Best Streaming Service for Football in 2026

NFL Plus is the cheapest way into live NFL streaming, at $6.99 per month or $49.99 per season in recent listings. It streams live local and primetime games, includes NFL Network, and adds live game audio for every game, which suits fans who follow games on the go. Premium at $14.99 per month adds NFL RedZone, full-game replays, and coaches film.

The major catch is the screen. Live games on NFL Plus play on phones and tablets only on the base plan, not on your TV, which rules it out as a living-room service for many fans. If your phone is your main screen, or you want a cheap second screen for local games, NFL Plus is excellent value. If you want football on a TV, pair it with another service in this list.

NFL Sunday Ticket is the only service in this list that shows every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game, which makes it essential for fans whose team rarely plays locally. Recent 2026 pricing lists $240 for the season for new YouTube TV customers, $378 for returning YouTube TV customers, and $480 as a standalone purchase. That price is the single biggest cost in any football streaming stack.

The catch is value. If your team plays locally most weeks, Sunday Ticket adds little, because local games already appear on local channels or NFL Plus mobile. It also cannot be cancelled or refunded once bought in recent terms, so buy it only when out-of-market games are a weekly habit, not an occasional wish. For a displaced fan, it is still the best football streaming service for Sunday afternoons.

Peacock is the home of Sunday Night Football on NBC, and it is the simplest standalone pick for fans who mainly watch Sunday nights. Premium at $12.99 per month in recent listings includes Sunday Night Football and NBC exclusive games, plus a wide library of shows and films. That makes Peacock useful beyond football, especially for households that already watch NBC content.

The limit is scope. Peacock does not show CBS, Fox, ESPN, or Thursday games, so a fan who wants the full week will need other apps. The cheaper Peacock Select plan does not include live sports, so you must choose Premium or Premium Plus for football. For a Sunday night fan, Peacock is the best single-app pick. For an every-game fan, it is one piece of a larger stack.

Paramount Plus streams your local CBS games live, which covers a large share of Sunday afternoon football for fans whose team plays on CBS most weeks. Essential at $8.99 per month in recent listings includes live NFL on CBS, while Premium at $13.99 per month adds a live feed of your local CBS station and Showtime content. The free trial, where offered, lets you test local coverage before paying.

The catch is market and scope. Paramount Plus only covers CBS games, so Fox, NBC, ESPN, and Thursday games need other services. Local CBS availability also depends on your market, so check the live TV section for your zip code before subscribing. For a CBS-heavy fan, Paramount Plus is cheap and simple. For a fan with a mixed schedule, it is one app among several.

Fox One is the direct-to-consumer Fox app, and it carries your local Fox affiliate games plus FS1 and FS2. That covers the Fox side of Sunday afternoons, which is a large share of the schedule for many teams. At $19.99 per month in recent listings, it is pricier than Paramount Plus for a single network family, but it also includes Fox News and Fox Sports content beyond football.

The limit is the same as for any single-network app: it does not show CBS, NBC, ESPN, or Thursday games. A free trial, where offered, helps you check local Fox coverage in your market before you commit. Fox One suits a fan whose team plays on Fox most weeks, or a fan who already wants Fox Sports content year round. For a full schedule, pair it with Peacock, Paramount Plus, and ESPN Unlimited.

ESPN Unlimited is the standalone ESPN subscription that carries Monday Night Football, NFL Network games, and ESPN playoff games, with Super Bowl LXI on ESPN in the 2026 season schedule guides. At $31.99 per month in recent listings, it is the most expensive single-network app here, but Monday night is a key part of the week for many fans, and ESPN also carries a wide range of other sports.

The catch is scope and price. ESPN Unlimited does not replace local Sunday games, Thursday games, or Sunday Night Football, so it works best as part of a stack or inside a live TV bundle that already includes ESPN. A bundle with Fox One at $39.99 per month in recent listings can lower the combined cost if you need both. For a Monday night fan, ESPN Unlimited is the direct pick.

Prime Video is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, which makes it essential for fans who do not want to miss Thursday games. Full Amazon Prime at $14.99 per month in recent listings includes Thursday games plus delivery benefits and a large show library, while a Prime Video only plan is listed at $8.99 per month in some guides. Thursday games also include special fixtures such as Black Friday games in recent schedules.

The limit is scope. Prime Video does not show Sunday or Monday games, so it cannot serve as your only football app. It also requires an Amazon account and a supported device, which most households already have. For a Thursday fan, Prime Video is a must-have. For a Sunday fan, it is an optional extra.

YouTube TV is the simplest full bundle for football fans who want most games on a TV without juggling five apps. The base plan at $82.99 per month in recent listings includes local channels in most markets, plus ESPN, NFL Network, and other sports networks, with unlimited cloud DVR. It is also the home of NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on, which makes it the cleanest path for out-of-market fans who want one bill and one app.

The drawback is price. At $82.99 per month plus Sunday Ticket, YouTube TV recreates much of a cable bill, especially over a full season. Local channel coverage also varies by market, so check your zip code before subscribing. For a household that watches football plus news and entertainment on TV, YouTube TV is the best football streaming service overall. For a fan who only watches one team on one night, a single-network app will cost far less.