By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman

TV Answer Man, we don’t have our NBC station because of the fight between DIRECTV and the station ownership. The Sunday Night Football is coming on NBC. Do you know how we can still watch the game even though we don’t have NBC in our lineup because of the blackout? — Jenny, Tampa.
Jenny, DIRECTV on July 2 lost 159 Nexstar-owned local stations in a fee fight between the companies. (The blackout also affects DIRECTV Stream and U-verse.) Both sides have been relatively quiet in the last week, which could be a good sign. But as of this writing, there’s no indication we will see a settlement this weekend. NBC, which is now unavailable in 30 plus markets on DIRECTV due to the dispute, will air the Sunday Night Football matchup between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys at 8 p.m. ET. (Kickoff is actually around 8:20 p.m. ET with pre-game coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET.) So here are four ways you can still watch the game even if DIRECTV and Nexstar settle before kickoff:

1. Peacock
The NBC-owned streaming service will carry the game with no blackouts. Plans start at $5.99 a month. Unfortunately, there’s no free trial, but $5.99 is a small price to pay if you’re a football fan, right?
2. Free Trial From YouTube TV or Fubo
If you want to watch the game for free rather than pay Peacock, YouTube TV and Fubo, both of which carry NBC, are now offering free trials ranging from seven days to 21 days. You could sign up for the free trial and cancel after the game before you are billed for the first month.
3. TV Antenna
If you can pick up your local NBC affiliate with an antenna, you can also watch the game for free. Not everyone can, of course. It depends upon your location and other factors such as whether you live near mountains, tall buildings and other possible obstacles. But it’s worth a try if you already have an antenna.
4. Telemundo
The Spanish-language station, which is available on the three DIRECTV services, will broadcast the game starting at 8 p.m. ET. If you have trouble finding a Telemundo station, you can also try Universo.

Jenny, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman