You might have to pull out your wallet to watch Monday’s NFL game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals.
The Chargers vs. Cardinals game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+, but you can’t access it without a subscription.
Monday’s other game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be broadcast on more traditional locations, including ABC, ESPN, and ESPN Deportes.
ESPN+ subscription
ESPN+ charges a monthly or yearly fee, similar to Peacock and Amazon Prime Video.
An ESPN+ subscription costs $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year.
ESPN+ subscriptions cost $14.99 per month when bundled with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu.
According to Sporting News, there is no ESPN+ free trial offer in place at this time.
Sports on ESPN+
NFL fans who follow other sports may already subscribe to ESPN+ because it plays a huge role in the media landscape, and that role is only increasing.
Many NHL games are played behind a paywall on ESPN+, as well as some college football games every weekend.
According to the Washington Post, Caitlin Clark’s first WNBA game was streamed exclusively on ESPN+.
Although ESPN+ is part of the ABC/ESPN family, the article states that live broadcasts from ESPN and ABC are generally not available on ESPN+.
Streaming the NFL
NFL fans may already be paying for many other streaming services as well, as the NFL league has granted exclusive broadcast rights to streaming services multiple times in recent seasons.
As it stands, nearly all Thursday night NFL games are only available on Amazon Prime Video.
Peacock was the only home of the playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins last season, and the only place to watch the Week 1 game between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles this fall. It was.
As The Athletic reported earlier this year, Netflix has exclusive rights to two NFL games on Christmas Day 2024: Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers and Ravens vs. Houston Texans.
Streaming controversy surrounding the NFL
The NFL’s move to a streaming service was met with opposition from NFL players.
In January, prior to the Chiefs-Dolphins game at the Peacock, a Chiefs defensive end posted to X that it was “insane” for the team to play exclusively at the Peacock, the Deseret News reported at the time. Ta.
NFL executives, then and now, have responded positively to criticism, insisting that the league needs to evolve to continue connecting with fans.
“As media consumption habits evolve, the NFL continues to work with partners to deliver games to the digital platforms where fans are increasingly spending their time,” said Hans, NFL executive vice president of media distribution. Schroeder said in March. post. “The ratings success of both Prime Video’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ and last season’s historic Wild Card Game on Peacocks is a strong indicator that our streaming offerings are resonating with fans. It’s an indicator.”
