how to watch super bowl without cable 2019

If you want to see the NFL's two top teams duke it out online via the web or with a TV app, you have more options than ever before.

Continue on to find out how to watch the Super Bowl without cable.

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Stream the Super Bowl Via the Internet

If you want to watch the Super Bowl online, here are your two best options.

Option 1: Try out a cable replacer

If you want to stream Super Bowl coverage and analysis via ESPN and other sports channels ahead of the game, you may want to check out one of the three internet-based cable replacers listed below.

All three cable replacers listed below have 7-day free trials, so you can cancel after the game if the main thing you want to do is watch the Super Bowl online.

Before you sign up…

Before you decide which cable replacer to try, you should check to see which broadcast channels you can get in your location. DirecTV Now, fuboTV and Sling TV all have websites that can give you that information. Just plug in your zip code to find out which local channels you can get before you join.

fuboTV

Because fuboTV has a ton of sports channels, it offers a viable way to become a cord-cutter if sports is the only thing holding you back from canceling your cable plan.

However, there is one big downside to fuboTV's channel list: ESPN is not on the menu.

Another thing to be aware of is that fuboTV doesn't have deals with all the NBC affiliates yet– so you'll definitely want to check fuboTV website first to make sure you can stream NBC in your area before you sign up for the free trial.

On the plus side, fuboTV does offer an extremely generous mix of sports entertainment.

For around $45 (the exact fee depends on your location), fubo Premier gives you access to even more sports channels than DirecTV Now.

With fubo Premier, you get: NBC Sports Network, NFL Network, Pac 12 Networks, Big 10 Network, CBS Sports Network, NBA TV, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Big 10 Network, NBC Golf, Fox Desportes, Eleven Sports, Olympic Channel, Fox Soccer Plus, plus 10 different BeIN sports channels.

That's over 24 sports channels in all, just for starters.

If you live in New York, fubo Premier comes with several YES (Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network) and MSG (Madison Square Garden) channels. Some other locations have special regional channels, as well.

If you're willing to pay $9 more for the Sports Extra channel add-on, you can get NFL RedZone, 6 Pac 12 channels, 3 Fox College Sports channels, plus GolTV (English and Spanish), TyC Sports, FNTSY Sports Network and Fight Network.

Another advantage of fuboTV is that its recording feature is already up and running. fuboTV has a cloud DVR that lets you record 30 hours of content. Many competing services will automatically delete your recordings after a certain amount of time, but fuboTV lets you keep your recordings for as long as you like.

fuboTV offers 3 different core plans:

fubo Premier: 80+ channels / $40-$50 per month (depending on your location).
fubo Latino: 13 channels / $18 per month.
fubo Portuguese: 5 channels / $20 per month.

Like DirecTV Now, fuboTV lacks game console apps. However, fuboTV apps cover most of the other major platforms.

Living room devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast and Roku.
Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: None.
Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
Game consoles: None.
Desktop browsers: Chrome is recommended.

fuboTV currently offers a 7-day free trial.

Sling TV

Out of all the cable replacement services, Sling TV has the fewest deals with NBC and other local broadcast networks. You should definitely check the Sling TV website first before you get your free trial.

If you can get a good selection of TV channels through Sling TV in your area, its not a bad deal. No other cable replacer that carries sports channels is as cheap as Sling TV.

The Sling TV plan you'll want to check out if you want to watch Super Bowl LII is Sling Blue. Sling Blue costs $25 and has around 45 channels, including NBC and other broadcast networks.

Sling TV has a much smaller mix of sports channels compared to DirecTV and fuboTV. With Sling Blue, you get NFL Network, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2 and NBC Sports Network.

Paying an extra $15 to get their Sling Orange+Blue plan adds essential sports networks like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ACC Network Extra.

You can get even more sports channels through Sling TV's $5 Sports Extra channel add-on. The Sports Extra has ESPN Goal Line, ESPNEWS, NBA TV, BeIN Sports, NHL Network, SEC Network, ESPN Bases Loaded and a handful of others. The channels you get with the Sports Extra vary depending on which base plan you have.

Like fuboTV, Sling TV does let you record TV content. However, you have to pay $5 extra to unlock Sling TV's DVR.

Here are the prices for Sling TV's 3 base plans:

Orange: 30 channels for $20 per month.
Blue: 45 channels for $35 a month.
Orange+Blue: 53 channels for $40 per month.

Sling TV has apps for nearly every platform except PlayStation:

Living room devices: Air TV Player, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku.
Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Certain models from LeEco, LG, Samsung and ZTE.
Mobile devices and tablets: Amazon Fire tablets, Android and iOS.
Game consoles: Xbox One.
Desktop browsers: Chrome.

Like DirecTV Now and fuboTV, SlingTV lets you try out their service free for 7 days.

DirecTV Now

Because DirecTV Now has more channels than any other streaming service, it's the best way to slash your cable bill without going on a "TV diet." Other streaming services are cheaper, but their channel menus are also smaller.

DirecTV Now has signed deals with most local broadcast affiliates. Still, it's a good idea to check the DirecTV website first to make sure you can get NBC before you get the free trial.

DirecTV Now carries over 15 specialty sports channels, including NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, Olympic Channel, Sportsman Channel, SEC Network and others.

Another good reason to get DirecTV Now instead of one of the other cable replacers is that DirecTV Now credentials unlock live streams and full on-demand episodes on over 50 cable channel apps. The list of sports apps that work with DirecTV Now includes CBS Sports, Big 10 Network, ESPN, Fox Sports Go, The Olympic Channel, MLB At Bat, NBC Golf, NBC Sports and more.

DirecTV Now's main downside is that its recording feature is still in beta. Unless you luck out and find a way to join the beta program, you won't be able to buffer the Super Bowl and zoom past the commercials.

DirecTV Now has 4 different plans:

Live a Little: 60+ channels / $35 per month.
Just Right: 80+ channels / $50 per month.
Go Big: 100+ channels / $60 per month.
Gotta Have It: 120+ channels / $70 per month.

Though DirecTV Now currently lacks support for game consoles, the DirecTV Now app works with all the most popular TV devices.

Living room devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku.
Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: None.
Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
Game consoles: None.
Desktop browsers: Chrome and Safari.

Like most cable replacers, DirecTV Now lets you try out their service free for 7 days.

Option 2: Use NBC's website or the NBC Sports app

If you don't intend to become a cord-cutter and all you want to do is watch the Super Bowl, it makes more sense to just stream the big game directly from NBC.

The main downside of using the NBC app or website to watch the Super Bowl is that there's no way to avoid all the commercials. fuboTV and Sling TV both have cloud DVRs that allow you to buffer the game after it begins so that you can fast forward through all the advertisements.

On the other hand, both the website and the NBC Sports app are totally free, no strings attached. Ordinarily, NBC requires you to authenticate through a paid TV service to watch NBC on the internet. But next Sunday, NBC will lift those restrictions for 11 hours and let the general public access NBC's online feed.

NBC's website

You don't have to sign up for anything or create an account if all you want to do is watch the Super Bowl live through NBC's website.

The NBC Sports App

The NBC Sports app comes in several different flavors: iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Xbox. Also, NBC Sports works with most smart TV operating systems.

The NBC Sports app has earned a 3/5 rating on Android and has a 2/5 rating on iTunes. Most of the complaints about the NBC Sports app center around commercials. Commercials that appear during video playback often feature the same ad over and over again.

Or, Just Use Your TV Antenna to Watch the Big Game

If you live within range of an NBC broadcast station, the easiest way to watch the Super Bowl is with an ordinary TV antenna.

AmazonBasics and Mohu are the two leading TV antenna brands among cord-cutters.

Enhance your experience with cutting-edge TV gadgets

Both TV gadgets listed below let you record TV content from any locally broadcast TV station.

HDHomeRun

HDHomeRun devices are inexpensive (the cheapest model is $80) and easy to use. Setup is uncomplicated and quick. All you have to do is plug your HDHomeRun into your WiFi router and then attach it to a TV antenna. From there, you can access any of your locally broadcast channels from any HDHomeRun app.

HDHomeRun makes apps for Mac, PC, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4, Android, Kodi, Plex and more.

Tablo

Like HDHomeRun, Tablo devices can also record live TV broadcasts. Because Tablos are more expensive than HDHomeRuns, most cord-cutters prefer HDHomeRun. On the other hand, Tablos do have more advanced DVR features.

Tablo has apps for Roku, Apple TV, iOS, Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Windows, Xbox One and most smart TVs.

In a Nutshell

The best way to watch Super Bowl LII for free

If you have a TV antenna and live near an NBC TV station, just tune in at 3:30 PM ET this Sunday. Otherwise, you can watch the game online via the NBC Sports website or through the NBC Sports app.

If you're a cord-cutter in-the-making

If you plan on cutting the cord anytime soon, the Super Bowl is a good excuse to see what DirecTV Now brings to the table. With 120+ channels, DirecTV Now has the biggest menu and the most generous subscription packages.

For sports nuts

If all you want is sports, you may want to check out fuboTV. fuboTV has more sports channels than DirecTV and Sling TV. On the other hand, fuboTV is somewhat crippled by the fact that ESPN is not on the menu.