Unlocking NFL 2025: How to stream games from overseas

The 2025 NFL season begins on Thursday, September 4, and will run until January 4, 2025. All in all, there’ll be 272 games to look forward to before the playoffs and the match everyone’s waiting for: Super Bowl LX. Here’s the best part: you can stream all of the action live online from anywhere (without cable too!). Take a look below to find out how.

Note that this post will only be recommending official NFL streams. These provide the highest quality video, and there’s no need to worry about the stream dropping out partway through. Besides, there are plenty of legitimate ways to watch the 2025 NFL season, which makes unauthorized streams effectively pointless.

NFL matches will only be shown on geo-blocked streaming platforms. This means that if you’re traveling abroad, you’ll need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to regain access to your usual channels.

How to stream NFL games from anywhere with a VPN

VPNs enhance your privacy by encrypting your internet traffic, but they’re also great for accessing your usual region-locked streaming services while traveling. And they’re not difficult to use. Just follow the steps below and you’ll be watching games from overseas in no time.

Here’s how to watch the 2025 NFL season from anywhere:

1. Start by registering for a suitable VPN. We recommend NordVPN, but Surfshark and IPVanish are strong alternatives.
2. Next, download the VPN software, making sure to get the right version for your operating system.
3. Decide which of the sources below you’d like to use. Note that most will require you to have a payment method linked to a local address, so this method is for those with a subscription who are traveling abroad.
4. Connect to a server in the appropriate country. For example, you’d use a US server to unblock ESPN or a UK server for BBC iPlayer.
5. Try loading content from the site. You should find that it loads almost instantly. If you’re still getting an error message, clear your cookies and cache, then reload the page and try again.

It’s important you attempt the steps above before the event you want to watch begins. This gives you plenty of time to contact your VPN’s support team should any issues arise without missing the start of the game.

Where to watch NFL games live online

The NFL is huge in the USA but has fans all over the world. This means NFL coverage will be available in many countries worldwide. Take a look at our country-specific guides below to find out where you can watch all the action live.

USA

The good news is that in America, you can watch every NFL fixture live online. The bad news is that each game will be on one of six different networks. Once you memorize the schedule, however, it’s not that bad. Here’s a breakdown:

• Monday night games: ESPN
• Thursday night games: Amazon Prime Video
• Sunday afternoon AFC games: CBS, Paramount Plus (Premium only)
• Sunday afternoon NFC games: FOX
• Sunday night: NBC and Peacock
• International Series: NFL Network

There’s one other thing of note: if a game is exclusive to the NFL Network or ESPN, it will also air on local TV stations in the regions that the playing teams are from. If you already get these services as part of your cable package, you’ll be able to watch at no extra cost.

However, if you don’t have cable, there are a couple of over-the-top streaming services that will allow you to watch. First, FuboTV carries all of the above channels and costs $84.99 USD per month. YouTube TV is very slightly cheaper, at $82.99 per month, and offers the same content as FuboTV.

The least expensive option, though, is Sling TV: the Orange and Blue subscription costs $60.99 per month and lets you live stream ESPN, FOX, NFL Network, and NBC.

It’s worth noting that the channels above will only be providing English-language commentary. Spanish broadcasts are split between Universo, ESPN Deportes, and Telemundo Deportes. The first two of these channels are part of a standalone Spanish TV plan ($34.99/month) or as an add-on ($14.99) if you’re already subscribed to YouTube TV’s base plan. Alternatively, Sling TV has the same channels in its Latino plan which costs $10/month.

The games will be geo-blocked, so you will need a VPN to gain a US IP address and connect to your usual home streaming services while traveling abroad. NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.

UK

British NFL fans have several options for streaming the 2025 NFL season. The first is Sky Sports. If you’re already a Sky subscriber, you can add the required sports channels and watch live on the Sky Go app.

Additionally, two Sunday evening games will be broadcast each week for free. The first, at 6 PM on 5, and the second at 9 PM on 5ACTION. You can stream both of these channels via the 5 streaming service.

Want to watch the NFL without cable? The easiest way is with NFL Game Pass on DAZN. You can get a year’s access for £169.99. With it, you’ll have access to every game, including the playoffs and Super Bowl.

You can also sign into Sky Sports with a Now TV subscription, but you’ll only be able to watch selected games from the NFL season instead of the full roster Sky Sports offers. This is also a fairly expensive way to watch, as a monthly pass costs £34.99.

Brits traveling abroad will need a VPN to gain a UK IP address and resume watching these services when they are overseas.

France

France has two official NFL broadcasters: M6 and beIN Sports. M6 has obtained the free-to-air rights and will show 18 regular season matches live on its streaming service, 6play. This service is free-to-use, and its premium subscriptions aren’t necessary to stream NFL games.

beIN, on the other hand, will show every fixture live and allows users to watch previous games on-demand. Prices start at €15 a month, and unlike in previous years, this won’t lock you into a long-term contract.

beIN Sports regularly covers major sporting events in different languages and has several French-language channels. While there’s no guarantee that the NFL will have French commentary, it does seem likely. Once again, to access your home streaming services from abroad, you’ll need to use a VPN to gain a French IP address from abroad.

Other locations

The mini-guides above are far from an exhaustive list of NFL sources. If your country isn’t mentioned, there’s still a good chance you’ll be able to watch live. Just check out the full list of international NFL broadcasters to find official sources in your region.

Remember that if in doubt, you can always try NFL Game Pass on DAZN. This sports streaming platform is available in most countries. However, it is known to have strict VPN blocking in place, which makes it difficult to stream content while traveling abroad.

Can I stream the NFL with a free VPN?

Although free VPNs may appear to be an easy way to stay safe online, we strongly advise avoiding them. First and foremost, they aren’t suitable for streaming: with more users than premium services yet fewer servers, you can expect intermittent connections and choppy, stuttering video, if it buffers at all. These problems only worsen with live HD video, which requires relatively fast speeds to watch. Also, some free VPNs impose monthly data limits, so it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to watch as much of the NFL as you’d like.

There’s another issue: free VPNs have a history of misleading their users. For example, there are dozens of free Android “VPNs” that attempt to install malware and don’t encrypt any traffic whatsoever. We’ve also seen cases where a free VPN provider has abused the trust of its users, including one where users were unwittingly contributing to a botnet. To protect yourself and your personal information, we recommend using a reputable VPN that puts the privacy of its users first.

2025/26 NFL schedule

Watching NFL games overseas: FAQs