Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment

How to watch Super Bowl LI online

By

how to watch super bowl li stream online
Image used with permission by copyright holder
This Sunday, NRG Stadium in Houston will host the country’s biggest annual sporting event: the Super Bowl. This year, Super Bowl LI (that’s 51, for those who don’t study their Roman numerals) will feature the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, in what promises to be a high-octane contest that pits the top offense in the NFC (the Falcons) against the top offense in the AFC (the Patriots).

This year, Fox has exclusive rights to the live broadcast, and the network will give fans — including those without a cable subscription, or even a TV — several options for watching the big game in high definition. Whether you plan to tune in using your smartphone, tablet, computer, or TV, we’ve got you covered. Even if you’re just tuning in for the commercials or the spectacle that is bound to be Lady Gaga’s halftime performance, keep reading to find out how to watch Super Bowl LI in style.

Recommended Videos

TV

As previously mentioned, Fox owns the rights to this year’s Super Bowl, which means you’ll want to navigate to whichever channel Fox is on at 3:30 p.m. PST. The exact channel depends on your location and your cable or satellite provider, but this is the preferred option for the best quality and stability — not to mention unhindered access to those oh-so-important commercials.

If you’re not a cable customer but you can grab a digital antenna, enter your address on this page to find out which channel Fox is currently being broadcast over in your local area. The antenna option may not be as stable as cable, but in some cases the broadcast digital HD signal may even be higher quality than what your satellite or cable provider serves up. You can find an excellent list of digital antennas here.

Web browsers

This year, Fox is offering live HD streams of the game at FoxSportsGo.com, even if you don’t have a cable subscription. This means that every major browser — including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, and Safari — should have no problem displaying the stream, assuming your software is up to date. The football gods are benevolent, and, apparently, they want you to glue your eyes to the field on Sunday.

Tablets and set-top streaming devices

Last year, most everyone with a tablet or set-top streaming device was able to watch the game for free using CBS’s Sports app. This year, the names have changed, but the method stays the same. Instead of CBS Sports, you’ll want to download the Fox Sports Go app on your iOS or Android device. Fox will be integrating local and national advertisements into the broadcast, so don’t worry about missing those hilarious Super Bowl commercials.

Most big-name devices, including the Apple TV, Chromecast, and various Roku devices are compatible with the app, and you won’t need to pilfer your parents’ login information to gain access. Every bone-crunching tackle and each close-up of Tom Brady looking bored are yours for the viewing — no strings attached. Below is a list of compatible devices.

Devices Requirements
iOS Requires iOS 8.0 or later
Apple TV Requires 4th Generation Apple TV running tvOS 9.0 and above
Android devices Requires OS 4.2 or later
Android TV Requires NVIDIA Shield, Sharp TV, Sony TV (BRAVIA 4k 2015 / SVP–DTV15 and BRAVIA 4k GB/BRAVIA_ATV2), or Nexus
Chromecast Requires a Chromecast device running firmware 1.1 and above
Kindle Fire devices Requires HD 3rd Generation or later devices running Fire HD OS 4.5.5.2 and above
Kindle Fire TV Requires Kindle Fire TV or Kindle Fire Stick
Roku Requires a Roku Streaming Player or Roku TV running firmware 7.2 or higher.
Requires Roku XD/S, Roku 2500, Roku 2 XS, Roku 3, or Roku 4.
Windows desktop System Requirements:
Operating System: 32 or 64 bit version of Windows 10
Processor: 1 GHz or faster
Supported Processors: 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64)
Memory: 1GB of RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
Resolution: 1024 x 768 minimum
Windows Mobile All Windows Phone 10 devices are supported
Xbox One Requires an Xbox One running firmware 10.0 and above

Smartphones

Although fans can watch the game via the Fox Sports Go app on tablets, smartphones are a different story. Due to Verizon’s exclusivity agreement with the NFL, the only way to stream Super Bowl LI on your smartphone is by downloading the official NFL Mobile app — and even then, you’ll need to be a Verizon customer.

The small screen certainly isn’t ideal, but for fans unable to find their way to a living room or dive bar, it might be the only option. Just keep an eye on your data usage.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Nick Hastings
Nick Hastings
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick is a Portland native and a graduate of Saint Mary's College of California with a Bachelor's of Communication. Nick's…
The best horror movies on Amazon Prime right now
Daniel Radcliffe and Ciran Hinds in The Woman in Black.

One of the best streaming platforms for all things horror is Amazon Prime Video. Home to hundreds of scary titles from eras past and present, the Prime Video trove also manages to highlight films with lower budgets and less theatrical visibility. So if you want to make a cheap spooky flick with your pals, there’s a chance you could see the fruits of your labor on Prime Video someday. 

That being said, there’s a lot of fodder to sort through to get to Prime Video’s really good horror movies, and it’s our job to do all the digging. We do our best to highlight horror films that were critically acclaimed, but we even try to throw a bone to the lesser-known pics that you shouldn’t miss.

Read more
5 great Netflix movies to watch on Juneteenth
Jonathan Majors and Idris Elba in The Harder They Fall.

Although it only recently became a federal holiday, Juneteenth feels a little bit like a second Independence Day. It's a day when America celebrates the end of enslavement, and reflects on all the progress on racial equality that is still left to be made.

If you want to celebrate the day with a movie, Netflix has some excellent titles worth exploring that highlight every facet of the Black experience both in America and around the world. We've selected five films that will be perfect viewing for reflection and celebration this Juneteenth.
The Woman King (2022)
THE WOMAN KING – Official Trailer (HD)

Read more
How to watch boxing online: Stream every fight
how to watch fury vs wilder 3 live stream online deontay v tyson

If you're new to boxing and want to catch all the bouts from the biggest stars in the sport, we can help you find the best and cheapest ways to watch boxing online. It can get complicated. Fighters are tied to specific promoters who are tied to specific streaming sites. The days of Friday night fights on network TV are long gone.

There are two main ways boxing is streamed: Pay-per-view fights and fights included in a monthly subscription. When a fight is a PPV, there's no way of getting around that fee. Some sites give subscribers a discount on the PPV price, but when you include subscription fees it ultimately costs the same. We'll be sure to show you the best ways to watch PPV boxing matches when they happen, but right now we'll focus on the various subscription services that give you access to regular fights.

Read more