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Published: Sep 27, 2018 5 min read
Los Angeles Chargers v Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams looks to pass during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Sean M. Haffey—Getty Images

[This guide for how to live stream NFL games for free is from 2018. While these methods may still work, check out our 2019 version of how to watch NFL games for free here.]

Sports fans have more options than ever to live stream NFL games for free during the 2018 season. Among the possibilities: You can watch many "Thursday Night Football" games online for free on Amazon Prime, starting with the September 27 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams.

The NFL and Amazon have a partnership for the 2018 season that allows the tech giant to live stream 11 "Thursday Night Football" games on Amazon Prime. Here are all the details you need for watching "Thursday Night Football" — online or on TV, for free.

What Time Is "Thursday Night Football"?

"Thursday Night Football" kickoffs are always scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. If you wondering what channel "Thursday Night Football" is on, the games are being broadcast on TV on a mix of Fox and the NFL Network.

Amazon has the rights to live stream only the 11 games airing on Fox. While the Fox TV broadcast features Joe Buck and Troy Aikman as announcers, the Amazon Prime Video online stream will be called by Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm as the first all-female cast to broadcast an NFL game.

This is the NFL "Thursday Night Football" schedule of games you can watch for free on Amazon Prime:

• September 27: Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams
• October 4: Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots
• October 11: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
• October 18: Denver Broncos vs. Arizona Cardinals
• October 25: Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Texans
• November 1: Oakland Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers
• November 8: Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
• November 15: Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks
• November 29: New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys
• December 6: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans
• December 13: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

To live stream these games on Amazon, you must be a member of Amazon Prime, the subscription service that includes two-day free shipping on most Amazon purchases, plus perks like unlimited streaming of certain music and video content. An Amazon Prime subscription generally costs $119 per year or $12.99 per month, and you can test out the service during a 30-day free trial period.

How to Watch "Thursday Night Football" for Free on TV

As mentioned, the games available for free live streaming on Amazon Prime are also being broadcast on local Fox stations. If you have even a basic satellite or cable TV package, you probably have a Fox channel. Simply find it to watch "Thursday Night Football" for free.

If you don't have cable, you can still watch "Thursday Night Football" for free on TV with the assistance of a digital antenna. You can buy one for around $25, and once it's connected to a TV you will get free, unlimited access to networks like Fox, NBC, and ABC in most of the country.

Other Ways to Live Stream "Thursday Night Football" for Free

As we've previously reported, two apps allow fans to stream NFL games on their phones for free. The Yahoo Sports app and NFL App let you live stream the following games during the 2018 NFL season: locally broadcast Sunday games (including those featuring the home team in your region), plus nationally televised primetime games such as NBC's "Sunday Night Football," ESPN's "Monday Night Football" — and yes, all of the "Thursday Night Football" games.

Yet another way to watch "Thursday Night Football" online comes by way of streaming TV services such as Fubo TV, Hulu Live, DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. In most of the country, these services include local broadcasts of channels like Fox and CBS with their packages, and they all offer free trial periods of five to seven days to new subscribers.

So you can register and watch "Thursday Night Football" online via your local Fox station, and then check out the service for a few days during the free trial period. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends if you don't want to become a paying subscriber. Subscriptions start at roughly $25 to $45 per month, depending on the package and provider.

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