How to Watch Thursday Night Football for Free: Live Stream

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more The end of the 2023 NFL regular season nears, and we're starting to get a clearer idea of who has the depth and tenacity to make deep playoff runs. The remainder of the Thursday Night Football schedule doesn't have a glut

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The end of the 2023 NFL regular season nears, and we're starting to get a clearer idea of who has the depth and tenacity to make deep playoff runs. The remainder of the Thursday Night Football schedule doesn't have a glut of games that will heavily impact playoff implications, Chargers vs. Raiders tonight, for example, but football is football, and what better way to get psyched up before a weekend of football? Follow along with this quick guide on how to watch Thursday Night Football for free.

Amazon is the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football games in 2023, with Al Michaels on play-by-play commentary joining analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Kaylee Hartung has sideline reporting duties.

Amazon Prime subscribers can tune in on the web and smart devices as part of their membership, with a special Prime Vision broadcast available that shows analysis, statistics, and real-time game insights using the power of AI. You can also watch for free online via Twitch, and if you live in one of the markets where the teams are playing, you can tap into local broadcasts via Fox.

What channel is Thursday Night Football on?

If you're in the US, Thursday Night Football streams exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the United States. The latest game will always air on Amazon's TNF page. Thursday Night Football also simulcasts on the Prime Video Twitch channelfor free. Navigate to the page during the game's airtime, and you'll be set. Pre-game coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET, with Charissa Thompson, Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Richard Sherman offering insights and analysis. Kickoff starts promptly at 8:15 p.m. ET.

The Twitch stream is your best bet if you'd rather not pay and don't mind the detour. It'll show the full broadcast, from pre-game to the final whistle.

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. However, your best bet for TNF seems to be Prime Video. We were able to get a UK Prime subscription to show last week's game when putting a VPN on. Twitch, on the other hand, was able to detect our VPNs, and we couldn't access the live feed internationally - that's super rare as we can usually access any site via a VPN from anywhere. 

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In the US, if you'd rather tune in via Prime Video, you'll need an Amazon Prime subscription, which costs $14.99 monthly or $139 yearly after a free 30-day trial. Once signed up, head back to Amazon's Thursday Night Football page to tune in. You can also catch the game from Amazon Prime Video apps on smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming sticks, and gaming consoles.

NFL+ is a viable alternative. For $6.99 per month, you'll have access to all local and prime time NFL games on smartphones and tablets. That rules out devices like laptops and gaming consoles, but there are ways to connect your mobile devices to your TV to mirror whatever's playing. Look into HDMI cables designed for smartphones or an Apple TV to stream your iPad or iPhone to your TV using AirPlay.

There's one last option for viewers living in the cities of the two teams playing. Fox broadcasts Thursday Night Football locally in both markets, so you can tune in using an over-the-air antenna, your cable service, or a live TV streaming service like Sling Blue.

How to watch Thursday Night Football for free

Twitch is usually freely accessible for everyone, but if you live outside the US, you may encounter restrictions watching Thursday Night Football on the Prime Video channel. You might be able to watch the game through subscription services like Amazon Prime Video. We'll show you how to access these options internationally using a VPN ahead.

  • Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
  • Install it on the device you're using to watch the game.
  • Turn it on and set it to a US location.
  • Go to Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime.
  • Watch Thursday Night Football.
  • Pre-game coverage starts: 7 p.m. ET / 11 p.m. GMT / 7 a.m. AWST (Friday).

Here's a list of all remaining Thursday Night Football games for the 2023 NFL season. The broadcast starts each week with pre-game commentary at 7 p.m. ET before the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. 

  • Week 15: Chargers at Raiders, Dec. 14 (free on Twitch)
  • Week 16: Saints at Rams, Dec. 21 (free on Twitch)
  • Week 17: Jets at Browns, Dec. 28 (free on Twitch)

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

Quentyn Kennemer

Editorial Fellow

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