Tag Archives: OTA

1. Streaming Services, 3. TV Antennas, 5. How to Watch

5 Ways to Watch NFL Football without Cable TV

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How to Watch Football Without Cable

NFL Online, OTA, & on Your Mobile Device

Did I say 5 Ways to Watch? Ohh sorry, I meant 13 Ways to Watch Football Without Cable. Sorry if you were expecting the bare minimum.

In an effort to capture the interest of Cord Cutters and Cord Nevers, the NFL has made watching football without a cable TV subscription easier than ever. With new ways to stream local and primetime games online and on your mobile device, 2018 is shaping up to be the best year ever to watch NFL without a cable subscription.

With a multitude of solutions including OTA Antennas, Amazon Prime, Yahoo Sports Mobile App, Twitch, NFL Mobile App, Fubo TV, Sling TV and several more; there is no longer a reason to pay the high price of cable TV. 

how to watch nfl without cable

It’s the most wonderful time of the year; the summer heat is slowly gaining, and NFL football has finally returned. For the cord cutting sports fan, it has never been easier to watch your favorite team without having to buy some expensive package from the cable companies.

To make sure you don’t miss a game this season, here’s how you can watch the NFL without cable.

But before we get into all the different ways to watch, I will briefly go over TV channel lineups, our NFL Streaming Matrix, weekly key match-ups,  and the Thursday Night Football schedule.

The Channels You Need to Watch NFL Games Without Cable

When building out your cord-cutting arsenal, the first thing you need to know is what channels NFL games air on in 2018. Once you know what channels you need access too, you can build out a package that plugs all the holes, providing you a complete solution.

Thursday Night Football

TNF airs on a few different channels, depending on the week (NFL Network, FOX, & Amazon Prime (press release). Check out a complete Thursday Night Football TV schedule below. >> 2018 TNF Schedule

In 2017 Amazon Prime streamed 11 TNF games, and in 2016 Twitter streamed 10 games. Neither the NFL or Amazon has announced the streaming rights for the 2018 Thursday Night Football, but some have reported that the first game will Week 4, Sept. 27: Vikings at Rams.

Sunday Football

Sunday Football airs on NBC, CBS, and FOX. Plus you have the NFL RedZone Channel, which offers nonstop coverage of every red zone drive in real time. >> 2018 NFL Schedule

Monday Night Football

MNF airs exclusively on ESPN >> 2018 MNF Schedule

Continue reading 5 Ways to Watch NFL Football without Cable TV →

1. Streaming Services, 2. Streaming Devices

Cut the Cord but Keep your Fantasy Football Team

How to win your Fantasy Football League Without an Expensive Cable TV Bill

When it comes to the world of football, there are football fans and then there are fantasy football fans. For those of you unfamiliar, fantasy football is essentially a game within a game where fans make virtual rosters of real NFL players and pit them off against other teams using stats from each week of NFL play.

It’s an incredibly addictive way to watch sports; and when you’re in a league of your own, missing a week is simply not an option. If you love fantasy football, but you need a way to cut costs, keep reading because you have come to the right place. 

Continue reading Cut the Cord but Keep your Fantasy Football Team →

1. Streaming Services, 4. The Future of TV

What is Stadium? (Previously 120 Sports)

Stadium is a Digital Broadcast Network Dedicated to Sports Commentary and News

“Stadium is a multi-platform sports network that brings together exclusive live games, extensive highlights and daily studio programming. Welcome to the Game.”

StadiumWhen it comes to sports news and highlights, the vast majority of sports fans turn to ESPN for their information, but that’s slowly changing. In the quest for a better cable TV alternative, cord cutters have searched for or created their own apps and services that provide the sports news that you desire.

One such app that’s trying to disrupt that paradigm is Stadium, a digital broadcast network dedicated to sports commentary and news; which officially launched on June 25, 2014. Backed by an amalgam of different companies (Time Inc, Sports Illustrated, MLBAM, the NHL, the PGA TOUR, Campus Insiders and Silver Chalice), Stadium has various deals with the different professional sports leagues; which allows it to have access to the highly copyrighted footage that comes from all of America’s favorite games.

What’s on Stadium

Continue reading What is Stadium? (Previously 120 Sports) →

1. Streaming Services, 5. How to Watch

Watching Television in Spanish without Cable

Cord Cutting Guide for Spanish TV Content

spanish tv streaming

Hola cortadores de cable de compañeros, cómo estás? 

Whether you’re just looking for entertainment in your native language or just someone looking for a little practice, it can be hard to find Spanish language content on television. Despite having to pay hundreds of dollars a month to cable providers, the number of Spanish language channels is few and far between.

If the dearth of Spanish language content on cable television has you thinking that your options would be even worse if you cut the cord, then set your mind at ease. Not only is there a wide selection of Spanish language content online, it often costs a lot less than cable.

Today we’re going to take a look at how you can cut the cord and still get all the Spanish language television and film that you crave. Let’s get started! Continue reading Watching Television in Spanish without Cable →

5. How to Watch

Can I Watch NASCAR Online?

How to Watch NASCAR Without Cable

From Online to Over-the-AirWatch NASCAR Online

If there is one group of sports fan that gets often overlooked, it’s NASCAR fans. Thirty years ago, all you needed to do to catch a race was to turn on your TV, wiggle your antenna, and tune in to whatever race happened to be on that week. But in the age of cable television, we have more races on more channels than ever before; and sadly most of them require a cable subscription to watch.

But luckily for us, the cord cutting revolution has come along and given us a whole new way to watch television; and it doesn’t require having to sign up for cable.

If you’re a NASCAR fan that hates cable television, then get ready to start your engines because today you’re going to learn how to watch NASCAR without cable. Let’s get started! Continue reading Can I Watch NASCAR Online? →

1. Streaming Services, 3. TV Antennas

What is Mohu AirWave?

What is AirWave

A Wireless Antenna With Video Streaming Integration

One frustration you do hear from cord cutters who rely an over-the-air (OTA) antenna, is that there’s not a smooth way to integrate that OTA signal with your streaming services. Sure, you can switch between input settings on your television; but then you have to find the remote, select the correct setting, and then somewhere along the way you just sort of lose that feeling of having an all-in-one entertainment experience.

But luckily for us, Mohu has come up with a simple solution. It’s called the AirWave, and it just might be the answer to your cord cutting prayers.

Let’s take a look at what we know: Continue reading What is Mohu AirWave? →

1. Streaming Services, 2. Streaming Devices

What is AirTV?

What is AirTV

AirTV Integrates OTA with Sling TV

Making Channel Surfing Fun Again

Sling TVProduced by the company Echostar, this new device hopes to work in conjunction with your OTA antenna and your Sling TV account to give you an untethered OTA experience. Dubbed AirTV, the device is, for all intents and purposed, a re-purposed Sling Box for OTA television.

AIR TV SLING TV

“AirTV’s local TV integration gives it a leg up on similar streamers like the Roku Ultra, which provides 4K video for the same price point but has no way to include local broadcast channels in its interface. Sick of losing local channels when you cut the cord?” January 3, 2017 Mashable Continue reading What is AirTV? →

3. TV Antennas

Indoor or Outdoor Antenna?

2 Steps to Buying the Right Type of Antenna for your Household
OTA TV Broadcast Tower

If you’re just getting started as a cord cutter, or you’re thinking about becoming one, you are probably wondering about the type of equipment you need. For the most part, picking out a streaming box is a relatively simple task; but deciding which antenna to buy is a bit more difficult. The one question I hear most from my readers is: “Should I buy an indoor or outdoor antenna?”

It’s a difficult question for some, and for many more it stops them dead in their tracks. But with a little foreknowledge, picking out the right OTA antenna can be a lot easier than you may think; and today I’ll show you how.

Let’s get started!

First we’re going to briefly examine the differences between indoor and outdoor antennas.

INDOOR ANTENNAS

Indoor antennas are typically smaller and less powerful than their outdoor cousins; with a range of about 30-50 miles. Companies like Mohu and Channel Master have been able to transform the design of the old rabbit ears of yesteryear, into sleek and inexpensive devices that resemble paper thin pieces of plastic more than a traditional antenna.

Typically an indoor antenna costs somewhere between $30 and $60. To see a list of some of the more popular indoor antennas, read “ANTENNAS, SPLITTERS, AMPLIFIERS & DVRs“. As for placement, many people hang these antennas on their walls or put them in a windowsill. 

OUTDOOR ANTENNAS

On the flip side, Outdoor Antennas are usually placed on top of roofs or garages, and are much larger and more powerful than the indoor antennas. They also cost more; usually priced somewhere north of $100. Outdoor antennas typically have a range between 60 and 100 miles; depending on the surrounding area. 

At this point, you’re probably wondering why anyone would not just go with an outdoor antenna, since it’s the most powerful right(?) Well, the problem is that for many, their home is not best suited for an outdoor antenna or it is simply not needed due to close proximity to a local TV tower. 

Deciding on an Indoor or Outdoor Antenna

  1. The first thing you need to do is evaluate your living situation. If you’re in an apartment building or have a Home Owners Association with strict rules, then odds are an indoor antenna is your only option. 
  2. The next thing you need to do is figure out how close you live to a broadcast tower.  TVFool.com and AntennaWeb both offer a free TV Signal Analysis where you can enter your address and see what direction your OTA signals are coming from, and how far away they are. If you’re less than 30 miles away from a broadcast tower, then an indoor antenna could be all you need.
    • Now if you live out in rural area, or you’re just too far from an OTA broadcast tower (30+ miles), then an outdoor antenna is your best bet.When looking up your address you may notice that that you’re getting signals from multiple directions; and if this is the case you should consider buying an omni-directional antenna. 

*** Like with Indoor Antennas, we have a page dedicated to the more popular Outdoor Antenna models with brief descriptions of each. Click here to learn more. 

Buying an OTA Antenna

Deciding on an OTA Antenna is easy, as long as you know what to look for. Just make sure you are aware of your living restrictions, and your proximity to a broadcast station. If you keep those two things in mind, picking the right antenna will be a breeze.

Are you having trouble picking out an OTA antenna? Sound off in the comments below, send me a tweet or e-mail and I’ll be able to help you out!