TV Answer Man, I know in past years that you could stream the Super Bowl for free on a network app. Will NBC let us stream the game for free this year. If so, will it be on Peacock? Go Rams! — Manuel, Marina Del Rey, California. 

Manuel, this year’s Super Bowl, which will be played on February 13 at 6:30 p.m. ET in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, will pit the Los Angeles Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals,

For the last several years, the networks have provided a free stream of the Super Bowl on their apps and web sites. So will NBC, which is broadcasting this year’s big game, do the same?

Not quite.

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The NBC-owned Peacock will stream the game, but you will need a subscription to Peacock’s $4.99 a month Premium plan to watch it. The streaming app has struggled to generate new subscriptions since its launch in July 2020 so NBC (and corporate parent Comcast) is seizing this opportunity to boost the numbers.

You can stream it for free at the NBC Sports app, the NBC app and NBCSports.com. But you will need a user name and password login from your cable, satellite, telco or streaming TV provider. So that’s not really free, either. (There’s nothing free about a pay TV subscription these days.)

You can watch the Super Bowl for ‘free’ is if you install an antenna on your roof or inside your home. NBC’s Super Bowl broadcast will be available for free on its network affiliates via an antenna.

Yahoo Sports says it will also offer a free stream of the game without a pay TV sub as will NFL.com and the NFL mobile app.

Hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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— Phillip Swann
@TVAnswerMan