The NFL is back and the 2024-5 NFL season promises epic performances, surprise superstars and a new rookie class of players destined to make a name for themselves, and for their team. The first Week 1 preseason game is tonight, when the New England Patriots play the Carolina Panthers.

This NFL season will feature more games than ever that will not air on network or cable TV, instead broadcasting on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Peacock. The 2024-5 NFL season will also feature more holiday games and scheduling changes you’ll want to know about.

With the first preseason weekend finally here, now is the time to come up with a game plan for watching the 2024-5 NFL season. Keep reading to learn all the key dates for the upcoming season, including preseason games, and which streaming platforms you’ll need to subscribe to if you want to watch your favorite team play.

Note: CBS Essentials and Paramount+ are both subsidiaries of Paramount.

Full 2024-5 NFL schedule: Key dates

The 2024-5 NFL preseason began on Aug. 1, 2024, when the Chicago Bears faced the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame game.  

The 2024-5 NFL regular season begins on Sept. 5, 2024, when the Super Bowl LVIII champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens.

• Aug. 1: NFL Hall of Fame game (Bears vs. Texans)
• Aug. 8-11: First preseason weekend
• Aug. 15-18: Second preseason weekend
• Aug. 22- 25: Third preseason weekend
• Aug. 27: Deadline for all teams to reduce roster to 53 players
• Sept. 1: Final day of preseason training camp
• Sept. 5: NFL regular season begins (Ravens vs. Chiefs)
• Sept. 6: NFL Friday game from São Paulo, Brazil (Packers vs. Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET on Peacock)
• Oct. 6: NFL International Game from London, United Kingdom (Jets vs. Vikings, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network)
• Oct. 13: NFL International Game from London, United Kingdom (Jaguars vs. Bears, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network)
• Oct. 20: NFL International Game from London, United Kingdom (Patriots vs. Jaguars, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network)
• Nov. 5: NFL trade deadline
• Nov. 29: Black Friday Game: (Raiders vs. Chiefs, 3 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
• Dec. 25: Netflix-exclusive Christmas Day games: (Chiefs vs. Steelers, 1 p.m. ET), ( Ravens vs. Texans 4:30 p.m. ET)
• Jan. 11-13: Super Wild Card Weekend
• Jan. 18-19: Divisional Playoff Games
• Jan. 26: AFC & NFC Championship Games
• Feb. 2: Pro Bowl Games
• Feb. 9: Super Bowl LIX (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA)

When and where is Super Bowl LIX?

Super Bowl LIX is scheduled to be played on Feb. 9, 2025, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA (home of the New Orleans Saints). Super Bowl LIX will air on Fox, and stream on Fubo, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV.

Who won Super Bowl LVIII?

Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII by 25-22 in overtime.

How to watch the 2024-5 NFL season

This season, more NFL games than ever will be broadcast exclusively on streaming platforms, including Netflix, Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. If you have a cable subscription that includes CBS, NBC, ABC, ESPN and Fox, you’ll need to add those streaming platforms to access every NFL game of the season. 

If you don’t have a cable subscription but want to be able to watch every NFL game of the 2024-5 season, you’ll need a Peacock subscription, a Netflix subscription, a Prime Video subscription, a subscription to ESPN+ and a subscription to one live TV streaming platform like SlingTV, Fubo or Hulu + Live TV.  Sling subscribers will also need a Paramount+ subscription, or a Paramount+ add-on to their Prime Video subscription, to access CBS-aired NFL games this season.

2024-5 NFL season: Streaming-exclusive games

The 2024-5 NFL season schedule will feature more streaming-exclusive games than ever before. 

• Amazon Prime Video:  Thursday Night Football games, Weeks 1-17, the Black Friday Game, Nov. 29. and one Wild Card game.
• Netflix: Dec. 25, 2024, two Christmas Games (Week 17)

• Peacock will air (exclusively) the Week 1 Packers vs. Eagles game live from Brazil, and stream all games airing on NBC (SNF) throughout the season.
• ESPN+ will carry 25 NFL games this season, including one ESPN+ exclusive game (Chargers vs. Cardinals, Oct. 21 at 9 p.m. ET)

Paramount+: Watch CBS-aired NFL games without cable

If you want to spend your Sunday watching football but don’t have a cable subscription, consider a subscription to Paramount+. Paramount+ gives viewers access to all CBS original content, movies and more. You can watch NFL football live on any Paramount+ subscription tier, starting at $6 per month.

A sports-lovers dream, the platform live streams NFL football games airing on CBS, NCAA college football, PGA Tour golf, professional soccer and more when you upgrade to the Paramount+ with Showtime tier (starting at $12 per month).

The price of Paramount+ will increase on Aug. 20, 2024, so your best bet is to lock in current pricing with a Paramount+ annual plan. You can get a year of Paramount+ Essential for $60 per year, or a year of Paramount+ with Showtime for $120 per year.

What you can stream with Paramount+: 

• All NFL games airing on CBS locally and nationally on all its subscription tiers
• On-demand CBS programming, including hit shows like “Survivor” and “NCIS”
• Paramount+ original programming like “Lawmen Bass Reaves” and “Tulsa King”
• Professional soccer, including Champions League live (with Paramount+ with Showtime)
• SEC college football games live (with Paramount+ with Showtime)

Get Paramount+ as part of Walmart+ and watch the NFL on CBS

The Walmart+ shopping subscription service includes access to the Paramount+ Essentials tier (with live NFL games airing on CBS), a $60 per year value. Walmart+ subscribers also get discounts on gasoline at Mobil and Exxon stations, access to special members-only deals (including Walmart’s holiday deals), same-day home delivery from your local store and more. Walmart+ costs $98 per year. Tap the button below to learn all the benefits of Walmart+, and to start your 30-day free trial.

Add Paramount+ to your Amazon Prime Video subscription

You can also add Paramount+ to your Prime Video subscription to access CBS-aired NFL games, plus Paramount+ originals. Add Paramount+ to your Prime Video subscription for $5.99 per month, or level up to Paramount+ with Showtime to get access to CBS-aired college football and more for $11.99 per month. Both pricing tiers come with a seven-day free trial. 

Sling TV is the most cost-effective way to stream network-aired NFL games

If you don’t have cable TV that includes NBC, Fox, ABC and ESPN, one of the most cost-effective ways to watch the NFL this season, and all the major sporting events happening this fall, is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer NFL football airing on NBC, Fox and ABC (where available) and NFL Network with its Orange + Blue plan.

That Orange + Blue plan normally costs $60 per month, but the streamer currently offers a half-off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $30. For the least expensive Olympic-watching option, the Blue plan includes the channels NBC, USA and E!, starting at $45 per month ($22.50 for your first month). 

The streamer is also currently offering big savings on four months of the Orange + Blue tier plus the Sports Extra plan when you prepay for the Sling TV Season Pass. The Sports Extra plan includes Golf Channel, Big Ten Network among others. Prepay for four months of the Sling TV Season Pass and spend $219, reduced from $300.

Because Sling TV does not carry CBS, Sling subscribers will want to add Paramount+ to their bundle.

Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue plan:

• Sling TV is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like NASCAR.
• 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 every network-aired NFL game with FuboTV

You can watch every NFL game airing on network TV on FuboTV. FuboTV is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to almost every NFL game of the season. Packages include CBS, Fox Sunday NFC games via “NFL on Fox”, NBC (Sunday Night Football), ESPN (Monday Night Football), NFL Network and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just today’s games, all without a cable subscription.

To watch the NFL 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 football, FuboTV offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. 

Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:

• There are no contracts with FuboTV — you can cancel at any time.
• The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, including NFL Network. (You’ll need to upgrade to Ultimate for NFL RedZone.)
• FuboTV includes all the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
• All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
• Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.

Watch Thursday Night Football only on Amazon Prime Video

Starting in 2022, Amazon became the exclusive carrier of Thursday Night Football (TNF). This season, Prime will host Thursday Night Football in Weeks 1-17, plus the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs game on Black Friday (Friday, Nov. 29, 2024) at 6 p.m. ET. Prime Video will also exclusively air at least one Wild Card game this season.

Amazon Prime is $14.99 per month after a 30-day free trial. In addition to NFL football, Prime members will get two-day shipping, member-exclusive Prime Day deals, and expedited shipping on Prime Deals. 

Watch every network-aired NFL game 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 Week 1 Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs game exclusively on Peacock

A (sure to be) epic rematch of last season’s Dolphins vs. Chiefs Wild Card game, the two teams square off again, this time in São Paulo, Brazil. The game will broadcast only on Peacock, which is also host to the Premier League, Big Ten football and basketball games, golf and more.

Peacock subscribers can also access Peacock originals like “Love Island” and the Annette Bening thriller “Apples Never Fall,” plus live NBC-aired content with a Peacock Premium Plus subscription, and Peacock’s library of on-demand content including “The Office.”

Your best value, you can get a year of Peacock Premium (with ads) for $80, or a year of Peacock Premium Plus (mostly ad-free) for $120. Or, get a monthly subscription: Peacock Premium subscription costs $8 per month, while Peacock Premium Plus is $14 per month.

Watch the Chargers vs. Cardinals game only on ESPN+

ESPN+ will play host to 25 NFL games this season, including one ESPN+- exclusive game on October 21, 2024, when the Arizona Cardinals host the Los Angeles Chargers. 

ESPN+ is ESPN’s subscription streaming platform, which offers coverage of some of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s WNBA games, original studio shows and top-tier series that aren’t accessible on the ESPN networks. ESPN+ subscribers may purchase UFC PPV events and access the platform’s vast archive of on-demand content, including the entire 30 For 30 catalog, game replays and select ESPN films. 

ESPN+ offers exclusive live sports, original shows, and 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.  
• Select WNBA games, including Caitlin Clark’s WNBA regular season debut.
• 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.

It is important to note that ESPN+ does not include access to the ESPN network. It is a separate sports-centric service, with separate sports programming.

An ESPN+ subscription costs $11 per month. Or save 15% when you pay annually ($110).  

Watch NFL football live with a digital HDTV antenna

You can also watch NFL football on TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.

For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch sports without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.

This ultra-thin, multi-directional digital antenna with a 65-mile range can receive hundreds of HD TV channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox, and Univision and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV, top-tier sound and features a 12-foot digital coax cable.

Watch every NFL game on your phone with NFL+

If you want to catch the NFL on your phone 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.

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 anxiously waiting for the 2024-5 NFL season 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 gear for the NFL fan in your life. There are plenty of great deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching sports.

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