How to Watch New England Patriots Games Without Cable

Published: December 19, 2023

Where to Watch the New England Patriots

Looking to watch the Patriots with a TV antenna? Most folks within the Boston-Manchester TV market can snag free over-the-air channels. Once you’ve got the right antenna setup, you’ll enjoy loads of NFL games, including the Patriots. You can also watch these channels on a live TV streaming service.

For your football fix:

• Sunday afternoon & Sunday Night Football: FOX, CBS, NBC
• Monday Night Football: ESPN simulcast. (Some games available on ABC with an antenna.)
• Thursday Night Football: Amazon Prime or your local OTA station.

Want to watch the New England Patriots on Roku or Smart TV? You’ll just need an internet connection to start with a live TV streaming service. 

Some of these services offer a week-long free trial and have apps on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast with Google TV, Xbox One, PlayStation, and Smart TVs. You can even catch live TV on a smartphone, tablet, or PC.

Considering the average Comcast cable subscription cost of $129 per month in 2024, these alternatives offer a more customized and potentially cost-effective solution.

DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) offers four channel packages:

1. Entertainment Plan: Approximately 75 channels for $79.99/month, including AMC, ESPN, CNN, FOX Sports 1, Comedy Central, HGTV, Food Network, History, National Geographic Channel, and FOX News.
2. Choice Plan: Over 105 channels for $108.99 per month, featuring unlimited Cloud DVR storage, 40,000 on-demand movies and shows, and channels like ESPN, ESPN2, CBS Sports Network, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, NBA TV, NFL Network, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPNews, and ESPNU, in addition to entertainment channels.
3. Ultimate Package: Over 140 channels, including locals and NHL Network, for $119.99 per month.
4. Premier Package: Over 150 channels, including premium channels like HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime, for $164.99 per month. Exclusive channels in this package include Boomerang, Destination America, Discovery Family Channel, HBO (East), Starz Cinema East HD, and more.

All of these packages are similar to DIRECTV satellite service, with minor price differences. Subscriptions are on a month-to-month basis. DIRECTV STREAM is the most expensive streaming service out there, but it also has the most comprehensive channel lineups.

Fubo (formerly fuboTV) offers three channel packages, Pro, Elite, and Premier.

1. Pro Plan: $79.99 per month, including 182 channels such as local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, ESPN2, Food Network, Fox News, HGTV, and Big Ten Network.
2. Elite Plan: $89.99 per month, with an additional 65 sports, news, and entertainment channels, similar to fubo Extra and News Plus add-ons. Channels include beIN Sports LaLiga, BET, Game Show Network, Lifetime Movies, and more.
3. Premier Plan: $99.99 per month, offering 264 channels, including Showtime, and combining channels from fubo Extra, News Plus, Sports Plus, and Showtime.
4. Sports Plus Bundle: $10.99 per month, adding 32 channels, including NFL RedZone, Stadium networks, Sports Illustrated TV, and more.

All subscribers receive 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR storage and can watch live TV on 10 screens simultaneously. fubo also offers a “look back” feature for sporting events in the last 72 hours and a library of on-demand content. 

Fubo has a better variety of sports channels, including NFL RedZone than a budget-service like Sling TV, although at a higher price point.

Hulu Live TV offers a comprehensive channel selection, encompassing news, entertainment, and sports. Channels include ABC News Live, CNN, ESPN, Fox News, FX, HGTV, MSNBC, NBC, NFL Network, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, and USA Network.

With only one plan available, Hulu Live TV allows streaming on up to two screens simultaneously and provides unlimited DVR storage for recording sports, news, movies, and more. The service also includes local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC channels across the U.S. Subscriptions cost $76.99 per month and grant access to ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu’s on-demand library.

College football enthusiasts can enjoy over 500 live games on ESPN Plus, featuring teams like Southeastern Conference, LSU, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. A Hulu Live TV subscription activates the ESPN app for ESPN3 and unlocks all live sports on ESPN Plus.

Sling TV offers a limited selection of local channels in select TV markets, making it a viable option for ESPN’s Monday Night Football, especially when paired with a TV antenna for local channels.

The Sling Orange plan, priced at $40 per month, includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, A&E, History, and TNT, totaling about 31 channels. Subscribers receive 50 hours of Cloud DVR and can watch live TV on one screen at a time.

The Sling Blue plan includes 40 channels, featuring Discovery, NFL Network, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, MSNBC, and Stadium, but excludes ESPN. Combining Sling Orange and Sling Blue for $55 per month and adding the Sports Extra package enhances the channel lineup.

Sports fans can expand their options with the Sports Extra package, offering 15 channels, including ACC Network, ACCNX, NFL RedZone, Longhorn Network, SEC Network, SEC Network+, MLB Network, NBA TV, and ESPNU for $11 per month.

Sling TV is a good pick for budget-conscious sports fans, especially when combined with a TV antenna. While less comprehensive than DIRECTV STREAM, it’s a more affordable alternative for essential channels.

YouTube TV offers 128 channels for $72.99 per month, featuring ESPN, ESPN2, NBA TV, TNT, TBS, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNews, FS1, FS2, NFL Network, MLB Network, Bravo, and Disney Junior.

An optional 4K Plus add-on for $10 per month (first year at $5 per month) offers 4K resolution for channels like Discovery, ESPN, FOX Sports, FX, Nat Geo, NBC Sports, Tastemade, and MLB Network. This bundle also enables unlimited screen streaming and content downloads.

YouTube TV includes unlimited Cloud DVR and allows up to 6 profiles per household. The service is compatible with Chromecast, Roku, Fire TV, NVIDIA Shield TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast. A free 7-day trial is available, along with channel lineup details for your area.

Paramount Plus offers an economical way to stream NFL games on CBS each week. The Essential plan, priced at $5.99 per month, provides on-demand access to a diverse library of movies, live news, and complete seasons of TV shows from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel. Paramount+ also features exclusive originals such as “Special Ops: Lioness,” “Tulsa King,” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”

Subscribers opting for the Paramount Plus with Showtime plan gain access to additional live sports content like the PGA Tour and college football on CBS, all for $11.99 per month.

Peacock offers a variety of live sports, including NFL’s Sunday Night Football, Premier League, NASCAR, INDYCAR, and WWE events. College football fans can enjoy Big Ten Football games by subscribing to the Peacock Premium plan at $5.99 per month, which also grants access to movies and TV shows.

Owned by NBCUniversal, Peacock boasts an extensive library of TV shows and programs from NBC, MSNBC, NBC Sports, and Telemundo. Without a cable subscription, you can stream the Hallmark Channel and its sibling networks, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama, live.

For $11.99 per month, the Peacock Premium Plus plan provides 24/7 access to your local NBC station, offering local news and your favorite NBC shows and sports.