It’s Thanksgiving week in the NFL, which means you’ll be able to enjoy a side of pigskin-throwing action alongside your traditional holiday feast. Below, we’ll help you figure out where and how to watch Thanksgiving football games, with NFL live streams for all three major local networks showing the broadcasts.
The festive day of football starts at 12:30 p.m. ET on Fox, with the Packers traveling to the Lions’ den in Detroit. The Commanders then meet the Cowboys in Arlington on CBS, which kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET. The night will end with an exciting battle on NBC between two of the league’s best teams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. All of these are classic divisional matchups with substantial playoff implications. Keep reading for your live-stream options.
Looking for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video? That game moves to Black Friday this year. You can watch the Dolphins vs. Jets at 3 p.m. ET via Twitch and Prime Video on Friday.
How to watch Thanksgiving football games
All three national NFL broadcasters in the United States are in on the Thanksgiving football schedule for 2023, one game for each. Here’s how you can tap into each with cheap streaming services. Further down, we’ll show you what NFL teams are playing on Thanksgiving, which channel these games are on, how to stream these Thanksgiving football games, and how to access these streaming services using a VPN if you aren’t in the US.
- Fox shows Packers vs. Lions at 12:30 p.m. ET. You can tune into Fox via Sling Blue, which is currently offering your first month of service for $20, a 50% discount on the regular price. Sling Blue also includes NBC, meaning you can watch two of the day’s games by signing up.
- CBS is airing Commanders vs. Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. ET. Sadly, CBS isn’t available on Sling, so you’ll need a separate service to stream this game if you can’t catch it on TV. Paramount Plus offers you the cheapest way to access it with a $5.99 monthly cost.
- NBC has coverage of the 49ers vs. Seahawks game at 8:20 p.m. ET. NBC is available on Sling Blue, but you can also catch the game live on its streaming service Peacock, which starts at $5.99.
If you’re not interested in hopping from app to app, you’ll want an all-inclusive live TV streaming service like Fubo (currently $55 for your first two months) or Hulu + Live TV ($76.99). These are much more expensive, but you’ll have all the necessary channels in one place.
How to watch Thursday Night Football on Black Friday
This is a little oxymoronic but fun—the typical Thursday Night Football game will air on Black Friday this week. It’s late enough in the day that you can sit back and browse through our roundup of Black Friday deals before settling in to watch the game.
If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can tune into Prime Video to watch the Jets vs. Dolphins game. Just head to Amazon’s TNF page during game time. Even better, Thursday Night Football also simulcasts on the Prime Video Twitch channel for free. Navigate to the page during the game’s airtime, and you’ll be set. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
Watch NFL Thanksgiving games from anywhere
If you’re outside of the US, then a VPN can help unlock these streaming options. This tool lets you trick sites into thinking you’re visiting from within a supported country. If you can procure a US postal code and payment method, you can use the VPN to connect, sign up for an account, and pay for a subscription to access these games as if you live in the country.
Need a recommendation? There’s a fantastic offer on the best VPN we’ve tested. Insiders have been using ExpressVPN for years for streaming and beefing up our online security. You can pick up ExpressVPN, save 49% on the usual price, and get three months for free. If you’re unsatisfied, there’s a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Want to know more about the app? We’ve got you covered with a detailed ExpressVPN review.
How to watch Thanksgiving football games with a VPN
Twitch is usually freely accessible for everyone, but if you live outside the US, you may encounter restrictions watching Thursday Night Football on its Prime Video channel. You might be able to watch the game through the main Amazon Prime Video service from outside the US with a VPN, though. We’ll show you how to access these options internationally using a VPN.
- Sign up for a VPN if you don’t have one.
- Install it on the device you’re using to watch the games.
- Turn it on and set it to a US location.
- Go to the streaming service that has the games you want to watch.
- Sign up with a US postal code and payment method if required.
- Watch the games of interest featured above.
What NFL teams are playing on Thanksgiving?
- Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions – 12:30 p.m. ET
- Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys – 4:30 p.m. ET
- San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks – 8:20 p.m. ET
What are the Thanksgiving football game channels?
In order of play: Packers vs. Lions will be shown on Fox, Commanders vs. Cowboys is on CBS, and we end the day with the 49ers vs. Seahawks on NBC. Full details of accessing these channels are at the top of this guide.
If you want to stay up-to-date on full viewing options for the whole season, check out our dedicated NFL live stream guide, which runs through all the available channels and bundle options for every game.
