Streaming week 1 of the NFL preseason actually just means streaming one game. The Hall of Fame Game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars is set for 8 p.m. ET on August 4.
But that's OK, because it's exciting that the preseason is officially starting — insofar as a collection of exhibition games with no official significance can be considered official. And also, three of the last 12 Hall of Fame Games were cancelled, so it might not happen anyway. Confused yet? Well, keep up, because streaming the NFL is a tricky business.
In the US, there's no single option that lets you stream every game you'll want on any device you want. Here's the good news though: You have a lot of options. The bad news? You have a lot of options.
But without further ado, here's the answer you came here for: For most Americans without cable, satellite TV, or a working TV antenna, the best way to stream this particular game is probably with Peacock's $4.99-a-month tier.
But it's not the only option! For a more complete explanation of why Peakcock as well as a list of other options for streaming this game, read on.
How to stream the Hall of Fame Game in any US market for cheap
In terms of bang for your streaming buck, this particular Hall of Fame Game has a clear winner: NBC’s Peacock. Sign up for at least the $4.99 tier of Peacock, and you can watch the Jacksonville Jaguars square off against the Raiders, on any device, including a TV.
But Peacock's NFL coverage is far from comprehensive, mostly providing in-market Sunday games during the regular season. In fact, it doesn't appear that they'll be showing any other preseason games. Since you’re paying for a full month, you'll probably want to consider other similarly priced methods which will allow you to watch the Hall of Fame Game, as well as the rest of the preseason, and the regular season.
How to stream the Hall of Fame Game on mobile if you’re not in Jacksonville or Las Vegas
If you plan to watch a lot of games, and this is an out-of-market NFL game for you, that makes this next part a little easier: one way to stream this game for cheap, along with the rest of the preseason and season (minus the games in your local market) is with NFL+, the NFL’s new streaming service. NFL+ has a base tier for $4.99 a month that will give you access to this game, and the other out-of-market preseason games, but only on a mobile device like a phone or tablet. There’s no NFL+ app for, say, Roku, and you can’t use a device like a Chromecast to legally beam the game onto your TV from your mobile device.
How to stream the Hall of Fame Game on mobile in Jacksonville or Las Vegas
Bad news: If you’re in the Jacksonville or Las Vegas area, and you plan to stream the whole preseason and season, starting with your local team on NFL+, you’ll need to pony up $9.99 for the premium upgrade, which is pretty pricey for a football game on a tiny screen. This might be worth it if you plan to watch the rest of the preseason and season, and you’re content to use a mobile device to do so. But at this point you might be happier if you can resign yourself to spending some serious coin.
How to watch NFL preseason games live on any device
We are now leaving the realm of affordability, but as someone watching the preseason, you probably came here because you’re a die-hard who needs to stream a whole lot of football. The Hall of Fame Game is going to be airing live on NBC, which you can stream using a live TV streaming service like Sling Blue ($35 a month), the even more comprehensive YouTube TV ($64.99 a month), FuboTV ($69.99 a month), or Hulu with Live TV ($69.99 a month with ads, or $75.99 a month ad-free). There are other live TV streaming services, but they don’t appear to be carrying this particular game.
The advantage of live TV streaming services is that after you fork over that eye-watering monthly fee for this one game, they’ll keep the gridiron action streaming to your TV for as long as you’re subscribed by simply letting you stream your local network affiliates like NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX (though read the fine print to see which of these they do and don’t have), along with channels like ESPN and NFL Network in some cases. YouTube TV in particular might be the clear center of the NFL-streaming universe soon if it scores a deal to allow users access to 13 additional games per week by winning the bidding war for NFL Sunday Ticket.
How to watch the Hall of Fame Game livestream in the UK
Whether you're a British NFL fan, or an American who moved to the UK simply to stream NFL games for much, much less money than you could across the pond, congratulations: NFL Game Pass, which is unavailable in the US, is the envy of all American NFL fans stuck on native soil. The Hall of Fame Game is available live to those who pay for the Game Pass “Essential” tier, which costs £42.99 annually, or about £3.58 a month. Unlike preseason games, most games are replays at this tier, and for £150.99 annually (£12.58 a month) you can watch the Hall of Fame Game at the same time as fans across the pond, and then tune in live from now until the Super Bowl. I just hope you enjoy staying up late.
It absolutely bears mentioning that there are other ways to stream the NFL, including the pricey standalone NFL Sunday Ticket service from DirecTV, and the relatively cheap offerings on Paramount+. Those may be options worth exploring, but they aren't germane here, because they aren't showing the Hall of Fame Game.