How to Watch All NFL Online From Abroad in 2024

The 2021 National Football (NFL) season began on September 9 with a full slate of regular-season matchups, and it ran through to February 13, 2022, when the AFC and NFC champs met in the Super Bowl, resulting in a tight Los Angeles Rams victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fortunately, September 2022 soon arrived and we are now in the thick of the action once again.

Can I Watch My Favorite NFL Team Every Week?

There are 32 teams in the NFL, with the lion’s share of the teams playing on Sunday afternoon (a single game is also played on both Monday and Thursday nights, and a few games are played on Saturday near the end of the season), so you’ll need to decide which teams you want to watch the most.

If you’re traveling abroad during the football season, or if you’re a US expat living abroad, you will find that you’re required to jump through a few hoops to watch your favorite team’s gridiron action.

In this article, I’ll share how you can live stream NFL games while abroad.

This article will include only information about viewing NFL-approved streams, which means connecting to your usual home streaming services while you’re abroad.

While there are certainly plenty of unauthorized streaming services that provide access to NFL games, there simply isn’t any reason to use them. Many of the unlicensed streams are of low quality, they may not be available every week, and let’s face it, it’s illegal to watch them. So, we’ll be sticking to the various legal ways to view the NFL action.

What Is the Best VPN for Streaming NFL Games?

NordVPN

Apr 2024

NordVPN is the top-performing choice for opening up access to NFL regular season and playoff games while traveling or living abroad. The provider’s reliable access to sports streaming services ensures you won’t miss one minute of the gridiron action.

NordVPN has 5,600+ servers in 59+ countries around the globe, including over 1,970 servers located in 15+ locations in the United States.

NordVPN’s high-speed connections can easily handle the HD streams that the NFL offers. In addition, gamers and file-sharing fans will appreciate the fast connections.

Those fast connections are well protected with a number of security features to keep your online activities from being exposed. IP/DNS leak protection and an internet kill switch protect your online activities, while a strict no-logs policy ensures that no personal information is recorded.

Many of NordVPN’s servers are owned and operated by NordVPN, so outside contractors never have access to any of your personal information. The provider also runs its servers 100% from RAM, writing no data whatsoever to a physical hard drive. All data is completely wiped from the hard drive each time a server is rebooted.

Native apps are available for iOS, macOS (native M1/M2 Mac support included), Windows, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Linux platforms. The provider recently updated its macOS app to provide native M1 Mac support. Firefox, Edge, and Chrome browser extensions are available, as is comprehensive router support.

It only takes a few minutes to register and install the app, as you merely need to select a subscription length (one month, one year, or two years), enter your credit card or Bitcoin payment info, and then download the app.

Another nice thing about NordVPN is the fact that it doesn’t cost much. Their multi-year subscriptions are especially cheap.

NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is more than enough time to decide whether the provider is the right one for your football-viewing needs.

BEST VPN FOR NFL:NordVPN is the best way to access live streams of your favorite NFL team’s games. The provider does a great job of opening access to most streaming services while offering strong security and privacy protections.

Read my full review of NordVPN.

Methodology for Assessing a VPN for Watching NFL Games

When you’re in search of a VPN service provider to use to gain access to NFL games from outside its normal viewing area, there are a few key factors for you to consider.

This is the list of considerations I made sure to assess in order to choose the best VPN (NordVPN) for accessing NFL games from abroad while you’re traveling:

• Speed: If you’ve ever had to suffer through extended buffering times or have been forced to settle for a low-resolution picture, you know that connection speed is an important factor when streaming. That’s why I recommend NordVPN, which offers some of the fastest speeds I’ve ever seen.
• Server network: You absolutely need servers in the United States (at least) in order to stream NFL games. However, you should also look for wide-ranging server coverage, which will provide access to video streaming services in other countries as well. Also, pay attention to the number of servers a provider has in each country. The more servers, the better their performance, as none of the servers will have too many users overloading them.
• Value: No VPN should charge more than is warranted for the services it offers. NordVPN provides comprehensive VPN services and doesn’t charge a high price.
• Ease of use: The easier that a VPN’s apps are to use, the easier it is for even beginner VPN users to protect and enhance their online activities. Also, make sure your VPN offers apps for numerous device platforms, as that will mean you can watch your favorite NFL team(s) on whichever platform suits your fancy. NordVPN offers simple, yet powerful apps for many different device platforms.
• Security and privacy: Any VPN worth its salt should not only offer access to NFL games but should also offer top-notch security and privacy protections. Never settle for less than banking-level encryption, an automatic kill switch, and DNS/IP leak protection. Look for a strict no-logs policy, which helps protect your privacy. NordVPN offers all of this and more.
• Streaming: In addition to NFL access, a VPN should also offer access to other streaming services around the globe. NordVPN offers reliable access to streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and other popular streamers in multiple countries.

Our comprehensive VPN testing methodology doesn’t end here. We also evaluate other factors as part of a data-driven approach that helps us better understand the VPN providers and how they might be a good fit for your needs.

How to Stream NFL Games Using a VPN

Using a VPN to view your favorite NFL team online requires but a few easy steps.

How to stream NFL games using a VPN:

1. Subscribe to a VPN provider (I use and recommend NordVPN, but Surfshark is an excellent option for VPN users on a budget).
2. Download and install the provider’s VPN app on your device(s).
3. Decide which of the streaming services (which we’ll discuss below) you’d like to use. Be advised that many of the streaming services will either require you to purchase a subscription or have a cable TV or IPTV subscription (that’s why this article is focused on U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad).
4. Log into the VPN service.
5. Select a server located in the US or another country where an NFL game is available.
6. Grab your team jersey and enjoy the game (foam finger optional).

Where to Watch NFL Games Online

While the NFL is based in the United States, and that’s where most of its fan base is, the league is also popular around the globe. Fans are found in the UK, Mexico, and numerous other countries (the NFL plays games in both London and Mexico City during the regular season).

This means that NFL game coverage is available in multiple countries. Below, I’ll provide a country-specific guide as to how you can watch the gridiron action live.

United States

In the United States, there are multiple options for watching the NFL, as the league’s games appear on one of five broadcast networks, all of which offer streaming services.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Monday Night Games: ESPN
• Thursday Night Games: Amazon Prime Video
• Saturday Night Games: The NFL Network, FOX, and Amazon Prime Video
• AFC Sunday Afternoon Games: CBS
• NFC Sunday Afternoon Games: FOX
• Sunday Night Games: NBC

There are exceptions to the above list. For instance, if a game is exclusive to ESPN or the NFL Network, it will also be available to air on a local television station in the participating team’s viewing areas.

So, if you already have a cable package, you should be able to view the game.

Users who don’t subscribe to a cable television package can subscribe to over-the-top streaming services, which should include the above networks.

YouTube TV, DIRECTV STREAM, and Sling TV are just a few of the streaming television services that include NFL games as a part of their offerings (in some cases, you may be expected to pay an additional subscription fee for sports packages that include the NFL Network and ESPN).

When you’re traveling abroad, games will be blocked outside of the US on these services, so you will require a VPN (like NordVPN) to gain access to the games.

Note: While the NFL offers their NFL Game Pass streaming service, the US version of the service offers only replays of the games after they are finished, so you can’t view any regular season or playoff games live. However, the international version of the service does offer live action.

United Kingdom

British fans of American football can enjoy NFL action in a few different ways.

The NFL has traditionally played as many as four games per season in the UK in recent years, with different team matchups. The Jacksonville Jaguars traditionally play one home game per season in the UK.

Subscribers to the Sky service can watch all of the action live on Sky Sports. You’ll need to add the required sports channels for an extra monthly fee, but that will allow you to watch the games on the Sky Go app.

Now TV subscribers can also sign into Sky Sports, but they’ll be limited to viewing select games from the NFL season, instead of the full roster of games that Sky Sports offers.

If you don’t have a cable subscription, you can take advantage of NFL Game Pass, which provides live viewing of regular season, playoff, and Super Bowl action.

BBC iPlayer is a good option if you’re simply looking for access to weekly highlights of NFL games, as they are shown on BBC2, as the Super Bowl will be. No other live games are available.

If you’re a Brit traveling abroad, you’ll need to subscribe to a VPN, like NordVPN, to gain access to the above services.

Mexico

Mexico is a hotbed of NFL fandom, and the NFL has played one regular-season game in Mexico City each season for the last few years.

NFL action is available in Mexico via numerous broadcasters. While Thursday night and Sunday afternoon games are available via the NFL Network, they are also available on Fox Sports Latin America. Both services allow viewers to watch with either English- or Spanish-speaking broadcasters calling the action.

Some Sunday afternoon games are shown on either Fox Sports or Televisa. Televisa shows a more limited slate of games than other services, but it’s free to watch.

ESPN Latin America shows all Sunday and Monday night games, as well as the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. ESPN offers both Spanish and English-speaking broadcasters, although the latter may only be available via ESPN3.

As with our previous countries, Mexican residents traveling outside of Mexico will need to use NordVPN or another quality VPN service to access these streaming services.

France

Access to the NFL roster of games is limited in France to two official options: W9 and beIN Sports.

W9 will only show the Super Bowl, while beIN Sports will show every game live and allow viewers to watch previous games on-demand.

Once again, if you want to access either of these streaming services from outside of France, you’ll need to subscribe to a VPN provider, like NordVPN or another reliable provider.

Spain

Spanish football fans will have only one in-country option for NFL action.

Movistar+ has exclusive NFL broadcast rights in Spain. The service makes every NFL game available live via Movistar Deportes, but that means you’ll need to subscribe to both the Movistar broadband and TV packages to view anything.

Spanish citizens traveling abroad will need NordVPN or another VPN provider to access this content.

Canada

DAZN, CTV, TSN, RDS (French-speaking telecasts) all share the National Football League streaming rights in Canada.

Canadians traveling abroad will need NordVPN or another quality VPN provider to view these streamers’ NFL game content.

Germany

DAZN, NFL Game Pass, and MAXX all currently share the National Football League streaming rights in Germany.

German citizens that are traveling or living abroad will need to subscribe to a reliable VPN provider, like NordVPN to view NFL content.

Brazil

NFL Game Pass, RedeTV!, and ESPN all offer streaming of NFL games to viewers in Brazil.

Brazilians traveling or living abroad will require a subscription to NordVPN or another reliable VPN provider to view these streaming services’ NFL streams.

India

Indian NFL fans will need to subscribe to NFL Game Pass International to view NFL action in India. Other options can be available to football fans who use a reliable VPN, like NordVPN, as a VPN opens up access to streams available in other countries.

Philippines

NFL fans residing in the Philippines can subscribe to NFL Game Pass International. Other options can be made available by using a quality VPN, like NordVPN. A VPN provides access to streaming services available in other countries.

Asian Pacific Region

NFL Game Pass is available in much of the Asian Pacific region, and it offers all NFL regular season games, the playoffs, and the Super Bowl.

However, there are spots where it is not yet available, including:

• Hong Kong
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Cambodia
• Laos

If you’re in any of the above countries, you can watch NFL Game Pass by using a VPN.

Other Regions

If you live in a region of the world I haven’t covered, it’s still possible that you have access to NFL action from a provider in your country.

If not, subscribe to a VPN provider to access the games from another country.

What Countries Can Use NFL Game Pass International?

NFL Game Pass International is available around most of the world, including countries in Europe, the Middle East, North America (Mexico), South America, Pan Asia, Sub-Saharan International, and much of the rest of the world. However, not all games are available everywhere and in many locations live streaming games is unavailable.

By using a VPN, viewers can access NFL Game Pass for the U.S., providing live access to all games.

Can I Use a Free VPN to View NFL Games?

Trying to use a free VPN to view NFL games is like being a fan of the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – frustrating at best.

First off, many free VPN providers will limit your enjoyment via monthly data caps, bandwidth limitations, and throttled connection speeds. None of those are the ingredients for a day-long football-viewing binge.

Plus, free VPN providers are known to make their users cool their heels in a queue before connecting to a VPN server. Once you’re allowed to connect, you might find your server options are severely limited, if you’re offered a choice at all.

In addition to those inconveniences, a “free” VPN provider carries hidden costs related to your security and privacy.

Even a free VPN provider needs to keep their lights on, so many of them make money by keeping records of their users’ online activities, then selling the info to the highest bidder. Some have also been known to insert unwanted tracking cookies and advertisements into their users’ browsing sessions.

Using a free VPN will provide about as enjoyable a viewing experience as that enjoyed by fans of the 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (yeah, they sucked that year too).

What Else Can I Do With a VPN?

In addition to opening access to NFL games from back home when you’re abroad, a VPN is also an excellent way to view streaming services that may normally be restricted in your region of the world. It also opens access to gaming servers, websites, and other services that might be blocked.

A VPN also helps prevent your Internet Service Provider from throttling your internet connection simply because you’re streaming from an “unapproved” provider or engaging in peer-to-peer file sharing.

A VPN is also a great online security and privacy tool, as it routes your internet connection through a tunnel of encryption, preventing any outsiders from monitoring your online activities. This keeps your personal and business information safe.

Watch NFL Online FAQs

Conclusion

A VPN subscription will allow you to view your favorite NFL teams while you’re traveling or living abroad.

A VPN – like my #1 choice, NordVPN – allows you to follow your favorite NFL teams on your terms, even from outside the U.S. It also protects your other online activities, while also enhancing them.

For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit the NordVPN website.

“NFL” by Pxhere licensed under CC0 1.0