If you don’t have access to cable, there are a number of ways to watch the Super Bowl this Sunday.
CBS, which is broadcasting Super Bowl 50 at 3:30 p.m. PT, will live stream the game on its website and through a bevy of platforms that have the CBS Sports app, including: iOS, Android, Windows 10, Xbox One, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire HD tablets. You won’t need any log-in credentials to access the feed, but keep in mind that given the NFL’s exclusive contract with Verizon, non-Verizon customers won’t be able to stream games to their smartphone. However, PCs, laptops, tablets, and devices like Xbox One are OK.
If you do have a TV but don’t have a cable subscription, one simple solution is to snag an over-the-air antenna to watch CBS. Brian Chen at The New York Times has a good rundown of antennas you can buy online and reminds you to check your proximity to nearby transmitters.
One other option is Slingbox, which connects to a cable box and streams content to a web browser or the Slingbox app. It works for those trying to stream outside the U.S., too.
Speaking of NFL fans abroad, you can stream the Super Bowl via NFL Game Pass, but that requires a $99.99 annual subscription.
CBS, which streamed four playoff games this season, also streamed the Super Bowl three years ago. One new aspect of this year’s Super Bowl stream is the advertisements, which will be aired on the TV broadcast and the online stream in near real-time. In previous years, some but not all TV commercials aired to viewers watching online.
This marks a big departure from the traditional advertising structure used in the past. It’s a big deal because it’s the first time in history that a broadcaster has lumped live-streaming into the same advertising package as broadcast TV for the Super Bowl, where 30-second advertisements are selling for around $5 million this year.
Last year, NBC sold digital-only ads for the game that were only broadcasted via the online stream. But CBS is taking a different route by selling broadcast and live-streaming ads in one package, versus offering the option to do either.
CBS is also streaming a bevy of Super Bowl related content before the game on Sunday that can be accessed at CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app for mobile and connected TV devices.
It’s becoming easier and easier to stream NFL action online. Last year, Yahoo paid the NFL a reported $20 million for the exclusive rights to live stream a regular season game from London. We tested out the stream on multiple devices and our experience watching was smooth overall.
Let’s see if the CBS stream holds up on Sunday for all the cord-cutters watching Cam Newton take on Peyton Manning in what should be an entertaining matchup at Levi’s Stadium in Silicon Valley.
