CBS All Access will start streaming NFL games this Sunday
CBS and the National Football League have reached an agreement to let subscribers of the network's $6-per-month All Access service stream live NFL games. The multiyear deal goes into effect on Sunday, so this week's games on CBS will be the first that All Access customers get to watch. Future Thursday Night Football games will also be included. CBS boss Les Moonves said in September that a deal to put the NFL on All Access, which previously blocked games with the ugly message below, was in the works.
But don't celebrate just yet, football fans. There are two important asterisks here, though. First, you can only watch live NFL games if CBS All Access streams live programming from your local CBS station. Currently it does in 150 markets — but not everywhere. Go here to check. And second, don't expect to do any streaming on your iPhone or Android handset; Verizon's lockdown on mobile NFL games prevents CBS from broadcasting them on smartphones. You're good to go on pretty much everything else, though. From the CBS press release:
CBS All Access subscribers will be able to stream all NFL on CBS games, including Thursday Night Football on CBS, as well as pregame and halftime coverage live on CBS All Access platforms, including on tablets via the CBS App for iOS, Android and Windows 10, on connected device platforms, including Xbox One and Xbox 360, Roku Players, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, and PS4, and online at CBS.com in more than 150 markets across the U.S. CBS All Access subscribers will receive all NFL ON CBS games being broadcast in their local market.
CBS All Access has two subscription options: $5.99 per month with limited ads or $9.99 for commercial-free viewing (though not when watching live TV). The service gets you on-demand access to over 8,500 episodes of current and past CBS hits including The Big Bang Theory, NCIS, Survivor, and other shows. It's also home to original content like Star Trek: Discovery, which will begin streaming in May.
You might consider that a little expensive to get one network's shows, though. AT&T doesn't seem to think CBS is worth the cost of carrying; its just-launched DirecTV Now service doesn't include the network in its lineup. But maybe sweetening the deal with local NFL games will convince more people to give All Access a try.
