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Originally Published: Sep 13, 2018
Originally Published: Sep 13, 2018 Last Updated: Sep 20, 2018 5 min read
Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns
(L to R) Kicker Zane Gonzalez #2, wide receiver Jarvis Landry #80, quarterback Baker Mayfield #6, defensive tackles Trevon Coley #93 and Larry Ogunjobi #65 of the Cleveland Browns stand for the national anthem prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 9, 2018 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
Diamond Images—Diamond Images/Getty Images

"Thursday Night Football" kicks off yet again tonight at 8:20 p.m. ET, when the New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns game is scheduled to start.

What channel is the Jets-Browns game on? The game is being broadcast on the pay channel NFL Network. To watch "Thursday Night Football" on TV tonight, you must subscribe to a service that includes the NFL Network.

But what if you don't have a satellite or cable TV package with the NFL Network? If you're in that camp, you may be wondering how you can watch "Thursday Night Football" — and, ideally, do so for free.

Here are all the options to live stream the Jets vs. Browns game for free, as well as other "Thursday Night Football" games in the 2018 season.

How to Live Stream the Ravens Game Tonight for Free

Sports fans should be happy to know that it's gotten much easier to live stream NFL games for free in the 2018 season. After downloading the latest versions of either the Yahoo Sports app or the NFL App, you'll be able to live stream a host of games on your phone (and in some cases, with other mobile devices such as tablets).

Specifically, the Yahoo Sports app and NFL App let fans live stream games that are being broadcast locally in their region by networks like CBS and Fox, as well as all nationally broadcast primetime games. That includes "Sunday Night Football" on NBC, "Monday Night Football" on ESPN, and "Thursday Night Football" on the NFL Network and Fox.

Both the Yahoo Sports and NFL apps are free to download, and viewers can live stream tonight's Jets-Browns game and all other available NFL games for free, without having to log in with any cable or subscription account information.

How to Watch 'Thursday Night Football' Online for Free

But if you want to watch tonight's "Thursday Night Football" game on a TV, you won't be able to use the Yahoo Sports app or NFL App. Yahoo Sports' live stream is only available on smartphones, and the NFL App's live stream tonight works only on smartphones and tablets.

Still, there are many streaming TV services that will allow you to watch the NFL Network online in any manner you prefer — including on a laptop or TV. And yes, you can use these services for free to watch "Thursday Night Football" tonight, by way of free trial periods that last at least a few days.

Fubo TV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, and the Sling TV streaming services all have packages with the NFL Network. The latter is the cheapest of the bunch, starting at $25 per month for the "Sling Blue" service that includes the channel. The other services charge around $40 to $50 per month for packages that include the NFL Network, alongside dozens of other pay channels.

All of these services make free trials available to new subscribers. The free trial periods generally last five to seven days, so you can try them out for free to watch "Thursday Night Football" and other NFL games this weekend online. Just remember to cancel before the trial period ends if you don't want to become a paying subscriber.

(Also, note that not all streaming TV services have access to the NFL Network. Hulu Live and YouTube TV do not offer the channel in any of their packages.)

Can I Live Stream 'Thursday Night Football' with Amazon Prime?

The NFL signed a contract with Amazon that allows Amazon Prime Video to live stream some — but not all — "Thursday Night Football" games during the 2018 NFL season.

Some of this year's Thursday Night Football games will appear on NFL Network, and others on Fox — and only the 11 "Thursday Night Football" games being broadcast on Fox will be live streamed on Amazon Prime. In other words, the games broadcast on the NFL Network — including tonight's Jets-Browns matchup — will not be shown on Amazon Prime.

If you want to live stream NFL games for free on Amazon Prime, you'll have to wait until Week 4 of the 2018 season, when Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings game takes place on Thursday, September 27. Amazon's NFL live streams of "Thursday Night Football" are available only to Amazon Prime members. Prime subscriptions in the U.S. generally cost $119 per year, or $12.99 per month, after a free 30-day trial.

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