The Cheapest Way to Watch Out-of-Market NFL Games

Here’s what matters most if you only have a minute before deciding what to sign up for.

Here’s how the realistic options actually stack up once you account for new-subscriber pricing, renewal pricing, and what each one truly includes.

These are the specific situations and concerns that come up most once people start comparing their actual options.

• 1
  What exactly counts as an “out-of-market” game? Any Sunday afternoon game between two teams that don’t play in your local broadcast region · Local games, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football are not affected by this rule

  An out-of-market game simply means a Sunday afternoon matchup where neither team is the one your local broadcast stations are showing that week. Your local CBS and FOX affiliates only air one or two Sunday afternoon games based on which teams are most relevant to your specific region, and every other Sunday afternoon game happening at the same time is considered out-of-market for you, even though it’s airing live and in full somewhere in the country. This rule only applies to Sunday afternoon games specifically — Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and Thursday night games are each handled through entirely separate distribution deals and aren’t part of the out-of-market Sunday package at all.
• 2
  Do I actually need the full out-of-market package, or would the league’s cheaper mobile app be enough? Depends entirely on whether you want full video or are comfortable with mobile-only access and audio · The cheaper app does not include out-of-market video on a television

  This comes down to how and where you actually watch. The league’s base mobile app, priced well below the full out-of-market package, streams local and primetime games specifically to a phone or tablet, and importantly, does not stream out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on those devices either — what it does include for every single game, regardless of market, is live audio coverage, meaning you can listen to any out-of-market game in real time even without video. If watching full video coverage of your team on a television screen is the actual goal, the cheaper app alone won’t get you there for out-of-market games specifically, and the full premium out-of-market package remains the only path to that on a TV. If you’re comfortable following along through live audio plus the league’s other on-demand replay and highlight features, the cheaper app may genuinely be enough.
• 3
  Is it actually cheaper to buy the out-of-market package early, or does the price stay the same all year? Earlier purchase typically locks in the lowest available new-subscriber rate · Waiting until closer to the season doesn’t guarantee the same discount stays available

  The package is typically made available for purchase many months before the season begins, often around the same time as the league’s championship game in February, and the lowest advertised new-subscriber pricing tends to be tied to that early purchase window rather than guaranteed to last all the way through summer. While pricing hasn’t historically increased dramatically between an early-year purchase and a late-summer one in the way the new-versus-returning subscriber gap does, there’s no guarantee that promotional pricing, bundled discounts, or specific offers available in February will still be active by August. If you already know you want the package and don’t need to wait to decide, purchasing earlier removes the uncertainty of whether a specific deal will still be there later.
• 4
  Can I split the cost of the out-of-market package with other people to bring my own price down? Yes, if it’s purchased as an add-on to a household streaming plan that supports multiple accounts · Splitting evenly among several people meaningfully lowers each person’s share

  When the out-of-market package is purchased as an add-on to a broader household live-TV streaming plan that supports multiple individual accounts under one subscription, splitting that cost evenly among several households or family members can bring each person’s individual share down considerably compared to paying for the entire package alone. This works best with people you trust and can coordinate payment with easily, since the subscription itself remains a single account holder’s responsibility even if the cost is split informally outside of the platform. It’s worth discussing clearly upfront how the season’s cost will be divided and collected, since the package itself is purchased as one upfront commitment rather than something that bills each participant separately.
• 5
  I qualify for a military, teacher, student, or first responder discount — how do I actually claim it, and is it worth it? Verification is handled through a third-party identity verification service · The discounted rate is meaningfully below even the standard new-subscriber price · Definitely worth claiming if you’re eligible

  If you fall into one of the eligible categories, this is genuinely one of the best ways to reduce the cost of full out-of-market access, and it’s worth the few minutes it takes to verify. The discount is typically claimed through a dedicated offer page that uses a third-party identity verification service rather than requiring you to mail in paperwork or call a support line, and the verification process usually takes just a few minutes once you have the appropriate documentation or credentials ready. The discounted rate available through this path tends to run meaningfully below the regular new-subscriber price, making it the single cheapest legitimate route to full out-of-market coverage for anyone who qualifies. Note that this discount is generally only available to new or qualifying subscribers and renews at the discounted rate going forward as long as you remain enrolled and verified, rather than reverting to a steep returning-subscriber price the way standard purchases do.
• 6
  If I only care about a handful of out-of-market games each season, is there a cheaper way than buying the whole package? No official single-game or single-week purchase option currently exists for the main package · A short free trial timed around specific games is the closest workaround

  Unfortunately, there’s currently no official way to buy access to just one game or a single week of out-of-market coverage — the package is sold as a full-season commitment, whether through the higher upfront cost or installment-style monthly payments that still add up to the same season total. The closest practical workaround for someone who only cares about a handful of specific games is to use a free trial period from a qualifying live-TV streaming bundle, timed to start just before the specific weeks you care about and cancelled before the trial period ends, assuming the games in question happen to be available through that particular bundle’s offerings during the trial window. This isn’t a perfect substitute for the full package and depends heavily on which specific games and trial timing line up, but it’s a more realistic option than paying for full-season access just to watch a small number of games.
• 7
  What can I watch completely free with just a TV antenna, with no subscription at all? Local Sunday afternoon games, Sunday Night Football, and the over-the-air simulcast of Monday Night Football · A one-time hardware cost, no ongoing fee, ever

  There’s more genuinely free coverage available than most people realize, and it has nothing to do with which team you follow specifically — it depends entirely on whether your team happens to be playing in your local broadcast market that week. Local network affiliates broadcast Sunday afternoon games, Sunday Night Football, and the broadcast-network simulcast of Monday Night Football completely free over the air to anyone within range of the relevant towers, and a basic indoor antenna typically costs somewhere between fifteen and fifty dollars as a one-time purchase with no recurring fee attached. Additionally, when a Thursday night game happens to involve a team from your local market, that specific game is also typically simulcast free on a local broadcast station even though the primary national broadcast sits behind a separate paid retail membership subscription. None of this requires any subscription, login, or monthly payment once you own the antenna.
• 8
  What’s the smartest combination if I want to follow my out-of-market team without paying for everything? Antenna for free local and primetime coverage · League mobile app for live audio on every game · Full package only if video access truly matters to you

  The most cost-efficient realistic setup layers a few inexpensive pieces rather than relying on one expensive package. Start with a basic antenna, which covers local games, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football completely free. Add the league’s base mobile app at its modest monthly rate, which gives you live audio coverage of every single game regardless of market, plus primetime video on a phone or tablet — genuinely useful for anyone willing to follow an out-of-market game by ear while doing something else, or watch condensed replays afterward. If full live video of your specific out-of-market team on a television screen is non-negotiable for you, that’s the point where the full premium package becomes worth the higher cost, and checking for a student, military, or early-purchase rate before paying full price is worth the extra few minutes either way.

Use the buttons below to find antennas and electronics retailers, compare TV and internet providers near you, or locate tech setup help. Always sign up for any subscription directly through its official site or app.