Move aside, Paris Olympics: NFL football is back tonight, starting with the 2024 Hall of Fame game. The Chicago Bears face the Houston Texans for the first preseason game of the 2024-25 NFL season. The annual kickoff to the NFL preseason, and the year’s induction ceremony into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame game is a favorite event for fans.  

Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans NFL Hall of Fame game, even if you don’t have cable.

How and when to watch the Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans NFL Hall of Fame game 

The Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans NFL Hall of Fame game will be played on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). The game will air on ESPN and stream on the platforms listed below.

How to watch the Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans Hall of Fame game without cable

While most cable packages include ESPN, it’s easy to watch the game if ESPN isn’t included in your cable TV subscription, or if you don’t have cable at all. Your best options for watching are below. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)

Stream the Bears vs. Texans game on Sling for half price

For streaming all the must-watch college football and NFL games to follow this fall — we like Sling TV. The cable TV replacement option is currently offering half off every pricing tier. For $22.50 (regularly $45), subscribe to your first month of the Sling Blue tier, which includes your local network affiliates. You also get access to E! and USA Network (including 400 hours of Olympics programming on USA in 4K resolution).

We suggest leveling up your coverage to the Sling Orange + Blue tier, which includes your local network affiliates plus ESPN, TNT, TBS and other popular cable channels, all for $30 for your first month of service (regularly $60).

We like that there’s a $11 per month sports add-on plan called Sports Extra and the option to add on Paramount+ if you want to catch even more sporting events this fall.

Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue plan:

• Sling TV is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like Simone Biles at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
• There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
• You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
• All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
• You can add Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (19 in total) via Sling TV’s Sports Extras add-on.

Watch the Bears vs. Texans game free with FuboTV

You can also catch the 2024-25 college football season and the 2024-25 NFL season on Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to network-aired sports like the NASCAR, and almost every NFL game next season. Packages include the live feed of sports and programming airing on CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just football – all without a cable subscription.

To watch football this season without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NFL games you’ll have access to college football, Fubo offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. Fubo’s Pro Tier is priced at $80 per month after your free seven-day trial.

Sports fans will want to consider adding on the $7.99 per month Fubo Extra package, which includes MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, SEC Network and more channels. Or upgrade to the Fubo Elite tier and get all the Fubo Extra channels, plus the ability to stream in 4K, for an extra $10 per month.

Top features of Fubo Pro Tier:

• There are no contracts with Fubo — you can cancel at any time.
• You can watch sporting events up to 72 hours after they air live with Fubo’s lookback feature.
• The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, including NFL Network and Golf Channel.
• Fubo includes all the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro sports, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
• All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
• Stream on your TV, phone, and other devices.

Watch the Bears vs. Texans game free on Hulu + Live TV

You can watch the NFL, including the NFL Network, with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both Fox and FS1. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game on every network with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.

Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month after a three-day free trial.

Watch the Bears vs. Texans game on ESPN+

ESPN+ offers exclusive live sports, original shows, a vast library of on-demand content, including the entire 30 For 30 series and more. Here’s a sampling of what’s available on ESPN+:

• Exclusive fantasy sports tools and content from some of the sports world’s most respected voices in sports.  
• Every Fight Night UFC event UFC PPV event (PPV events are subject to an additional charge).
• Soccer including EFL Championship, US Open Cup and Bundesliga.
• College sports including the Ivy League, Big Sky Conference and Atlantic A10 Conference.
• MLB and the World Series.
• Top-tier tennis including the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
• The PGA Tour and the Masters.

An ESPN+ subscription costs $10.99 per month, or save 15% when you pay annually ($110).  ESPN+ is also currently offering a cost-saving bundle. Get ESPN+ (With Ads), Disney + (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads) for $14.99 per month.

Watch the Bears vs. Texans game on your phone with NFL+

If you want to catch the game on your phone — and all the amazing football ahead this season — check out NFL+. The premium streaming service, starting at $40 per year (or $7 per month), offers access to NFL Network. And yes, that includes games being broadcast out-of-market. To boost your NFL experience even further, you can upgrade to NFL+ Premium with NFL RedZone and watch up to eight NFL games simultaneously. A seven-day, free trial is available.

Top features of NFL+:

• You get access to all NFL preseason games, including those that are out of market.
• NFL+ lets you watch stream local and primetime regular season games on your phone or tablet, but not your TV.
• Includes the NFL Network (and NFL RedZone with NFL+ Premium), so it’s a good option for those who are looking to stream football on the go.

If you’re waiting for today’s game to begin, now is a great time to check out Amazon’s NFL Fan Shop. The Amazon NFL Fan Shop is filled to the brim with officially licensed fan gear: You’ll find jerseys, team flags, T-shirts, hoodies and more, including tons of great after-Christmas deals for the NFL fan in your life. There are plenty of deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching football.

Tap the button below to head directly to the NFL Fan Shop page on Amazon and select your favorite team.

2024-25 NFL Season: Key Dates

Below are the key dates for the 2024-25 NFL season.

August 1: Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio (Bears vs. Texans)
August 8-11: First Preseason Weekend
August 15-18: Second Preseason Weekend
August 22-25: Third Preseason Weekend
August 27: Deadline for roster cuts for all 32 teams down to 53 players
November 5: NFL Trade Deadline
January 11-13: Wildcard Weekend
January 18-19: Divisional Round
January 20:  College Football Playoff Championship Game
January 26: AFC/NFC Championship Games
February 2: NFL Pro Bowl
February 9: Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans

Where is the Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans Hall of Fame game being played?

Tonight’s game will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio), adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

When is the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony?

This year’s NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).  Fans can watch the ceremony live on ESPN, ESPN+ and NFL Network 

Who is being inducted into the Pro Footbal Hall of Fame this year?

The 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class includes Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, Julius Peppers and Patrick Willis. Each will be awarded his gold jacket at Saturday’s induction ceremony.