What Football You Can Watch on Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus carries NFL games on Thursday nights and some playoff games, along with college football from the SEC (Southeastern Conference). The specific games available depend on your subscription tier and your location in the United States.
The service does not carry every NFL game or every college football matchup. If you want to watch a particular team or game, you need to check Paramount Plus's schedule before game day — the channel listings change week to week, and some games air on other networks instead.
Paramount Plus also carries some international soccer and rugby, but the focus here is domestic football. If you are looking for NFL Sunday games, Monday Night Football, or games on other networks, you will need a different service or cable subscription.
Key Takeaways
- Paramount Plus shows NFL Thursday Night Football and some playoff games, but not all NFL games or every week of the season.
- College football from the SEC conference is available, though not every SEC game airs on Paramount Plus.
- You need either the Paramount Plus with Ads or Premium tier to watch; the Essential tier does not include live sports.
- Check the Paramount Plus schedule before game day, because which games air where changes week to week.
- If the game you want is not on Paramount Plus, it may be on CBS, ESPN, ABC, or another network instead.
NFL Thursday Night Football on Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus holds the rights to Thursday Night Football during the NFL regular season. This means most Thursday night games air on the service, though some weeks may have exceptions or blackout restrictions based on your location.
To watch, you log into your Paramount Plus account on a phone, tablet, computer, or connected TV device. The game streams live during the broadcast, and you can also watch replays after the game ends if you miss the live showing.
Playoff games in January are not may provide on Paramount Plus. Some playoff matchups air on CBS, NBC, or Fox instead. If you want to watch the Super Bowl, it typically airs on CBS, not Paramount Plus, though that can change year to year.
College Football and SEC Games
Paramount Plus carries college football games from the SEC, which includes teams like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Texas. Not every SEC game airs on Paramount Plus — some games air on ESPN, ABC, or the SEC Network instead.
The SEC schedule is released before the season starts, so you can see which games are on Paramount Plus ahead of time. During bowl season in December and early January, some bowl games may also appear on the service.
If you follow a specific college team, check the conference schedule to see which games air where. A team's full schedule usually lists the broadcast network for each game.
Which Paramount Plus Subscription Tier Includes Sports
You need either Paramount Plus with Ads or Paramount Plus Premium to watch live sports. The Essential tier does not include live sports content, only on-demand shows and movies.
Both the Ads and Premium tiers carry the same live sports — the difference is that the Ads tier shows commercials during games, while Premium does not. Premium also removes ads from shows and movies.
If you already have a Paramount Plus subscription, log in and check your account settings to see which tier you have. You can upgrade from Essential to either Ads or Premium at any time.
How to Find the Football Schedule on Paramount Plus
Open the Paramount Plus app or website and look for the Sports section. From there, you can browse upcoming games by sport, date, or team. The schedule shows which games are coming up and when they air.
You can also search for a specific team name to see all their games on Paramount Plus for the season. If a game does not appear in the Paramount Plus schedule, it is airing on a different network that week.
Set reminders for games you want to watch. Most streaming apps let you bookmark or favorite a game so you get a notification before it starts.
Watching on Different Devices
Paramount Plus works on phones, tablets, computers, and connected TV devices like Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and Samsung Smart TVs. read the Paramount Plus app on your device, log in with your account, and navigate to the game.
If you are watching on a phone or tablet, you can cast the stream to a TV using Chromecast or AirPlay, depending on your device. This lets you watch on a bigger screen without needing the app on your TV itself.
Internet speed matters for live sports. A connection of at least 5 Mbps is recommended for standard video quality, and 25 Mbps or higher for 4K if your device supports it. If the stream keeps buffering, move closer to your router or reduce the number of devices using your internet.
What to Do If Your Game Is Not on Paramount Plus
If the game you want to watch is not on Paramount Plus, check which network is broadcasting it. NFL games air on CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video depending on the day and time. College football games air on ESPN, ABC, the SEC Network, and other conference networks.
Some games require cable or a cable login to watch. Others are on free-to-air networks like CBS or NBC, which you can watch with an antenna if you live in a broadcast area. Check your local TV listings or the team's official website to see where the game airs.
If you want to watch multiple networks' games, consider a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, or Sling TV. These services carry more sports networks than Paramount Plus alone, though they cost more per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cable to watch football on Paramount Plus?
No. Paramount Plus is a standalone streaming service. You do not need a cable subscription to watch NFL Thursday Night Football or SEC college football on it. You only need a Paramount Plus account with the Ads or Premium tier.
Can I watch NFL games on Sunday with Paramount Plus?
No. Paramount Plus does not carry Sunday NFL games. Sunday games air on CBS, Fox, and ESPN depending on the week. Thursday Night Football is the main NFL offering on Paramount Plus.
Are there blackouts on Paramount Plus football games?
Some games may be blacked out in certain regions, though this is less common for streaming than for cable. If a game is blacked out in your area, you will see a message when you try to watch. Check the Paramount Plus help section for your specific location.
Can I watch football games on Paramount Plus if I am outside the United States?
Paramount Plus is primarily available in the United States. If you are outside the US, the service may not be available or may not carry the same sports content. Check whether Paramount Plus operates in your country before signing up.
What happens if I miss a live game on Paramount Plus?
Most games are available to watch on demand after they air live. You can usually find replays in the app within a few hours of the game ending. Some games may have a delay before the replay becomes available.