CBS will stream more live NFL action online than ever this season for free — including, for the first time, two regular season games.
The TV giant announced Tuesday that it will stream four playoff games, Super Bowl 50, and the two regular season games — including a Thanksgiving bout between Carolina and Dallas — for free at CBSSports.com and a number of devices like Xbox One, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, and Roku TV. Verizon customers will also be able to access the CBS feeds through NFL Mobile.
You won’t need a cable subscription credential to access those feeds, which is great news for cord-cutters.
CBS will stream the Jets vs. Dolphins game from London on Oct. 4 and the Thanksgiving Day game on Nov. 26, in addition to the AFC Wild Card, Divisional, and Championship games.
CBS and other networks have made playoff games and the Super Bowl available online for free to those without a cable subscription since 2012, but this is the first time regular season games are receiving the same treatment. The Oct. 25 game between Buffalo and Jacksonville will also be streamed online thanks to Yahoo, who signed a deal with the NFL in June worth a reported $20 million.
FOX also streamed 101 regular season games last year, but those feeds required a cable subscription.
Given the lucrative TV rights deals in place, don’t expect a huge amount of regular season games to be streamed online for free in the near future. Still, it’s worth noting that the cable companies are testing ways to stream live games over the Internet, especially as more people cancel their cable subscriptions with the bevy of streaming options becoming available.
