Football season is upon us, and while the preseason game is getting underway, watching it isn’t as straightforward as it used to be.
In recent years, platforms like Amazon Prime, Peacock, and even Netflix have made their way into broadcasting games.
Adding to the mix, earlier this month, Fox announced the launch of “Fox One,” set for August 21st. This streaming service will be available for $19.99 a month or $199.99 annually.
Fox One plans to offer news, weather, business channels, and, of course, content from Fox Sports. It’s expected that streaming will include MLB World Series and NFL games on Sundays, along with college football on Saturdays.
This move doesn’t aim to cut off FOX from cable or antenna access entirely. If you have a cable package or a streaming service like YouTube TV, you can access Fox One without any additional cost.
That said, Fox One adds another layer of complexity to watching NFL games this season.
Usually, your local station broadcasts the game. But, for instance, if you’re in Chicago wanting to watch the Eagles, fresh off that Super Bowl win, the game’s broadcast can depend on matchups and market availability, alongside the usual streaming options.
To follow the Eagles throughout the season, you’d need subscriptions to a number of services like CBS Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and ESPN—four or five different platforms, depending on the specific game broadcast schedule. For those wanting the Christmas Day game on Netflix, it turns into a hunt across six streaming services to catch all 16 regular season games.
The current monthly rates for these services look somewhat like this:
- Paramount+: $7.99
- Amazon Prime Video: $14.99 (unless you’re only subscribing to Prime Video for $8.99)
- Peacock: $10.99
- ESPN: $11.99
- Fox One: $19.99
- Netflix: $7.99
If you subscribe to all of these throughout the NFL season, which runs from early September to early January, it could set you back around $296 before tax. And you can find out where your team’s games will be aired this season here.
Additionally, there’s NFL+, which allows access to local and primetime games on mobile devices for $6.99 a month, or about $28 for the regular season.
Recent developments, such as the non-binding contract signed between the NFL and ESPN, have made the streaming landscape even trickier. This agreement reportedly includes airing seven games on the NFL network, with a few shifts that are expected to take place by 2026.
Feeling overwhelmed? While you’ll likely catch most local games on TV, things can get complicated, especially if you’re outside the local market.
Despite the confusion, streaming is proving popular. Recent data from Nielsen Media Research revealed that streaming audiences now surpass cable and broadcast channels for the first time.
