ and Tubi, if you're not subscribed to Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, or YouTube TV.

Maybe you're more of a Las Vegas (formerly Oakland) Raiders or San Francisco '49ers fan. Their games will mostly be accessible to you via NFL Network streaming, as they're out of your local market. You can find their schedules here.

Denver Broncos

For Centennial and Roaring Fork, Colorado, the Denver Broncos are your closest team. Their schedule can be found here.

Baltimore Ravens

The AFC North is a tough old bird, but in Westminster, Maryland, if you're cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, you just might be looking at a championship ring this year. Here's their schedule.

The Washington Football Team

Those in Charlottesville, Virginia, might need to keep an eye on name changes in the future, but The Washington Football Team is sticking with that name for this season, at least. Here's who they'll be playing and when.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers may have finished near the bottom of the NFC South last season, but that's no reason for folks in Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Rolesville, and Wake Forest, North Carolina to panic. Find out when you can cheer the Panther's on for the 2021 season.

Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons

Fans who know there's no place like home don't miss a single game the Kansas City Chiefs play, but if you've decided to betray your state and root for the Atlanta Falcons, here's their schedule.

Whatever team you're rooting for, you'll want an internet connection that won't cut out when the players are in the red zone. Ting fiber internet will make sure you see every nail-biting play—no skips, no drops, just crystal-clear 4K football.