Where can i watch preseason football

Every August, NFL fans’ long wait for games comes to an end as the NFL preseason gets underway. The 2022 NFL preseason kicks off on August 4 and is followed up by three full weeks of game action featuring all 32 teams. However, watching NFL preseason games isn’t like tuning in for an NFL Sunday during the regular season.

What to Watch is here to help you make sure you know the best ways to watch 2022 NFL preseason action, including how to watch your favorite team no matter where you are and a brief rundown of some of the games each week.

NFL Preseason week 3 schedule

We've reached the final week of the 2022 NFL preseason, week 3, taking place August 25-28. For many players this is going to be their last shot to make their respective teams, so don't tell them that these games don't matter. 

Eight of the 16 games are being shown on national TV, including a preseason edition of Thursday Night Football exclusively on Prime Video. Here's the full schedule of the 2022 NFL preseason week 3 games:

Thursday, August 25
Green Bay Packers vs Kansas City Chiefs, 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, NFL Network
San Francisco 49ers vs Houston Texans, 8:15 pm ET/5:15 pm PT, Prime Video

Friday, August 26
Buffalo Bills vs Carolina Panthers, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT
Seattle Seahawks vs Dallas Cowboys, 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, NFL Network
Los Angeles Chargers vs New Orleans Saints, 8 pm ET/5 pm PT
New England Patriots vs Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 pm ET/5:15 pm PT

Saturday, August 27
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Atlanta Falcons, 3 pm ET/noon PT, NFL Network
Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals, 6 pm ET/3 pm PT, NFL Network
Chicago Bears vs Cleveland Browns, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT
Arizona Cardinals vs Tennessee Titans, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT
Philadelphia Eagles vs Miami Dolphins, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT
Washington Commanders vs Baltimore Ravens, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Indianapolis Colts, 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT
Minnesota Vikings vs Denver Broncos, 9 pm ET/6 pm PT, NFL Network

Sunday, August 28
New York Giants vs New York Jets, 1 pm ET/10 am PT, NFL Network
Detroit Lions vs Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:30 pm ET/1:30 pm PT, CBS

How to watch NFL preseason games on TV

The NFL returns to TV for preseason action with a handful of networks set to air national broadcasts of games across the August schedule.

There are three preseason games airing on the national broadcast networks that normally carry the NFL — CBS, Fox and NBC. This means that as long as you have a basic pay-TV subscription (or a TV antenna) then you can watch these three games; the networks are also available on live TV streaming services with all three included on FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV. NBC and Fox are also available on Sling TV.

A number of NFL preseason games air nationally on the NFL Network. The NFL Network is a premium cable channel, though it is available through most cable TV providers. Same with ESPN, which has a couple of games for the 2022 NFL preseason schedule. Both NFL Network and ESPN are also available on FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

There are some games that won't air on national TV, but instead, they'll be available exclusively on local/regional channels for those teams. If that's the case for your team for a given game, then it is best to check your local listings. 

If you are not in an area where your favorite team is available on live TV streaming is going to be the best way to watch these preseason games. 

How to stream NFL preseason games

There are a few options to stream 2022 NFL preseason games, with the most prominent being the new NFL Plus streaming service. Subscribers to NFL Plus can watch all out-of-market preseason games live on any device (phone, tablet, TV, computer). As the streams are just for out-of-market games, fans cannot stream their local team via NFL Plus, but NFL Plus Premium subscribers can see full and condensed replays of games on-demand of all games.

NFL Plus is exclusively available in the US, but NFL Game Pass (opens in new tab) is available internationally, including in the UK and allows fans to watch replays of these games.

Other streaming services offering live access to NFL games are Peacock for the Hall of Fame game on August 4, while Paramount Plus streams local CBS broadcasts of NFL games, so check your local listings if/when any games air on the network. There will also be one NFL preseason game that streams exclusively on Prime Video.

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Peaky Blinders, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Saturday Night Live, Only Murders in the Building and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun.