By Jim Kimble / Published September 11, 2023
CBS broadcasts NFL games on Sunday afternoon during the regular football season.
You can watch NFL games on CBS through five live TV streaming services or for free by using a TV antenna. The Paramount+ Essential plan is the cheapest way to watch NFL games on CBS at $5.99 per month following a free trial.
Between now and September 20, you can get half off an annual subscription. Â
CBS will broadcast more than 100 regular season games during the 2023 season along with 9 doubleheaders and Super Bowl 58 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The NFL on CBS schedule is below.
You can jump down to the summary of how to watch NFL on CBS, check out the schedule or read through all your options to watch your favorite team.Â
Paramount+, Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, and YouTube TV all stream CBS live on Smart TVs and streaming devices without the need of a cable subscription. You cannot get the NFL on CBS with Sling TV in 2023.
Only Paramount+, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo and YouTube TV currently offer a free trial, and carry NFL on CBS.
How to watch NFL on CBS
Streaming services now carry popular live TV channels that were once only available on cable TV or satellite.
You have a lot more flexibility with choosing a replacement for cable TV while still keeping local channels such as CBS for Sunday’s NFL games, and sports networks like ESPN.
Most live TV streaming services carry other local broadcast channels that air NFL games, including ABC, NBC and FOX.
These live TV streaming services work on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast with Google TV, Xbox One and PlayStation consoles.
You can watch on Smart TVs by LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio. Smart TVs running on Android TV and Google TV are likewise supported.
Game consoles including XBox and PlayStation support watching live sports as well.
Sports fans can watch on more than just your TV.
You can use iPhones and iPads with current iOS. Android mobile devices and tablets are supported.
With all of the above devices, you just need to take the following steps:
1) Sign up for Paramount Plus
2) Download the the Paramount Plus app from the app hub of your Smart TV or streaming device
3) Launch the app on your TV, and sign in with your account
4) Go to the Live tab and find the NFL game you want to watch
Fans using a PC, Chromebook and Mac computer to watch games can watch their subscription through a current web browser.
Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus is the cheapest way to watch NFL games on CBS without cable TV.
A subscription to the Essential plan costs $5.99 per month, and gives you access to live NFL games that air on CBS. Subscribers get access to CBS Sports HQ which covers game highlights and news.
Paramount Plus with Showtime replaced the Premium, ad-free plan. The Showtime plan offers more live sports, 4K streaming and a large library of movies and Showtime Originals.
Subscribers get a 24/7 live stream of a local CBS station, college football on CBS, the PGA TOUR, UEFA Champions League, The Masters and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
Paramount Plus with Showtime is $11.99 per month following a free trial.
Paramount Plus has the latest episodes of TV shows on CBS. Popular TV shows and programs from Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, MTV and Smithsonian Channel are available on both plans.
Subscribers can stream on three screens at once. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of Paramount Plus.
Fubo
Fubo (formerly fuboTV) carries local CBS channels in all three of its channel packages, giving you comprehensive NFL coverage.
The Pro plan has 170 channels, including ESPN, NBA TV, and CNBC. Local channels include ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX.
Pro plan subscribers get other key sports networks such as ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network, NFL Network, NBC Sports and Golf Channel.
AMC, HGTV, Food Network, Freeform, History, Food Network, Comedy Central and Investigation Discovery are some of the entertainment channels.
Fubo offers three plans, Pro, Elite and Ultimate. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of any Fubo plan. Subscribers get 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR storage. You can watch live TV on 10 screens at once.
A subscription costs $74.99 per month. A regional sports fee is included, and costs between $10.99 to $13.99 per month.
The Elite plan is $84.99 per month, and has 65 more sports, news and entertainment channels. The Ultimate plan has 231 channels, including Showtime and NFL RedZone, for $99.99 per month
fubo has a library of on-demand content, including movies and TV shows. Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and Smart TVs all carry the fubo app.
Fubo has mobile apps for iPhone and Android so you can watch ESPN live on your smartphone. Subscribers can watch live TV through their web browser.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV has over 75 channels including local CBS stations, ESPN, and Great American Family.
You will get local NBC, ABC, and FOX stations with the TV plan. A subscription includes more than just live TV channels to watch. You will have full access to ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu’s on-demand library.
The live TV channel lineup has Bravo, Comedy Central, FOX News, History Channel, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, FOX Business, SyFy, Telemundo and USA Network are among the entertainment channels.
You can get Hulu Live TV for $49.99 for three months. A subscription costs $69.99 per month and includes unlimited Cloud DVR, so you can record movies, TV shows, and news programs.
You can look over the channel lineup of Hulu with Live TV before signing up.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) has local CBS channels in its entry-level Entertainment channel bundle.
You can sign up for a free 5-day trial on any plan without any obligations.
The Entertainment package has more than 75 live TV channels for $74.99 per month. Subscribers can watch TV on unlimited screens within your home.
ESPN, ESPN2, HGTV and FS1 are included in the Entertainment channel lineup. Discovery, Lifetime, MSNBC and Paramount Network are among the entertainment channels. You get unlimited hours of Cloud DVR storage and 40,000 on-demand movies and shows.
Subscribers can get three months of Max (formerly HBO Max), STARZ, Cinemax and MGM+ for free before the monthly rates kick in.
The Choice package has 40 regional sports networks, including Bally Sports networks, NESN, Marquee Sports Network and YES Network. Choice subscribers get more than 105 channels for $99.99 per month.
The Ultimate package has more than 140 channels, including local channels, and more sports and entertainment channels. The Ultimate package is $109.99 per month. The Premier Package has over 150 channels, including premium channels such as Max, and Cinemax. A subscription to Premier is $154.99 per month.
DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Android TV, Fire TV devices, Apple TV and smartphones and tablets. Subscriptions run month to month and so you can cancel whenever you want.
You can look over the different channel lineups before deciding whether to sign up.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV has 128 channels and unlimited Cloud DVR for $72.99 per month.
Subscribers get local ABC, FOX, NBC and PBS stations. The channel lineup includes ESPN, Oxygen Network, USA Network, Comedy Central, CBS News, CNN, and Telemundo.
You can watch TV or on-demand content on up to three screens at once. You can add on premium channels such as Max (formerly HBO Max) to the base plan.
There are YouTube TV apps for Roku, Apple TV and a mobile app for Chromecast. You can stream on up to two devices at once.
YouTube TV also has channels like CNN, FS1, FS2, Sundance TV and TBS. You can try out YouTube TV with a free 7-day trial.
How to watch NFL Games on CBS for free
You don’t need a streaming service to watch Sunday’s NFL games on CBS. The same is true for any NFL game on ABC, FOX and NBC.
It doesn’t matter if you are a Dallas Cowboys fan or call the San Francisco 49ers your home team. Free over-the-air channels are available all over the U.S.
Figuring out how to choose the best TV antenna for your home takes a little bit of homework. But the payoff is huge, considering how many free games you can watch during the 2023 NFL football season.
A TV antenna is really valuable if you’re also a college football fan. Local broadcast channels also air Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, Pac-12 and Notre Dame games.
Aside from NFL games, you get lots of free sports and TV shows year round without paying for a TV provider. No internet service is required for free over-the-air TV.
Here is a list of resources that I have written to get you started.
- How to Choose the Best TV Antenna
- How to Connect Multiple TVs to One Antenna
- Review: The Best Indoor TV Antennas
- Review: The Best Outdoor TV Antennas
2023 NFL on CBS Schedule
Here is the complete 2023 NFL on CBS Schedule, which runs from September to February 2024.
Week 2 – Sunday Sept. 17
- Las Vegas Raiders at Buffalo Bills, 1:00 PM, ET
- Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 PM, ET
- Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 PM, ET
- Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 PM, ET
- New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 PM, ET
- Washington Commanders at Denver Broncos, 4:25 PM, ET
Week 3 – Sunday, Sept. 24
- Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 PM, ET
- Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 PM, ET
- Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins, 1:00 PM, ET
- New England Patriots at New York Jets, 1:00 PM, ET
- Buffalo Bills at Washington Commanders, 1:00 PM, ET
- Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 PM, ET
Week 4 – Sunday, Oct. 1
- Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, 1:00 PM, ET
- Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears, 1:00 PM, ET
- Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 PM, ET
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 PM, ET
Week 5 – Sunday, Oct. 8
- Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 PM, ET
- New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots, 1:00 PM, ET
- Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00 PM, ET
- New York Jets at Denver Broncos, 4:25 PM, ET
- Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings, 4:25 PM, ET
Week 6 – Sunday, Oct. 15
- Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 PM, ET
- Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 PM, ET
- Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 PM, ET
- Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins, 1:00 PM, ET
- New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 PM, ET
Week 7 – Sunday, Oct. 22
- Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 PM, ET
- Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots, 1:00 PM, ET
- Washington Commanders at New York Giants, 1:00 PM, ET
- Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, 4:25 PM, ET
- Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 PM, ET
Week 8 – Sunday, Oct. 29
- New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins, 1:00 PM, ET
- New York Jets at New York Giants, 1:00 PM, ET
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00 PM, ET
- Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 PM, ET
- Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 4:25 PM, ET
- Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 PM ET
Week 9 – Sunday, Nov. 5
- Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 PM, ET
- Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 PM, ET
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints, 1:00 PM, ET
- Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers, 4:05 PM, ET
Week 10 – Sunday. Nov. 12
- Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 PM, ET
- Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00 PM, ET
- Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 PM, ET
- Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 PM, ET
- Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 PM, ET
Week 11 – Sunday, Nov. 19
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 PM, ET
- Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 PM, ET
- Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins, 1:00 PM, ET
- New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, 4:25 PM, ET
- Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 PM, ET
Week 12 – Thursday, Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving Day)
- Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30 PM, ET
Week 12 – Sunday, Nov. 26
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 PM, ET
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 PM, ET
- Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 PM, ET
- Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 PM, ET
Week 13 – Sunday, Dec. 3
- Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots, 1:00 PM, ET
- Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00 PM, ET
- Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 PM, ET
- Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Denver Broncos at Houston Texans, 4:05 PM, ET
Week 14 – Sunday, Dec. 10
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 PM, ET
- Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 PM, ET
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns, 1:00 PM, ET
- Houston Texans at New York Jets, 1:00 PM, ET
- Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 PM, ET
- Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 PM, ET
Week 15 – Sunday, Dec. 17
- New York Jets at Miami Dolphins, 1:00 PM, ET
- Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Teams TBD, 1:00 PM, ET
- San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 PM, ET
- Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 PM, ET
Week 16 – Sunday, Dec. 24
- Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Washington Commanders at New York Jets, 1:00 PM, ET
- Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 PM, ET
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:05 PM, ET
Week 16 – Monday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)
- Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 PM, ET
Week 17 – Sunday, Dec. 31
- Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 PM, ET
- New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, 1:00 PM, ET
- Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears, 1:00 PM, ET
- Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 PM, ET
- Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 PM, ET
- Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, 4:25 PM, ET
- Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 PM, ET
Week 18 – Sunday, Jan. 7 (TBD)
2023 Postseason Schedule on CBS
- Wild Card — Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024 (TBD)
- Divisional — Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, or Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024 (TBD)
- AFC Championship — Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024 (TBD), 3 PM, ET
- Super Bowl LVIII — Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024
- NFC Team (TBD) vs. AFC Team (TBD), 6:30 PM, ET
How to watch NFL on CBS FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions that readers ask when searching for ways to watch NFL games on CBS without a cable TV provider.
What NFL games are on CBS?
CBS broadcasts NFL games on Sunday afternoons. You can find those games through a local CBS affiliate. NBC broadcasts Sunday Night Football. ESPN has Monday Night Football. Amazon Prime Video has Thursday Night Football.
Can I watch NFL on CBS on Roku for free?
Roku users can watch NFL games on CBS through a subscription to Paramount Plus or a live TV streaming service. But Roku TV owners can try using a TV antenna to watch games for free.
The Paramount Plus Essential plan only costs $5.99 per month. Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, and YouTube TV all stream CBS live on Smart TVs and streaming devices.
Can I choose the NFL team I watch on Paramount Plus?
You cannot choose the NFL team you want to watch on Paramount Plus. The streaming service offers a way to watch the NFL team that airs on your local CBS station.
So for example, if you are a subscriber in New England, then you will be watching New England Patriots games on CBS. The team that is available to watch on CBS is determined by the local TV market.
Can I live stream NFL games on CBS?
NFL fans can stream live games with a subscription to DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu Live TV, Paramount Plus and YouTube TV. You can also watch NFL games on a smartphone with a subscription to NFL Plus.
Does NFL Plus have football games on CBS?
Yes. NFL Plus lets you watch local, in-market games during the regular season that are on broadcast channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. A subscription is only $6.99 per month after a free 7-day trial, but watching live NFL games is restricted to smartphones and tablets. You cannot cast the games to a TV.
NFL+ Premium costs $14.99 per month, and adds NFL RedZone and replays of games. Diehard fans can also watch game films available to coaches and analysts.
How to Watch NFL games on CBS without cable
Paramount+ is the cheapest way to watch NFL on CBS. You can sign up for Paramount+ Essential plan for $5.99 per month. The Showtime plan adds a local CBS channel, 4K streaming and the entire Showtime catalog for $11.99 per month.
New customers can sign up for a free 7-day trial. You can get half off an annual subscription between now and September 20.
DIRECTV STREAM is a better choice if you want a full channel lineup of sports, news and entertainment networks. Local channels such as CBS are included along with ESPN, TNT, and HGTV.
Subscribers pay on a month-to-month basis, so there are no long term commitments. The service has a free 5-day trial.
A subscription costs $74.99 per month and includes unlimited Cloud DVR storage for recordings. Take a look at the channel lineup to see if it’s a good fit.
For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News.
NOTE: This article was published August 22, 2022 and has been updated.
