The NFL (National Football League) is the most celebrated sports league in the US. Every time a new season begins, it opens the gateway to masterful plays and memorable moments in American football, a journey that kicks off a team’s huddle to the Super Bowl, and a dream to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Not everyone’s fortunate enough to cheer for their favorite teams up close and personal amidst thousands of crowds. However, bringing that electrifying atmosphere to one’s living room has never been this easy, especially now that the NFL has expanded its reach via numerous streaming platforms.
The days of watching football over cable channels are long gone. All you really need is a compatible streaming device, a moderate internet connection, and the right subscription to enjoy live gridiron action. You’re in luck if you’re looking for ways to watch NFL on Chromecast with Google TV, as this guide will tell you everything you need to get started.
Watch NFL Sunday Afternoon Games on Chromecast with Google TV
As many of you know, CBS and FOX are where the bulk of scheduled games during the NFL regular season take place, especially on Sunday afternoons. CBS broadcasts matches with an AFC road team, while FOX handles the NFC ones. Now, depending on where you are in the States, you’ll only get to watch the games featuring your local team.
If you’re eager to watch the games your local CBS affiliate shows on Sunday afternoons, Paramount+ is your best bet. You get access to your local NFL on CBS telecasts regardless of the subscription tier, which includes Essential and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.
As for FOX’s portion of the Sunday afternoon football coverage, the FOX Sports app is your only option. Unlike Paramount+, it doesn’t offer monthly subscriptions. Instead, it requires authenticating TV provider details for streaming access. Here’s what this usually means:
You must have a cable or satellite TV connection with the FOX channel in your package, but that isn’t necessary either. You can also subscribe to a streaming television provider offering the channel, e.g., DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV, and use your account details to log into the FOX Sports app. More on these later.
What About Out-of-Market Games?
Now, that’s for your local Sunday afternoon games. Like how it’s on television, games not involving your local team remain blacked out on streaming – unless you purchase the NFL Sunday Ticket, the premium out-of-market sports package.
Previously exclusive to DirecTV, Sunday Ticket has recently changed sides to streaming, particularly on YouTube and YouTube TV. Fortunately, these apps are easily accessible on your Chromecast with Google TV device, so purchasing the package is all you have to do.
Of course, NFL Sunday Ticket doesn’t come cheap, but you at least get the flexibility to buy it as a standalone YouTube Primetime Channel or with a YouTube TV subscription for the season – with the added option for part-payments.
You can also get the Sunday Ticket with NFL RedZone, the premium channel that goes live on Sunday afternoons with host Scott Hanson presenting every touchdown and crucial play from all the live games for seven hours non-stop.
Want to learn more about NFL Sunday Ticket? Are you a student looking for a promotional discount on the membership? Our dedicated guide to NFL Sunday Ticket Student Discount is worth checking out.
Watch NFL Primetime Games on Chromecast with Google TV
While the National Football League schedules the majority of its weekly games on Sunday afternoon (1 PM and 4 PM ET, respectively), the best ones are usually reserved for nighttime telecasts (~8 PM ET) on three weekdays: Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. That’s the ideal time when most people are watching TV. Here’s where you can stream the primetime NFL games on Chromecast with Google TV:
Sunday Night Football
Since 2006, NBC has held the coverage rights for Sunday Night Football, and with its streaming debut on NBCUniversal’s Peacock, America’s most popular primetime sports programming has never been this accessible.
Technically, Peacock also streams the season’s first play on Thursday night, plus the Thanksgiving Day match-up. But most of its National Football League regular season coverage consists of the Sunday night matches.
Starting from the 2023 season, it’s also home to an exclusive SNF game, which will only go live on streaming, not broadcast television. A Premium or Premium Plus subscription will give you access to Sunday Night Football on your Chromecast with Google TV.
But that’s not the only live sport you’ll get on Peacock, as its expansive sports programming also covers Big Ten Football, Notre Dame Football, Premier League, MLB Sunday Leadoff, NASCAR, NTT IndyCar Series, golf, and more. There’s also the usual movie and TV show offerings NBCUniversal’s streamer is known for.
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football has been on television since the ‘70s, with ESPN taking upon the broadcasting rights from ABC in 2006, where the primetime NFL games have aired ever since. With a renewed contract with the league, ABC now hosts select Monday night match-ups on broadcast television.
A moderate portion of Monday Night Football also streams on ESPN+, the Disney-owned sports streaming platform accessible via the ESPN app. This coverage even includes ESPN2’s special simulcasts, also lovingly known as “Manningcasts,” in which two former NFL quarterback brothers, Peyton and Eli Manning, discuss the games casually alongside surprise guests.
Now, not all of the Monday Night Football streams on ESPN+, so you’ll need to sign into the ESPN app with a participating TV provider to catch the remaining broadcasts, similar to the FOX Sports app we discussed earlier.
It’s worth noting that ESPN+ also gets an exclusive match-up from the NFL International Series starting from the 2023 season, plus one national game during the playoffs.
Thursday Night Football
Outside the doubleheader every Thanksgiving, Thursday Night Football didn’t expand like the Sunday and Monday night primetime coverage until 2012 on the NFL Network. Since then, TNF has moved to Amazon’s streaming giant, Prime Video, which exclusively hosts the Thursday primetime games from Week 2 through Week 17 of the regular season.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, the good news is you should already have streaming access to Thursday Night Football on your Chromecast with Google TV via the Prime Video app. You just have to sign in with your Amazon account. And even if you aren’t an Amazon Prime member, Prime Video is available as a separate monthly subscription.
For the 2023 season, Prime Video is presenting the first Black Friday game in November, the first of its kind in the NFL’s history, and it’s also going to be free to tune in to for anyone with an Amazon account – not just paid subscribers.
Watch NFL Channels on Chromecast with Google TV Without Cable
We’ve already discussed all the streaming apps and subscriptions you need on your Chromecast with Google TV to enjoy football action all season long.
However, there are some scenarios in which one would also want access to the TV channel airing the NFL, for example, Monday Night Football on ESPN, Sunday afternoon NFC games on FOX, and the NFL International Series on the NFL Network.
Fortunately, the streaming television services we’ve mentioned when discussing the FOX Sports app, i.e., DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV, have you covered, with some carrying hundreds of channels, including but not limited to ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and the NFL Network.
Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV are likely your best options as they include all these NFL-broadcasting TV channels with their base subscription plans. Both also offer unlimited cloud DVR storage for your game recording needs, though one reason to go with YouTube TV is if you want access to the out-of-market Sunday games via NFL Sunday Ticket.
Sling TV is a more budget-oriented streaming pick for NFL fans. Its Blue plan carries the NFL Network and, if you’re lucky enough to be in one of the major cities, your local ABC, FOX, and NBC affiliates. ESPN and ESPN2 are part of the Sling Orange plan. The Sling Orange + Blue package combines the best of both but is also considerably costlier.
All these cable replacement services have their own streaming apps for Google TV, offering a traditional channel-surfing experience. However, as mentioned earlier, you can also use your streaming provider credentials to log in to the ESPN and FOX Sports apps and watch their live football streams. Similarly, you can authenticate your account details on the ABC, CBS Sports, and NBC Sports apps to gain access to their portion of the National Football League coverage.
FAQ: Is there a cheaper way to get NFL Network on Chromecast with Google TV?
Yep, it’s called NFL+, the subscription-based streaming offering from none other than the National Football League instead. Although its live local and primetime football streams are limited to viewing on mobile devices, its recent inclusion of the 24/7 NFL Network channel encompasses all compatible devices, including Chromecast with Google TV.
Accessible via the NFL app, NFL+ also has a costlier Premium tier, which lets subscribers access the live NFL RedZone channel and full and condensed game replays on-demand. That’s on top of what the NFL+ subscription already offers, including ad-free highlights and tons of original programming from the NFL Network and NFL Films.
Can You Watch NFL on Chromecast with Google TV For Free?
No, at least without crossing the legal barrier – something we don’t deal with or encourage our readers to look into. The second-best option would be to keep an eye out for the free trials that streaming services occasionally offer for a limited time. It includes the likes of NFL+, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video, FuboTV, and YouTube TV.
Of course, you’ll also have to remind yourself to cancel the subscription before the trial runs out, or else you’ll be charged. Have enough email addresses and payment methods ready, and you can catch a significant portion of the NFL regular season on your Chromecast with Google TV for free.
Game Day to End Game
Whether you’re cheering for your favorite team or catching every touchdown, you’re all set for an epic NFL season. Following our guide to NFL on Chromecast with Google TV should pretty much guarantee that.
As for how to get the NFL-streaming apps mentioned in the above sections, simply navigate to the Apps section from your Google TV Home Screen, and scroll down to the Search for apps option. Once you enter the app name and select it from the results, click Install.
You can then launch the respective streaming app from the “Your apps” menu and follow the on-screen prompts to sign up and log in, at which point you’re ready to enjoy the NFL games live on your big screen.
We recommend connecting your Chromecast with Google TV to a fast home Wi-Fi network for an optimal viewing experience. If you’re using your Chromecast puck with a UHD television, you might also be interested in our guide to watching NFL games in 4K.