NFL streaming: week 18 preview
The playoff hopes of eight teams will be decided in Week 18, the last of the NFL regular season. The Jaguars, Titans, Patriots, and Packers all know that a win will secure postseason football, while the Dolphins, Steelers, Lions, and Seahawks are relying on favors from elsewhere. Both No.1 seeds are up for grabs too, as well as three division titles, and you can follow our guide for the best ways to get NFL streaming wherever you are during the 2022/23 season, including details for fans without cable in the US, Canada streams and even ways to watch the NFL for FREE!
NFL live stream 2022/23
Dates: September 8, 2022 - January 8, 2023
US cable channels: ESPN, CBS, NBC, Fox, NFL Network
Watch without cable: Sling TV discount | FREE fuboTV trial | Amazon Prime FREE trial | Paramount Plus | Peacock TV | NFL Plus | ESPN Plus
Global live streams: My5 / Sky Sports (UK) | DAZN (CA) | 7Plus / Kayo Sports FREE trial (AU)
Watch anywhere: Use a VPN 100% risk-free
Our best wishes go out to Damar Hamlin, who at the time of writing remains in critical condition after collapsing on the field during Monday's clash between the Bills and Bengals. The NFL hasn't yet decided if the game will replayed, and if it is, it won't be this week.
The situation will impact the battle for the AFC's No.1 seed, frivolous as that may seem right now. It's currently held by the Bills, with the Chiefs and Bengals also in the running. There's a threeway tussle for the NFC's No.1 seed too, with the Eagles in pole position ahead of the 49ers and Cowboys. The No.1 seed from each conference will, of course, benefit from a first-round bye, the most favorable matchups, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The main event, however, is the race for those wild card playoff spots, especially as the Packers are set to visit the Lions, and the Jaguars will host the Titans, in what essentially amounts to a pair of straight-up shootouts.
It's crunch time, so read on for details on how to watch an NFL live stream no matter where you are in the world, including ways to watch for free on 7Plus and My5, free trials of FuboTV and Kayo Sports, and arguably the best value streaming service that has it all just below. You might want to try ExpressVPN if you're looking to tune into your home coverage from abroad.
NFL Week 18 TV schedule
(All times ET)
Use FuboTV or Paramount Plus for CBS games without cable.
Use Sling or FuboTV for Fox and ESPN games without cable.
Use Sling, FuboTV, or Peacock for NBC games without cable.
Saturday, January 7
4.30pm - Kansas City Chiefs vs Las Vegas Raiders (ESPN, ABC)
8.15pm - Tennessee Titans vs Jacksonville Jaguars (ESPN, ABC)
Sunday, January 8
1pm - Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons (Fox)
1pm - Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears (Fox)
1pm - New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins (Fox)
1pm - Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints (Fox)
1pm - New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills (CBS, Paramount +)
1pm - Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts (CBS, Paramount +)
1pm - Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers (CBS, Paramount +)
1pm - Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals (CBS, Paramount +)
4.25pm - Los Angeles Chargers vs Denver Broncos (CBS, Paramount +)
4.25pm - New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles (CBS, Paramount +)
4.25pm - Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers (Fox)
4.25pm - Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks (Fox)
4.25pm - Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Commanders (Fox)
8.20pm - Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers (NBC, Peacock)
How to watch NFL: live stream in Canada
NFL fans in Canada are some of the luckiest in the world, as streaming service DAZNincludes coverage of every single game of the 2022/23 season game, all the way to the Super Bowl.
And it's a real bargain too - DAZN costs just CA$24.99 a month or $199.99 a year. Away from home in Canada for a game? No problem.
Use a VPN to watch NFL on DAZN while abroad.
Not only do you get every single NFL game, but DAZN is also the exclusive Canadian streaming home of the Champions League, Europa League, and EFL Championship soccer!
It also comes with support for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, PS4, and laptop/PC streaming (including Mac devices).
TV coverage of select games is also available on linear Canadian TV, via CTV and TSN.
How to watch NFL from outside your country
We've set out how you can live stream NFL games in a number of countries around the world. However, if you're away traveling for pleasure or work, you probably won't be able to tune in like you normally would at home. This is the result of geo-blocking - best understood as digital borders that restrict certain services and content to specific parts of the world.
A good streaming VPN can let you get around these digital borders, while also offering robust protection from cybercriminals and government snooping. They're also really easy to use.
Use a VPN to live stream NFL from anywhere
ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN right now
We've taken the time to try out all the biggest VPN providers and found ExpressVPN to be the pick of the bunch. It works with lots of devices and offers super-fast connections across its many servers.
Throw in its robust set of security features and ExpressVPN is the best all-around VPN for streaming - and perhaps best of all, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee plus 3 months FREE when you subscribe for a year.
Access ExpressVPN via your laptop, iPhone, tablet, Android phone, PlayStation, Xbox, and plenty more. Express is a do-it-all service that also benefits from 24/7 customer support.
NFL live stream: watch in the US without cable
Coverage of the 2022/23 NFL season is available through a dizzying array of TV channels and streaming services, including NBC, Fox, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 3/ABC, Amazon Prime Video, NFL Network, Peacock TV, and Paramount Plus.
Hard as it may be to believe, covering all your bases isn't quite as tricky as it looks, even if you don't want the commitment or expense of cable.
The best ways to watch the NFL without cable
Sling TVis an OTT service that's especially good for NFL fans.
TheSling Bluepackage offers NFL Network and local NBC and Fox channels in most major markets, thereby covering a large number of NFL games including both primetime and local broadcasts. The usual cost is $40 a month, but if you're new to the service you can get50% off your first month.
An extra $15 a month for thecombined Sling Blue + Orange bundleadds access to ESPN 1, 2, and 3 to your NFL viewing arsenal - as well as getting you a raft of other premium channels.
A costlier but even more thorough alternative isFuboTV, which includes the NFL Network, Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN, ESPN 2, and ABC - all the TV channels you need to tune into the NFL this season.
Prices start at $69.99 a month after aFREE FuboTV trial.
NFL TV channels: what's on when?
How to watch Thursday Night Football
Amazon has the rights to Thursday Night Football, which means Amazon Prime Video members can watch all the action at no additional cost.
An Amazon Prime membership costs $139 per year or $14.99 per month and can be canceled at any time. New users can sign up for aFREE 30-day Amazon Prime trialwith full access to live sports coverage, as well as free one-day delivery on purchases from Amazon's online store during that time.
How to watch Sunday afternoon NFL games
CBS and Fox are the broadcasters you need for the traditional 1 pm and 4 pm (ET) kick-offs every Sunday.
However, you might want to bear in mind that all of the games shown on CBS are also being live-streamed on Paramount Plus, which starts at $4.99 a month.
How to watch Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is being aired exclusively by NBC throughout the regular season. Similarly, NBC's games are also being live-streamed on Peacock TV, which starts at $4.99 a month.
How to watch Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is on ESPN every week.
How to watch NFL games from abroad
Don't forget, you can take your favorite NFL streaming coverage with you wherever you are with the help of a good VPN - try the best around, ExpressVPN is 100% risk-free for 30 days.
How to watch NFL in the UK for FREE
American football fans in the UK can watch up to six NFL games live each week on Sky Sports, which has a dedicated Sky Sports NFL channel and access to the live RedZone highlights show each Sunday.
If you want to sign up for Sky Sports, you can check out our guide toSky TV deals and packagesfor today's best prices.
Don't fancy being locked into a long, expensive contract? Consider the more flexible streaming option, Now, (formerly Now TV).Now sports passes start at £11.99.
However, Monday Night Football is shown forabsolutely FREEon Channel 5 every week!
That means you can also watch online viaMy5, which is available on your laptop, or via apps for the likes of Android, iOS, PS4, Xbox, Roku, and Amazon Fire.
Hardcore NFL fans may instead want to look at theNFL Game Pass, which now costs £34.99 for the rest of the season and shows every single game live.
Not in the UK but still want to catch the action?Use a VPNto livestream the NFL as if you were at home.
NFL fans in Australia have it good too, as 7Mate shows two games a week for FREE.
That means viewers can also fire up a free NFL live stream on the7Plus streaming service, which is compatible with most smart devices.
ESPN, available through Foxtel, shows up to six NFL games, which you can also stream on your laptop or mobile using theFoxtel Goapp.
Those six games are also shown on the incredible sports streaming service Kayo Sports, which is an ideal option for those who don't want the commitment of a lengthy (and pricey) contract.
Kayo lets you stream on two devices with its AU$30 per month Basic plan, and three devices with its AU$35 Premium plan – both come with a FREE 7-day trial.
Kayo also gives you access to over 50 other sports including cricket, NRL, F1... the list goes on! Handy if you don't want to go all out on Foxtel.
If you're only interested in watching the NFL, theNFL Game Passis showing every game of the 2023 season live, with a subscription now priced at AU$280, paid in four monthly installments of AU$70.
Not in Australia right now?Use a VPNif you're away from home, to tap into your domestic coverage.
Should I buy an NFL Game Passthis season?
The NFL Game Pass is the National Football League's dedicated streaming service, which allows die-hard football fans to watch every single game.
However, it's geared towards international fans. In most of the NFL's main international markets, a Game Pass Pro subscription will get you access to every preseason, regular season, and playoff game live, plus the Super Bowl, and you also get the league's live highlights show, RedZone.
At the time of writing, access for the 2023 season cost £151 in the UK, and AU$280 in Australia. That price may fall throughout the season, which it has done previously.
The only caveat for non-domestic markets (e.g. the UK) is that some games are subject to blackout restrictions due to deals with local pay-TV providers (e.g. Sky).
New to the landscape this season is NFL Plus, which is essentially a rebranded version of Game Pass for fans based in the US. It lets you live-stream select in-market regular season games and watch full-game replays right after they've finished.
An NFL Plus subscription starts at $6.99 per month, making it one of the cheapest ways to watch the NFL this season.
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Aatif Sulleyman
Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.
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