Football fans: Your guide to watching games across TV channels, apps this season

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

Football season is ramping up fast – and this fall, fans will need to dial in on all the ways to watch their favorite games.

“NFL games will run on more than 10 channels and streaming platforms this season,” said Midco’s vice president of residential sales Cory Lichty.

“So whether you’re trying to follow your favorite team or keep tabs on your fantasy players, you’ll want to assess your services now to make sure you’re ready to watch come game day.”

Here’s a quick rundown of where to find the games:

• Typical Sunday/Monday games: Most NFL games will air on ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network.
• Thursday Night Football: These games will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
• Regional college football: Midco Sports® remains the exclusive partner for SDSU, USD and UND football coverage – aside from select championship games – and you can catch Augustana on Midco Sports Plus®.
• Select football games: Some games will stream exclusively on Peacock.
• NBC/CBS games: If your game is on NBC or CBS, you’ll also be able to stream it live on Peacock or Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, respectively.
• Christmas Day: New this year, Netflix will be the home to games Dec. 25, with a three-season deal to stream at least one holiday game through 2026.

“It’s a lot to keep track of, but for Midco customers, we can connect you with the right package to ensure you can watch or stream all your football content,” Lichty said.

“Plus, know that games can switch networks even midseason, so we’re committed to helping you keep up and encourage you to follow up on social media where we post schedule changes for regional teams.”

How to watch

It all starts with your chosen TV package – and there’s one for everyone from the casual fan to the football fanatic.

• MidcoTV 1: All the basics are here. Watch ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, which will bring you the majority of NFL games and many popular college ones.
• MidcoTV 3: The major networks are here, plus Midco Sports and ESPN for additional options and, of course, plenty of insider content and commentary. You also can add the Midco Sports Pack at this level, which includes NFL Network.
• MidcoTV 4: Build your options with this package, which includes NFL Network standard and gives the option to add not just Midco Sports Pack but also the Variety Pack, which includes NFL RedZone for premium viewing of all games in progress. Bonus: You’ll also find lots of additional college football.

“No matter which package you choose, MidcoTV makes it easy to switch from live TV to any of your apps, which is especially necessary for this year’s football season,” Lichty said.

“All you have to do is connect your streaming or music apps to your MidcoTV, and then you never worry about switching inputs on your TV – it’s all done through your Midco platform.”

Plus, with more than 3,000 apps available on Google Play, all your sports-viewing favorites will be found in one place.

Keep up anywhere

Weekends can get busy, but Midco still is there for your sports viewing on the go.

“With our TV Everywhere service, you can log in from your phone or tablet and catch your game wherever you go,” Lichty said.

Plus, those battles for TV time within your own household are over thanks to the MidcoTV app to watch from any device while on your Wi-Fi network.

To get started or enhance your MidcoTV service, click here.