By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
TV Answer Man, Steel Curtain is playing the Patriots tonight. How can you watch without having to pay Amazon their blood money for the game? — Marcus, Redding, Pennsylvania.
Marcus, Amazon’s Thursday Night Football (TNF) returns tonight with the New England Patriots visiting Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. (Kickoff expected at 8:15 p.m. ET with pregame coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET. The Steelers are six-point favorites.)
How to Watch Thursday Night Football For Free
So, will you have to pay to watch it? Well, Marcus, there are actually four ways to watch Amazon’s TNF games without paying a dime, not to mention handing over blood money, which sounds a little messy to me.
1. Local channels
The game will air for free (with an antenna) in the home markets of the two teams playing. For example, the game tonight will be on KDKA-TV (CBS) in Pittsburgh and WXFT-TV (Fox) in the Boston market.
2. Bars and restaurants
Amazon last year signed a multi-year agreement with DIRECTV to allow the satcaster to beam the TNF games to commercial venues, including bars and restaurants. You can read this article for more details on how to find a DIRECTV bar in your area.
3. Free trial.
Amazon offers a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime. You could sign up today and watch the Patriots and Steelers and four more weeks of games before you would have to pay. Just be sure to cancel prior to the end of the month if you don’t want to stay with Prime membership.
4. Twitch
Just like last year, you can watch the TNF games for free on Twitch, the Amazon-owned gaming service.
While those are the free ways to watch the game, if want to subscribe, an Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year. A membership plan to only Amazon Prime Video is $8.99 a month. (The Prime membership provides many more benefits, such as free two-day shipping.)
Marcus, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
