NFL+ is now your new destination for watching full NFL game replays—replacing NFL Game Pass in the US.
You might ask, why the name change? Well, it’s because the service now includes live local and primetime NFL matchups—a feature previously available for free in the NFL mobile app.
But don’t expect to ditch your TV service for NFL+. Its live regular-season and postseason games are only available on phones and tablets.
NFL Plus pros and cons
Pros
- Every NFL game after it airs
- Commercial-free on-demand content
- Live out-of-market preseason games
Cons
- Device restrictions for live games
- No live out-of-market regular season games
- Clunky interface
Is NFL Plus worth it?
NFL+ is not worth it for every football fan because of some fundamental limitations. The biggest drawback is that its live regular-season and postseason games are accessible only on phones and tablets.
Live games on NFL+ are also restricted to local and primetime broadcasts. This limitation makes sense because the league already has NFL SUNDAY TICKET dedicated to out-of-market coverage. But if you’re looking to watch every game of a team located outside your broadcast region, NFL+ isn’t the way to go.
Pro tip: Wondering which NFL games will air in your area? During the regular season, 506 Sports publishes an NFL broadcast map to illustrate the specific regions CBS and FOX games will air on Sunday afternoons.
The main reason to sign up for NFL+ is the same reason you previously would’ve signed up for NFL Game Pass. At $9.99 a month, NFL+ Premium gives you every NFL game on demand after the initial broadcast ends. The best part is that no device or location restrictions exist for on-demand games, and you even get matchups dating back to the 2009 season.
NFL+ Premium also includes All-22 Coaches Film, a benefit that wasn’t always a part of Game Pass. The feature allows you to watch plays from a bird’s-eye view, showing every player on offense and defense at all times. While we haven’t yet tested Coaches Film with NFL+, it should become available once the season begins.
Ultimately, whether you sign up for NFL+ or not depends on your viewing habits. If you don’t mind watching local games on your phone or tablet, then NFL+ will get you through the season. But many other NFL viewing options provide a more suitable game day experience. After all, you can’t throw an NFL watch party with all your friends and family huddled around your phone.
NFL Plus deals and promotions
NFL+ currently offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers to test out the streaming service.
The service is also running a 25% off early access promotion. This deal only applies to basic NFL+ annual plans, reducing the price from $39.99 a year to $29.99 a year.
NFL Plus plans and prices
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
The basic NFL+ plan is available for $4.99 a month and comes with the service’s live games and on-demand NFL Films library. But most subscribers will probably want NFL+ Premium for $9.99 a month, offering the same condensed and full game replays that NFL Game Pass previously provided. The premium plan is also the only way to watch the Coaches Film from each game.
Pro tip: When NFL Game Pass became NFL+, all annual Game Pass plans automatically updated to NFL+ Premium.
NFL Plus vs. NFL SUNDAY TICKET
| Service | Price | Live games | Video | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL+ | $4.99–$9.99/mo. | 150+ | 1080p | View plans |
| NFL SUNDAY TICKET | $293.94/season | 200+ | 1080p | View plans |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
NFL+ and NFL SUNDAY TICKET are very different viewing options available for football fans. Both services come with live games, but NFL+ carries live in-market games while NFL SUNDAY TICKET has live out-of-market games.
The main reason to get NFL SUNDAY TICKET is to watch the CBS and FOX Sunday afternoon matchups that don’t air in your broadcast region. But unlike NFL+, NFL SUNDAY TICKET is not a standalone service with an easy sign-up process.
NFL SUNDAY TICKET is available exclusively through DIRECTV as an add-on package. It costs $293.94 for the season, but new DIRECTV subscribers can get it free by signing up for DIRECTV’s CHOICE™ plan or above (starting at $69.99 a month).
Having DIRECTV with NFL SUNDAY TICKET is the best way to watch the most live NFL games in 2022. The biggest downside is that DIRECTV has a high monthly price that jumps up in the second year and requires a two-year contract. But if you truly want to watch live out-of-market games on TV, we recommend checking out our full NFL SUNDAY TICKET review before committing.
NFL Plus shows and documentaries
NFL+ has an inconsistent library of on-demand programming. Besides a few excellent shows from the NFL Films archive, most of the service’s content feels outdated and irrelevant. But then again, a lot of it is recycled from other NFL Media properties like NFL Network and NFL Game Pass.
While NFL+ presents all shows and movies without ads, we don’t recommend signing up solely for its on-demand offerings. Some of these series are accessible for free on the NFL’s various YouTube channels. You can even catch select programs on the NFL Channel, a 24/7 ad-supported channel available in the NFL app and on free streaming services like Pluto TV and Tubi.
- A Football Life
- America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions
- Good Morning Football
- Hard Knocks
- NFL 100 All-Time Team
- NFL 360
- NFL Explained
- NFL Film Session
- NFL Game Day All Access
- NFL Game of the Week
- NFL Going Global
- NFL Mic’d Up
- NFL Replay
- NFL Top 10
- NFL Total Access
- Super Bowl Classic Games
- The Timeline
- Undrafted
Pro tip: NFL+ is missing every season of Hard Knocks from 2020 onward. For on-demand access to the documentary series’ most recent seasons, you’ll need HBO Max.
NFL Plus specs and features
On the technical side, NFL+ is very standard with its delivery of games and on-demand content. The biggest benefit is that all but live video is ad-free, and you get unlimited simultaneous streams.
If you’re looking for channels like NFL Network and NFL RedZone, you’ll need a separate TV subscription to tune in. But NFL+ does give you live NFL Network games when using a mobile phone on a wireless network. Plus, some NFL Network content is available on demand with NFL+.
Video and audio quality
NFL+ supports video resolutions up to 1080p at 60 frames per second. But video quality can vary based on the capabilities of your device and internet connection. If your speeds don’t meet the minimum of 750 Kbps, you may experience audio-only playback.
Speaking of audio, one of the best features of NFL+ is that you can access various radio feeds for live games—including home and away radio broadcasts. These feeds are available in every NFL+ subscription plan and stream in 2.0 stereo sound at 128 Kbps.
If you need faster internet service, check out our Best Internet for Streaming guide for a play-by-play look at some of the top internet providers around.
NFL app-compatible devices
NFL+ is accessible within the NFL app and on NFL.com. While the app is widely available, the seemingly quick rollout of NFL+ means the streaming service is not yet optimized for every device.
It’s also important to highlight again that live regular-season and postseason NFL games are only on phones and tablets with NFL+. And you can forget about casting games from your phone to your TV. The NFL has restrictions in place, preventing subscribers from casting live in-season games. (But you can cast all other content.)
| Device | NFL app | Live in-season games |
|---|---|---|
| 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, 5 | ✔ | — |
| 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+ is a revamped version of NFL Game Pass. Sure, there are some added features. But if you weren’t interested in Game Pass before, you won’t find NFL+ all that necessary now.
It’s like when the 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars brought in head coach Urban Meyer and quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Despite the personnel changes, they were still the same old Jaguars coming off a 15-game losing streak.
Until NFL+ can sort out its functionality issues and bring in more exclusive content, the service is not worth it for casual football fans. Having live local and primetime games on your phone or tablet was a free feature for NFL app users before NFL+. Now, the league wants you to pay for content you can easily access in other ways—including for free.
NFL plus review FAQ
How much is NFL Plus?
NFL+ offers two subscription plans. The basic NFL+ plan costs $4.99 a month, while NFL+ Premium is $9.99 a month and includes full game replays and Coaches Film.
How does NFL Plus work?
NFL+ allows you to stream live and on-demand NFL games. The types of games and content you have access to are based on your NFL+ plan, geographic location, and viewing device. We explain this more in our Is NFL+ Worth It? section.
Is NFL Plus the same as NFL SUNDAY TICKET?
NFL+ and NFL SUNDAY TICKET are two separate services. NFL+ is a streaming service that features every NFL game on demand after it airs. It also has live local and primetime games available for mobile streaming. NFL SUNDAY TICKET is available through DIRECTV and will get you every live out-of-market NFL game during the 2022 season.
How do you sign up for NFL Plus?
You can sign up for NFL+ by heading to NFL.com and selecting the NFL+ tab at the top of the page. You’ll then see a blue Subscribe button that will take you to a page where you can choose your NFL+ plan. If you have an existing NFL.com account, you can use that when signing up for NFL+.
How can I stream NFL games?
NFL+ has live local and primetime NFL games for mobile device users, plus every game on demand after the final whistle. Live TV streaming services like fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV carry national channels that air NFL games. You can stream select games on services like Amazon Prime Video, ESPN+, Peacock, and Paramount+.
Methodology
Our sports experts spent over 15 hours hands-on testing and analyzing NFL+. We examined the service’s features and functionality across multiple platforms, including Mac web browsers, an iPhone, and a Roku Streaming Stick+. We also compared its content and pricing to other methods for watching NFL games before establishing our recommendations.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
