You need these streaming plans to catch every Steelers game this season
There has been a lot said over the last few months about the NFL and catching games on various providers. While some fans aren’t thrilled over the idea of streaming media, it’s never been easier to catch all of your favorite team’s games, provided you know where to look.
And looking is half of the battle for Steelers fans! With flex scheduling, regional territories, primetime games, and premium subscription offerings, knowing when and where to tune in can be a daunting task. Let’s take a look at some legal options available in order to catch every single Steelers game on TV this season.
The Steelers Schedule
This is the easy one folks. If you take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 schedule you will see the network provider is listed with each game.
In the case of this Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Steelers fans will be able to tune into FOX at 1:00 PM on Sunday. But there’s more to it than that.
Local TV Games
For fans living in the broadcast vicinity of Pittsburgh local stations, you can tune in to any network broadcast (CBS or FOX) with no issue. Unless the game were to be blacked out, something that hasn’t occurred in my lifetime, local fans will get to watch every game that’s aired on CBS or FOX on Sundays. Games that are also on one of the premium offerings, such as Netflix, are still simulcast on one of the local Pittsburgh stations.
Simply put: if you live in Pittsburgh, the rest of this article shouldn’t affect your viewing habits unless you cannot receive one of the local channels.
Local fans can use an antenna to receive network TV broadcast signals for free. Others may opt to use their cable TV package or equivalent for these local channels. Streaming TV replacements such as Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, and YouTube TV traditionally carry these channels too. Paramount Plus also carries CBS produced games in local markets.
It becomes a bit more difficult if you are not receiving local Pittsburgh channels however. That’s because every NFL team has territory rights to broadcast through specific local stations. Also, CBS and FOX alternate which network carries a doubleheader (two games in the same day) every other Sunday.
The 506sports.com website is a great resource for the local coverage maps in your area each week. Here is an example of one of their TV maps, which typically get posted in the middle of each week before the games are played:
Now you can see why it may be difficult for some fans to catch each Steelers game if they aren’t in the immediate Pittsburgh area. Nearby markets may broadcast the Browns, Bengals, or even the Ravens in lieu of the Steelers due to local rights.
The only way to guarantee you’ll see every Sunday afternoon game is to signup for NFL Sunday Ticket (through YouTube TV) or watch the game through the NFL+ service. Both are paid subscriptions with various levels of pricing, and NFL+ is live on through mobile devices such as phones or tablets. In order to watch NFL+ on a Smart TV, you must wait for the replay that’s posted upon the conclusion of the game.
Keep in mind, however, NFL Sunday Ticket gives you every game, so long as it’s played in the 1pm or 4pm windows on CBS or FOX. For primetime games, fans are going to need additional options. Many of these options are available with monthly fees and there is no long-term commitments or contracts. You can subscribe and leave at anytime, including paying for one month just to view the game you’re interested in (and another else that may be available on that platform.)
Sunday Night Football: NBC/Peacock
Week 5 (Cowboys), Week 7 (Jets)
The good news is, in order to watch NBC’s Sunday Night Football you just need to have access to a local NBC affiliate. Sunday Night games are broadcast nationally and do not adhere to the crazy regional maps like the one shown above. NBC is available via antenna or cable providers, just as CBS and FOX are.
Alternatively, if you cannot receive NBC on your TV for any reason, the games are also streamed via Peacock. (Which requires an additional fee.)
Monday Night Football: ESPN
Week 8 (Giants)
ESPN is still a giant in the land of sports broadcasting and carries exclusive rights to Monday Night Football games. Over the last few seasons, ESPN has simulcast these nationally broadcasted games on their sister network ABC.
That’s good news for football fans as it has the same requirements as viewing CBS, FOX, or NBC. If you have rabbit ears, you can receive ABC. If you have a cable-like TV provider with ESPN, then you won’t have an issue catching MNF.
However, be aware that Disney’s ESPN+ offering does not include the standard ESPN channels. You will need “cable” in order to get the real ESPN and MNF games.
Thursday Night Football: Amazon Prime
Week 12 (Browns)
Amazon Prime is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football games. If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, the you’re in luck: the Prime Video app is included and these games are available to you at no extra charge.
For others, Prime Video or a monthly Amazon subscription will be your best option to watch these games.
Christmas Day: Netflix
Week 17 (Chiefs)
As part of a new exclusive contract with the NFL, Netflix will broadcast two games on Christmas Day starting with this season.
Chances are, if you’ve been streaming video for some time, you will have had a Netflix subscription – or still do. Otherwise, the same additional cost for a monthly subscription applies.
How To Watch
The NFL hasn’t made this particularly easy either. As noted, for those who want to watch live games on their large HDTVs, NFL Sunday Ticket becomes the primary option if you’re not in the Pittsburgh area. You will also need access to at least ESPN, Amazon Prime, and/or Netflix for three of the Steelers 17 regular season games.
A number of devices can connect your TV with these streaming platforms, such as a Roku, Fire Stick, Chromecast, Apple TV, Xbox or PlayStation. Some apps are built into TVs also.
For watching on the go, Sunday Ticket is joined by NFL+. As noted above, NFL+ only shows live games on mobile devices (such as a phone or tablet.) NFL+ does not allow you to “cast” live games to a TV but you can use the aforementioned devices to watch replays, utilizing NFL+ as a DVR.
