It’s that enchanting time of year again.
In just a few days, the NFL season gets underway, and optimism is everywhere — unless you’re a Jets or Browns follower. There’s hope for your squad and perhaps even your fantasy lineup.
If you’re an NFL enthusiast like me, you’re counting down the Sundays full of football, hanging out with buddies and maybe enjoying a cold one or two. That’s part of the charm of Sundays during the NFL season: it’s the day you can fully surrender to the fervor of the game. Sure, Monday and Thursday night matchups exist, but those feel like bonus content. The real feast is on Sundays.
But the joy of Sunday football can quickly sour.
For example, I’m a Dolphins supporter living in Tampa Bay. I catch most Dolphins contests on network TV, but when Miami’s game overlaps with the Buccaneers, I’m out of luck. That often means trekking to your preferred sports bar and spending way too much on food and drinks while rooting on your team.
Or you might find yourself navigating the sketchier corners of the web to locate a free stream to get your NFL fix.
Many fans turn to Reddit for this, but is it the best option?
Can You Actually Watch Games via Reddit NFL Streams?
Yep.
All it takes is one person capturing the live feed of the game and linking it on Reddit so many others can piggyback on that stream. There’s even a subreddit dedicated to NFL streams. A quick search for “NFL streaming” will surface a slew of sites claiming to provide top-notch free streams. Proceed with caution.
Is it legal? No. But much like sharing a Netflix password, folks still do it. The difference is Netflix and similar services might see this as free promotion to hook viewers, whereas the NFL and broadcasters view it as theft of their product.
So why does this matter? The reality is our major sports leagues depend heavily on broadcast revenue to produce what we enjoy.
We’re talking about a league that in 2007 went after a Baptist church in Indianapolis for charging admission to a Super Bowl party to offset food costs. More recently, it’s prohibited teams from posting game video on their own social platforms. Why? They want any stadium-shot footage to be routed through official team channels so the NFL keeps control.
Put simply, if illegal streaming persists, the NFL is likely to tighten regulations, making access pricier and more cumbersome for everyone. I can almost hear your mother shouting, “This is why we can’t have nice things!”
How to Stream Your Team Legally and Affordably
The NFL does provide high-quality streaming during the regular season, but primarily through DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket. The regular package begins at $69.99 per month, which adds up to $279.96 over the four-month season.
Here’s the twist: you must qualify to access DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket online. Essentially, if you live abroad, in an area without DirecTV service, in certain parts of big cities, or in rentals that forbid satellite dishes, you’re eligible.
If you’re a college student, there’s good news. DirecTV offers a student rate for just $24.99 per month. That’s $99.96 for the four-month slate. Even if you only watch your favorite team’s 16 matchups, that breaks down to $6.25 per game — a bargain compared to weekly sports bar tabs.
If you’re not a student and $69.99 per month for four months feels steep, consider pooling resources with a friend or two and hosting NFL Sundays at home. They can bring snacks and beverages or pitch in financially.
Still hesitant? Consider how much your team means to you. It might be worth a small side gig or using one of the many money-making apps to offset streaming costs. You might be surprised how simple it is to earn an extra $70 a month.
Whether you’re a cheesehead or part of the Dawg Pound, you owe it to yourself to watch your team each week in that oversized jersey and fuzzy logo socks.
Football season only rolls around once a year — it’s time to welcome it with open arms and a careful wallet.
Alex Rowan is a senior writer at Savinly who enjoys sunshine and finding inventive ways to help readers save. He’s a Dolphins fan who still holds out a bit of hope for Cutler… sort of. Follow him on Twitter at @ARowanWrites.
