(NewsNation) — The National Football League season kicked off Thursday night with a divisional matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles edged out the victory 24-20 following an hourlong weather delay in the third quarter.
This year’s NFL slate includes games on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Day and seven international games in five countries, the most international games in NFL history.
But Americans looking to binge all the games should be prepared to burn through their budget, as fans will now need several services to catch all of this season’s games. Friday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, however, will be available for free on YouTube.
In total, NFL games will air on 10 platforms during the 2025 season: Netflix, Prime Video, NBC, YouTube, Fox, CBS, ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and Peacock.
With a regular season that spans September to January, keeping up with the NFL can get expensive fast. Fans who want to watch every single NFL game legally should be prepared to pay around a grand for unlimited access.
What TV channels do I need to have to watch the NFL?
You’ll need a way to watch ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN and NFL Network.
ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX are available for free if you have an antenna with good reception, but they’re also available in cable, satellite and streaming TV subscriptions like Xfinity, Charter, DirecTV, YouTube TV and Sling TV. These channels will collectively air at least 218 of the 272 regular-season games.
The total price of a cable bill can vary wildly. The average cable bill, which likely includes internet and maybe phone service, is now $217 per month, per US News.
YouTube TV includes all the channels mentioned above for $82.99 per month, and, as you’ll see below, it may make sense to go that route if you are trying to watch the most football possible.
NFL Network is included in many, but not all, TV bundles. However, there are streaming services you can use to get it if you don’t get it as part of your package.
How many streaming services do I need to watch the NFL?
NBC games will stream on Peacock ($10.99/month or $100.99/year), CBS games on Paramount+ ($12.99/month or $59.99/year during the first year), ABC games on ESPN+ ($12/month) and FOX games on FOX One ($19.99/month or $199.99 /year).
ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service ($29.99/month or $299.99/year) provides access to ESPN+ content, Monday Night Football games, select ABC games and international games. Fox One and ESPN have recently announced a bundle offering fans access to both services for $39.99/month.
To watch Thursday night football games, fans will need Amazon Prime Video ($8.99/month).
Two of the three Christmas Day games will air on Netflix ($7.99/month with ads or $17.99/month without).
Plus, if your cable provider doesn’t include NFL Network, you’ll want at least a couple of months of NFL+ ($6.99/month or $39.99/year) to watch six of the seven international games exclusively airing on the league’s channel.
But if you really want to watch every game, you’ll need Sunday Ticket.
How much does NFL Sunday Ticket cost?
Everything above only covers games that are nationally televised or games your local CBS and FOX affiliates broadcast to you. There are many other games on normal Sundays that you may not have access to without paying for the NFL’s premier product: NFL Sunday Ticket.
Sunday ticket is available through YouTube. The base plan for YouTube TV costs $82.99/month. To add Sunday Ticket, new users will have to pay an additional $276 for the season, and for returning customers adding to their YouTube TV plans, $378. Returning customers who wish to access NFL Sunday Ticket without a season pass will be charged $480 for the season.
If you want access to NFL RedZone in addition to Sunday Ticket, users will have to fork over an additional $42 for a total of $318 for new users and $420 for returning customers.
The YouTube TV subscription also gets you access to CBS, FOX, NBC, NFL Network and ESPN.
How much does it cost to watch every NFL regular-season game?
This will depend on your choices, but if you are a first-time customer who subscribes to YouTubeTV and NFL Sunday Ticket, Peacock, the ESPN and Fox bundle, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Netflix and NFL Network only for the months when you absolutely need them, it would be over $900.
However, many of those streaming services offer annual bundles at a discount, and you or your family may want to take the plunge for a year of those services.
If interested in paying for the year, be prepared to fork over around $2,000.
Ways to cut down costs
NFL fans can game the system to knock the price down in several ways. Free trials or short-term sign-ups will be their best friend; watch games and then cancel before the renewal date.
Also, on YouTubeTV and Amazon Prime, you can share logins and passwords with family and friends to split costs.
Keep an eye out for periodic deals when signing up for streaming services.
Currently, several of the previously mentioned streaming platforms are offering deals for first-time customers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report