How to Watch Football on Apple TV: The Ultimate Guide
Apple TV is a great way for any sports fan to stream live NFL games, World Cup soccer, NBA basketball, MLB baseball and more directly on your TV. With the right apps and services, you can watch tons of live sports action in HD quality on your Apple TV.
This comprehensive guide will go over all your various options for streaming football and other sports on Apple TV. We‘ll cover everything from free streaming apps to paid services so you can catch all the big games. Let‘s get started!
Watching NFL Football
The NFL app on Apple TV allows you to stream Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football and select local market games for free with no cable subscription needed. This gives you access to nationally televised primetime games on NBC, ESPN and the NFL Network along with a few CBS and Fox games available in your local market.
While the NFL app provides some free streaming options, most NFL games throughout the regular season and playoffs require a cable or live TV streaming subscription. Some of the best options for NFL fans include:
- YouTube TV – $64.99/month. Offers CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network so you can watch local and national NFL games. NFL RedZone channel also available.
- Hulu + Live TV – $69.99/month. Carries major channels like CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN to catch NFL games. Can add NFL Network/RedZone.
- FuboTV – Starts at $69.99/month. Great for football fans since it includes NFL Network and RedZone channel.
- Sling TV – Starts at $35/month. Get NFL Network on Sling Blue package. NFL RedZone available as add-on.
Check the channel lineups on these streaming services to ensure they carry your local CBS and Fox affiliates for in-market games. Many also offer free trials to test them out.
If you want access to watch any out-of-market NFL game, NFL Sunday Ticket is available as a standalone package on streaming through DirecTV.
Watching College Football
College football fans can catch most NCAA football games through ESPN, Fox, CBS, ABC, FS1 and other major channels. The best options for streaming:
- YouTube TV – $64.99/month. Carries ESPN, CBS, FS1, ABC, NBC and more for college football.
- Hulu + Live TV – $69.99/month. Gets all the major NCAA football channels.
- FuboTV – Starts at $69.99/month. Great channel lineup for college football fans.
- Sling TV – Starts at $35/month. ESPN and FS1 on Sling Orange plan.
Many streaming services offer the SEC Network, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Network and other conference channels. Check for those if you follow a specific conference.
Watching MLB Baseball
For streaming MLB games, the top option is the MLB.TV app available on Apple TV. With an MLB.TV subscription ($139.99/year or $24.99/month), you can watch every out-of-market regular season game live or on demand. Local blackout restrictions apply.
For in-market games, you will need a service like YouTube TV, Hulu or DirecTV Stream that provides channels like ESPN, Fox, FS1 and your local regional sports networks (RSNs). Make sure your local RSN is covered so you can watch your home team‘s games.
Watching NBA Basketball
The NBA app offers a free preview of NBA League Pass for streaming up to 7 days of out-of-market games. For full NBA League Pass access ($199/year or $28.99/month), you can stream every live out-of-market NBA game on Apple TV. Again, local blackouts apply.
For streaming local NBA games, you will need a service like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV or DirecTV Stream that carries your local RSN. ESPN, ABC and TNT also televise national NBA games.
Watching NHL Hockey
NHL fans can download the NHL app to purchase access to watch out-of-market games with NHL Live. This service runs $99.99 for the full season or $24.99 monthly.
Alternatively, you can get a streaming TV service like FuboTV ($69.99/month) that includes the NHL Network plus NBC, ESPN and your local RSNs for in-market hockey games.
Watching Soccer
Premier League fans can catch games on Peacock Premium for $4.99/month. UEFA Champions League and Europa League stream on Paramount+ for $4.99/month. Major League Soccer games are now available through the Apple TV MLS Season Pass for $14.99/month ($12.99 for Apple TV+ subscribers).
Apps like FuboTV ($69.99/month) also carry many soccer channels like beIN Sports. Check the channel lineup first for your favorite leagues/tournaments. And Telemundo or Peacock can provide Spanish coverage of matches.
For World Cup and USMNT/USWNT games, streams are available through Fox and FS1 which you can access on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and other major streaming services.
Using the Apple TV App
The Apple TV app helps aggregate live sports from different streaming services all in one place. Navigate to the Sports tab in the TV app and you can browse available live games from the apps you have installed. This makes it really convenient to find and watch live sports action without having to launch each app separately.
Other Tips for Streaming Sports on Apple TV
Here are some additional pointers for watching sports on your Apple TV:
– Use AirPlay to stream games directly from an iPhone or iPad to Apple TV. Great for watching from apps that aren‘t available on Apple TV.
– Check /r/nflstreams, /r/nbastreams, etc. on Reddit for free but lower quality streaming options. Use at your own risk.
– Search the App Store for additional sports apps like ESPN, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, DAZN, theScore etc.
– Consider an OTA antenna to watch local broadcast channels like ABC, NBC, Fox and CBS which air many national games.
– Verify you have a fast and reliable internet connection of at least 25Mbps speed for smooth streaming.
So in summary, Apple TV offers football fans tons of ways to stream NFL games, soccer matches, basketball, hockey and other live sports with just a few clicks. With this guide, you can determine the right streaming options for your sports viewing needs. Enjoy the games!
