Denon Staff
With so many games lined up every Sunday — not to mention your weekly Monday and Thursday football fixes — you don't want to miss a single second of action. Thanks to the widespread availability of NFL streaming options, you can watch your favorite team from just about any device and from any location — even if you've decided to cut the cord altogether. Check out these three streaming services to keep tabs on your favorite team all season long.
1. NFL RedZone
Getting ahead of the decline of cable subscriptions, the NFL decided to launch its own streaming service to allow fans to watch games on a wide variety of devices.
With RedZone, you can watch games in real time starting with the earliest 1 p.m. ET tilts all the way through the late afternoon and early evening. RedZone's unique feature is that it allows you to key into the most exciting plays of the day, switching you over from one game to the next, only covering the most exciting footage. This format makes sure you don't miss any game-winning drives, acrobatic catches, devastating sacks or needle-threading throws. It's the best way to get a full day's worth of football without slogging through replay challenges, commercials or timeouts.
2. DirectTV Now
If you're looking for a streaming service that can provide your weekly dose of NFL action, but also includes specific channels like CBS and NBC in high-definition, DirectTV Now is a very affordable alternative to traditional cable packages.
DirectTV's "Just Right" package is competitively priced and includes every network you'll need to watch any game you want: CBS and FOX for Sunday afternoons, NBC for Sunday nights, ESPN for Monday Night Football and the NFL Network for the weekly Thursday night game. If you're OK missing out on Thursday tilts — which are typically lower-tier matchups — you can save some money by going with the "Live a Little" package and cutting the NFL Network from your plan.
3. YouTube TV
YouTube's streaming service is very similar to DirectTV's baseline package, coming in at roughly the same price point and offering many of the same channels. Like DirectTV's "Live a Little" plan, YouTube TV does not include the NFL Network, which may be a deal-breaker if you absolutely must see those Thursday night games or don't want to be tied to whatever matchups your local cable providers prioritize. For instance, a Vikings fan living in New York would probably rather see what's going with Minnesota's NFC North rivals then sit through a Bills/Jets game, so paying a little extra to get that channel makes sense.
What may ultimately tip the scales one way or the other between YouTube TV and DirectTV is the services' respective availability. Check out both providers' service maps to see if they offer streaming packages in your area before getting too attached to one or the other.
Regardless of which NFL streaming service you choose, you'll want a compatible home theater system to watch all of the gridiron action at home from any device. That includes AV receivers, HDTVs, and speakers that work seamlessly with the latest NFL streaming options. Denon's sophisticated home theater equipment supports today's leading streaming services as well as the most advanced video and audio formats, providing the perfect arrangement for years to come.