Yes, but only certain games and only with a paid subscription

Paramount Plus carries Thursday Night Football, a package of 15 NFL games per season that air live on Thursday evenings during the regular season and playoffs. You cannot watch Sunday, Monday, or most other weekday games on Paramount Plus — those air on other networks. You need a paid Paramount Plus subscription; the free tier does not include live sports.

The Thursday Night Football package moved to Paramount Plus in 2022 after years on other platforms. Games stream live during their broadcast window and are available on-demand afterward for subscribers. Paramount Plus also carries NFL-related shows like The Insiders and Inside the NFL, but these are analysis and recap programs, not live games.

Key Takeaways

  • Paramount Plus streams Thursday Night Football live during the regular season and playoffs, but no other NFL games.
  • You must pay for a Paramount Plus subscription to watch; the free ad-supported tier does not include live sports.
  • Games are available to stream on-demand after they air, so you can watch on your own schedule if you miss the live broadcast.
  • If you want to watch Sunday or Monday games, you will need subscriptions to other services like ESPN Plus, Amazon Prime Video, or traditional cable.

What subscription tier you need for Thursday Night Football

Both Paramount Plus subscription tiers — the ad-supported plan and the ad-free plan — include Thursday Night Football. The difference is that the ad-supported version shows commercials during games, while the ad-free version does not. Both cost less than a full cable package and both give you access to the same live games.

Paramount Plus also offers a bundle with Showtime, which includes the same sports access as the base subscription. If you already subscribe to Paramount Plus for other content, you already have access to Thursday Night Football at no extra cost.

How to find and watch a Thursday Night Football game

Open the Paramount Plus app or website and look for the Sports section, or search for "Thursday Night Football" directly. During the season, upcoming games appear prominently on the home screen. Select the game you want to watch, and the stream will begin at the scheduled start time.

You can watch on any device that supports Paramount Plus: phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, streaming devices like Roku or Apple TV, and gaming consoles. The stream quality depends on your internet connection; Paramount Plus recommends at least 5 Mbps for HD streaming and 25 Mbps for 4K, though most games stream in HD.

If you miss the live broadcast, games remain available on-demand in the Paramount Plus library for the rest of the season. You can rewatch them without spoilers if you avoid the home screen, which often displays scores and highlights.

Which games are available and when they air

Thursday Night Football runs from September through January during the NFL regular season. Paramount Plus carries 15 games per season, which is roughly one game per week. The exact schedule changes year to year, but games typically start at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday evenings.

Paramount Plus also streams playoff games that fall on Thursday, though the number and timing depend on the playoff bracket. You can find the full schedule on the Paramount Plus app or on the NFL's official website, which lists which network carries each game.

Other NFL games you cannot watch on Paramount Plus

Sunday games air on CBS, Fox, and the NFL Network. Monday Night Football airs on ESPN. Wednesday games (rare) air on NFL Network. Amazon Prime Video carries Thursday Night Football as well, but Paramount Plus is the primary streaming home. If you want to watch all NFL games, you need multiple subscriptions or a cable package that includes these channels.

Some games are also available through the NFL Plus subscription service, which offers out-of-market games and condensed replays, but not the primetime Thursday, Sunday, or Monday broadcasts that most fans want to watch.

Internet and device requirements

You need a stable internet connection to stream without buffering. Paramount Plus recommends 5 Mbps for standard HD and 25 Mbps for 4K, though most people stream games successfully on connections between 10 and 20 Mbps. If your internet cuts out during a game, you can resume from where you left off when the connection returns.

Paramount Plus works on most modern devices: iPhones and iPads, Android phones and tablets, Windows and Mac computers, Samsung and LG smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X/S. Older devices may not support the app or may have slower performance.

Cost comparison with other ways to watch NFL games

A Paramount Plus subscription costs between $6 and $12 per month depending on the tier and whether you pay monthly or annually. For Thursday Night Football alone, this is cheaper than adding cable channels. However, if you want to watch all NFL games, you will need multiple subscriptions.

ESPN Plus costs $11 per month and includes some NFL content and analysis but not live primetime games. Amazon Prime Video costs $15 per month or $139 per year and also carries Thursday Night Football (Paramount Plus and Amazon share the broadcast rights). Cable packages that include CBS, Fox, ESPN, and NFL Network typically cost $50 to $150 per month depending on your provider and location. A combination of Paramount Plus, ESPN Plus, and Amazon Prime Video costs roughly $30 to $40 per month and covers most games, though you will still miss some regional broadcasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I watch Thursday Night Football on Paramount Plus without paying?

No. The free ad-supported tier of Paramount Plus does not include live sports. You must pay for either the ad-supported or ad-free subscription to stream Thursday Night Football. Both paid tiers include the same games.

Do I need a cable login to watch NFL games on Paramount Plus?

No. You only need a Paramount Plus subscription. You do not need to sign in with a cable provider account. This is one reason Paramount Plus is cheaper than cable for watching Thursday Night Football.

Can I watch NFL games on Paramount Plus outside the United States?

Paramount Plus availability varies by country. In Canada, some games are available through CTV and TSN. In other countries, NFL games may not be available on Paramount Plus at all. Check your local Paramount Plus app to see what sports content is offered in your region.

What happens if the internet cuts out during a game?

Paramount Plus saves your position in the stream. When your connection returns, you can resume from where you left off. If the outage lasts until after the game ends, you can watch the full game on-demand later.

Can I watch Thursday Night Football on Paramount Plus on multiple devices at the same time?

The number of simultaneous streams depends on your subscription tier. Most Paramount Plus plans allow 2 to 4 concurrent streams, so you and family members can watch on different devices at the same time, though not necessarily the same game on multiple screens.