Top NFL and NCAA Football Coverage on TV in 2023

The best places to get your gridiron fix

By
Matthew Torres
Matthew Torres
Writer
  • Texas State University-San Marcos
Former Lifewire writer Matthew Torres is a journalist who writes about television technology, consumer support articles, and TV-related news.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on March 20, 2023

Football in person is sweet, but sometimes football on TV is sweeter because you can flip from game to game. Whether you watch over-the-air TV, use a streaming device like a Chromecast or a Roku, or just enjoy catching a game on your iPad or smartphone while you're out, the 2022 media market guarantees that you'll always be able to enjoy your gridiron fix.

01
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NFL Network

What We Like

  • Great variety of shows.

  • Too many self-promotion ads.

  • Get latest sports news and updates.

What We Don't Like

  • Available in limited locations.

  • Offers some free streaming options.

  • Sports commentary not as good as other networks.

The NFL Network is a 24-hour cable and satellite channel devoted to nothing but the National Football League. The NFL Network is the channel to watch if you love preseason football. In November, the NFL Network televises a weekly game on Thursday and Saturday nights. NFL Total Access is the station's signature show, which airs six nights a week. This channel provides NFL fans with a greater insight ​into the players and league. Tuesday and Wednesday nights they show the best game of the previous week on a show called NFL Replay (in-season only).

02
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NFL Sunday Ticket

What We Like

  • Easily follow your favorite team.

  • Watch from anywhere in the U.S.

  • Exclusive NFL TV shows.

What We Don't Like

  • Can't watch multiple games at once.

  • Expensive service.

  • Only available on DirectTV

In the United States, DirecTV enjoys exclusive rights to sell NFL Sunday Ticket. You must subscribe to DirecTV to get this package. In Canada and other places, Sunday Ticket is available on satellite or cable.

This service includes every out-of-market non-nationally televised NFL game. Subscribers also obtain access to goodies like a Game Tracker with stats and the pre-game shows.

You may be able to get this service without a DirecTV subscription if you live in an area not served by a DirecTV distributor or in a building where a dish cannot be installed. 

03
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ESPN College Extra

What We Like

  • Available with many streaming services.

  • Watch regional games from top conferences.

  • Free trial offered.

What We Don't Like

  • Pricey subscription package.

  • Mostly limited to college sports.

  • Games sometimes subject to blackouts.

Say goodbye to ESPN GamePlan — the cable, satellite and streaming package that allowed out-of-market college football fans to watch up to 15 regional game telecasts each week. Replacing it is ESPN College Extra, a new college sports service that brings hundreds of ESPN3 exclusive live college sports events to the TV.

The service delivers an extensive portfolio of college sports events year-round including football, basketball, baseball, and softball. Live events will be accessible to customers of AT&T U-verse and DirecTV, Bright House Networks, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and select NCTC members.​

04
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NFL and NCAA on ESPN

What We Like

  • Lots of sports content in one package.

  • Affordable subscription.

  • High quality streaming.

What We Don't Like

  • Not the most popular for pro football fans.

  • Streaming interface is not intuitive.

ESPN offers an abundance of college and NFL games this year on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN360 and affiliated cable channels. ESPN remains the home for Monday Night Football.

05
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NFL and NCAA on Fox

What We Like

  • In-depth player and team news.

  • Interesting user polls.

  • Affordable network subscription.

What We Don't Like

  • Streaming content can be glitchy.

  • Limited sports coverage areas.

  • Commentary quality is mixed.

Fox will continue to televise the NFL on Sundays. Other than that, you should get a local college football game of the week in most markets. Where Fox excels is with their regional FOX Sports Networks. Every weekend you can expect to see one if not two-to-three games. You might even be able to watch games on one of the out-of-market Fox Sports Networks, like Fox West Coast if you live on the East coast. 

06
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NFL on NBC

What We Like

  • Latest news on players and teams.

  • Various subscriptions available.

  • In-depth sports commentary.

What We Don't Like

  • Limited game coverage.

  • Somewhat expensive subscription.

  • Lots of commercials.

NBC features the NFL Sunday Night game of the week. NBC also presents a limited number of Thursday-night games.

FAQ
  • How can I watch the Super Bowl online?

    Some of the easiest ways to stream the Super Bowl live is to watch it through the Fox Sports App, the NFL Mobile App, or the Yahoo Sports App from Verizon. In addition, you can watch the game via your favorite streaming service, like Hulu + Live TV or Sling TV, with access to Fox.

  • How can you stream the Rose Bowl live?

    You can stream the Rose Bowl live via your phone, tablet, computer, or television with any streaming device or service that offers access to ESPN. Some of the most popular streaming services that offer ESPN are Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV, Disney+, and, of course as its name implies, ESPN+.

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