NFL Game Pass is the cheapest way to watch every NFL game this season. The only thing is you won’t get to watch live games. Instead, the streaming service has full-length game replays available immediately after the live game ends.
But even if you prefer watching your football live, NFL Game Pass is home to a lot of on-demand content, making its $99.99-a-year price tag not as bad as other viewing options.
Keep scrolling to learn more about how NFL Game Pass works and what sets it apart from DIRECTV’s NFL SUNDAY TICKET.
NFL Game Pass pros and cons
Pros
- Every NFL game after it airs
- No commercials
- Inexpensive pricing
Cons
- No live games
- Restrictive free trial
Is NFL Game Pass worth it?
If you don’t mind catching NFL games after the fact, then NFL Game Pass is a must-have streaming service.
Offered by the league itself, NFL Game Pass costs $99.99 per season and allows you to watch every NFL game commercial-free after it airs live. You can even go back as far as the 2009 NFL season to watch archived game replays.
NFL Game Pass’s solid library of on-demand content provides archived games, documentary series, and analysis shows. Plus, if you still crave live games, you can listen to every NFL game live via in-app home and away radio broadcasts.
While NFL Game Pass doesn’t include live regular season games for US-based fans, it does come with live out-of-market preseason games. Plus, expats and international fans can experience the streaming service without live game restrictions. But in the next section, we’ll explain how domestic fans can get in on the live game action through NFL Game Pass International.
NFL Game Pass deals and promotions
During the NFL season, NFL Game Pass offers a seven-day free trial with a few restrictions. But no trial is available during the off-season. We’ll keep this page updated when the free trial becomes available again.
NFL Game Pass International plans
While NFL Game Pass International prices vary between countries, subscribers have three plan options: Free, Essential, and Pro. The Free plan is pretty limited and comparable to what you find on the NFL’s YouTube channel. But the Essential and Pro plans give you live access to NFL Network and NFL RedZone on top of an on-demand library of condensed games and NFL docuseries.
Ultimately, the Pro plan goes the distance for international fans. It’s the only plan that provides live access to every preseason, regular season, and postseason NFL game. Some blackout restrictions apply to UK and Republic of Ireland users.
NFL Game Pass plans and prices
| Plan | Price | Video | Streams | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL Game Pass | $99.99/yr. or $9.99/mo. | 720p, 1080p | No limit |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
NFL Game Pass offers a single subscription plan that costs $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month. The yearly payment option will save you almost $20.00 each season. But the monthly payment plan helps if you want to subscribe only for the live out-of-market preseason games in August.
While NFL Game Pass International prices vary between countries, subscribers have three plan options: Free, Essential, and Pro. The Free plan is pretty limited and comparable to what you find on the NFL’s YouTube channel. But the Essential and Pro plans give you live access to NFL Network and NFL RedZone on top of an on-demand library of condensed games and NFL docuseries.
Ultimately, the Pro plan goes the distance for international fans. It’s the only plan that provides live access to every preseason, regular season, and postseason NFL game. Some blackout restrictions apply to UK and Republic of Ireland users.
NFL Game Pass vs. NFL SUNDAY TICKET
| Service | Price | Live games | Video | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL Game Pass | $99.99/yr. or $9.99/mo. | 0 | 720p, 1080p | |
| NFL SUNDAY TICKET | $293.94/season | 200+ | 720p, 1080p | View plans |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
The only way to watch every live NFL game in the US is to sign up for DIRECTV with NFL SUNDAY TICKET while subscribing to Amazon Prime Video and ESPN+. Take away the live aspect, and you can get every NFL matchup on demand with NFL Game Pass for around $1,000.00 less per year.
At $293.94 per season plus the cost of a two-year DIRECTV contract (starting at $64.99 a month for the first year), NFL SUNDAY TICKET isn’t cheap. But you do get every out-of-market game live and every NFL channel like CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and NFL Network. You’ll just need Prime Video ($8.99 a month) and ESPN+ ($6.99 a month) for complete live access, as both streaming services host exclusive games.
Ultimately, whether you choose NFL Game Pass or NFL SUNDAY TICKET depends on how vital watching live games is to you. Are you the type who loves to host game day watch parties with all your favorite people? If so, it’d be quite the downer of a party if you had to wait until after the final whistle to tune in. Someone’s bound to spoil the final scoreline in that situation.
Still, $99.99 a season for NFL Game Pass isn’t all that bad. You’ll get every NFL game on demand, and you won’t have to use your remote to juke through endless commercial breaks. Also, you can always pair the service with an affordable over-the-air (OTA) antenna to get live ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC games.
NFL Game Pass specs and features
NFL Game Pass offers the quintessential NFL streaming experience—minus live games for US subscribers. The ad-free game replays and on-demand content sends NFL Game Pass through the uprights.
Its game replays date back to 2009 and include every preseason, regular season, and postseason matchup. You can even watch condensed games, which compile key plays and scoring drives into a roughly 45-minute replay.
Some of our favorite on-demand NFL Game Pass shows include Super Bowl Classic Games, Undrafted, and NFL Mic’d Up. The streaming service also offers live home and away radio broadcasts of every NFL game. That means you can still finish your Sunday afternoon tasks without gluing your eyes to a screen.
When paired with a TV provider login, you’ll also get live access to locally televised and primetime NFL games through NFL Game Pass. You can also stream NFL Network and NFL RedZone in the app if the channels are a part of your authenticated TV plan.
Video and audio quality
NFL Game Pass content streams at a maximum video quality of 1080p at 60 frames per second. Your internet connection and device capabilities determine your playback quality. If your connection doesn’t meet an optimal speed of 2 Mbps or higher, you may receive an audio-only stream for uninterrupted coverage.
Audio quality in NFL Game Pass can also vary based on internet speeds. But the service offers basic 2.0 stereo sound at a 128 Kbps bit rate.
An internet service provider can make or break your streaming experience. Visit our Best Internet for Streaming guide to view different internet types and browse providers.
NFL app-compatible devices
You’ll need to download the official NFL app to stream NFL Game Pass. The app is available through the Google Play and iOS storefronts and accessible on many of the most popular streaming devices.
Once you download the app, you’ll need to sign in with the NFL account associated with NFL Game Pass to begin streaming. You can also connect a TV provider, Season Ticket Holder, and Paramount+ account for expanded NFL app content.
| Device | NFL app |
|---|---|
| Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✓ |
| Android phones, tablets | ✓ |
| Android TV | ✓ |
| Apple TV (4th gen.) | ✓ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✓ |
| Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✗ |
| Facebook Portal | ✗ |
| Echo Show | ✗ |
| iPhone, iPad | ✓ |
| LG TVs (select models) | ✗ |
| Nintendo Switch | ✗ |
| NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | ✗ |
| PC, Mac web browsers | ✓ |
| PlayStation 4 | ✓ |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✓ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | ✗ |
| TiVo Stream | ✗ |
| Vizio TVs (select models) | ✗ |
| Wii | ✗ |
| Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X | ✓ |
| Xfinity Flex, X1 | ✗ |
Data effective as of post date.
Final take
NFL Game Pass is the ideal streaming service for NFL fans who are patient enough to watch games after they air. For $99.99 a year, it’s a much cheaper alternative to the $293.94-a-year NFL SUNDAY TICKET that’s exclusive to DIRECTV subscribers.
You won’t get any live regular season or postseason NFL games with NFL Game Pass. But you’ll gain on-demand access to every game once the final whistle blows. There’s also a locker room full of extra content like on-demand NFL Network programs, archived Super Bowl games, and many documentaries.
If you can’t go without live games, the international version of NFL Game Pass might be for you. We only recommend this option for those who are comfortable using a VPN. But after connecting to a VPN server outside of the US and Canada, you can sign up for NFL Game Pass International and get every live NFL game in one place.
NFL Game Pass review FAQ
Can you watch live games on NFL Game Pass?
Yes, you can watch live out-of-market NFL preseason games on NFL Game Pass. But you can’t watch live regular season and postseason games. Only NFL Game Pass International subscribers can access every live NFL game.
How soon are games available on NFL Game Pass?
Games become available on NFL Game Pass immediately after they air.
How much does NFL Game Pass cost?
NFL Game Pass costs $99.99 a year, or you can sign up for a monthly subscription at $9.99 a month.
Is NFL Game Pass the same as NFL SUNDAY TICKET?
No, NFL Game Pass and NFL SUNDAY TICKET are two separate services. NFL Game Pass ($99.99 a year) lets you stream every regular season game on demand, along with some NFL Films Library and NFL Network content. NFL SUNDAY TICKET ($293.94 a year) gives you access to out-of-market Sunday afternoon games and is available only through DIRECTV.
Methodology
Our gridiron experts spent over 12 hours of hands-on testing and research for NFL Game Pass. We examined NFL Game Pass’s content, pricing, and ease of use compared to other ways of watching NFL games—especially NFL SUNDAY TICKET.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
