The NFL’s streaming chaos is about to get even more chaotic. For the 2026-27 season, the league is spreading its games across CBS, FOX, NBC, Peacock, ESPN, ABC, Prime Video, Netflix, NFL+, Paramount+, FOX One, NFL Sunday Ticket, and NFL RedZone. That is a lot. But buried in that pile is a question with a surprisingly complicated answer: how do you watch NFL Network for free without cable?
The short version is that you cannot. The long version involves a dozen subscription plans, several free trials, and at least one bundle that costs $39.99 a month. Let’s break it down.
The NFL Network Schedule
NFL Network will broadcast nine international games at 9:30 a.m. ET from Week 4 to Week 7, plus Week 9. The headline event is the Colts vs. Commanders game on Sunday, October 4 at 9:30 a.m. ET from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. That game airs live on NFL Network.
Which Providers Carry NFL Network
NFL Network is included with a variety of cable providers, including Dish, Fios, Optimum, Xfinity, and more. It is also available through streaming services:
- Hulu + Live TV
- Sling TV
- DIRECTV
- Fubo TV
- YouTube TV
- NFL+
- ESPN Unlimited
The Free Trial Maze
Several of these services offer free trials. YouTube TV and Fubo both provide free trials. Hulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial. Sling TV’s Orange and Blue packages let you pay by the day, week, or month rather than committing to a full subscription.
Watching NFL Network Without a Subscription
There is no standalone free option for NFL Network. You either buy it as part of a bigger bundle or you subscribe directly. The direct routes include NFL+ at $6.99 a month or $39.99 a year. NFL+ Premium costs $14.99 a month or $79.99 a year and includes NFL RedZone.
Comparing the Options
| Service | Price | Trial |
|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | $89.99/month | 3-day free trial |
| Sling TV (Select) | $19.99/month | One-day, three-day, seven-day, or monthly prepay |
| YouTube TV | $67.99/month | Free trial |
| Fubo TV (Sports Plan) | $54.99/month for 1st month, $64.99/month after | Free trial |
DIRECTV offers NFL RedZone with NFL Network through its “MySports” Genre Pack, which costs $49.99 for the first month and $64.99 after. That pack also includes ESPN Unlimited and offers a five-day free trial.
The Cable Login Hack
If you already have cable, you can watch NFL Network live on the NFL app with a valid login. That is the simplest path if you have an existing subscription.
What This Actually Means
The headline promise of watching NFL Network “for free without cable” is a bit misleading. There is no free plan for NFL Network itself. What exists are free trials for the services that include it, and those trials expire.
The practical takeaway is that if you want to watch the Colts vs. Commanders game from Tottenham Hotspur on October 4, you need to commit to a streaming service that includes NFL Network. The direct routes include NFL+ at $6.99 a month.
The larger pattern is familiar to anyone who follows sports streaming. Every major sports property now operates its own subscription tier, and every one of them offers some form of free trial. The result is a marketplace where the price of entry keeps changing, and the consumer ends up paying for multiple services anyway.
The Colts vs. Commanders game is a reminder that the future of sports streaming is a maze of fees, not a highway of convenience.
See the video the story is built around at Decider.
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