Here's a clear breakdown of the best apps for each league, what they actually cost, and what you'll get (and miss) with each one.
NFL Apps and Services
NFL+ (Official App)
The NFL's own app is a reasonable starting point for mobile viewers. NFL+ covers live local and primetime games on your phone or tablet, which means you can watch CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN games when you're away from home – as long as those games are airing in your local market. The Premium tier adds NFL Network and NFL RedZone, which gives you condensed, multi-game coverage every Sunday during the season. Pricing starts at around $7/month for the basic plan or $15/month for Premium.
The limitation worth knowing: NFL+ is designed primarily for mobile. You can't stream local games to a TV through the app the way you can with a full live TV service. If you want the game on a big screen, you're better off with one of the options below.
Peacock
Peacock has become increasingly important for NFL fans. NBC holds the rights to Sunday Night Football, and Peacock streams every SNF game included with its Premium tier at around $8/month. It also carried some exclusive playoff games in recent seasons, which made it essential viewing during the postseason. The app works on virtually every device – smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android – and the streaming quality is solid.
ESPN / ESPN+
Monday Night Football airs on ESPN, which means you need either a cable/TV provider login for the main ESPN app, or a live TV streaming service that includes ESPN. ESPN+ on its own ($11/month) does not include the live ESPN channel, which is a common point of confusion. That said, ESPN+ carries a huge amount of other football content including some college games, NFL Films content, and international matchups. If MNF is what you're after, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or Fubo are more direct routes.
Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video holds the rights to Thursday Night Football and streams every TNF game to Prime members. If you already have an Amazon Prime subscription, this is essentially free – no extra cost, no login required beyond your Amazon account. The app is available on every major platform and the broadcast quality is consistently strong. It's one of the cleanest cord-cutting wins for NFL fans.
YouTube TV (for NFL Sunday Ticket)
NFL Sunday Ticket – which covers out-of-market games every Sunday – is now available through YouTube and YouTube TV. You can add it as a standalone package even without a YouTube TV subscription, though the pricing is steep (typically $300–$400+ for the full season). It's aimed at hardcore fans who want to watch their out-of-market team every week, not casual viewers. If that describes you, it's the only legal way to get every Sunday game.
NBA Apps and Services
NBA App / NBA League Pass
The NBA's official streaming product is NBA League Pass, sold directly through the NBA app. It gives you access to out-of-market games live and on demand, and it's the most comprehensive way to follow the league if you're not watching your local team. Pricing varies but typically runs around $15–$20/month or $100–$130 for the full season.
The major caveat is blackout rules. Local games and nationally televised games are often blacked out on League Pass, which means games on ABC, ESPN, and TNT won't show up even if you're subscribed. For national broadcasts, you still need a separate source.
Peacock
Peacock carries a selection of NBA games as part of NBC's broadcasting deal with the league. The number of games varies by season, but it's a meaningful addition for basketball fans who are already using Peacock for NFL coverage. At $8/month, it's worth keeping active during basketball season if the matchups on offer align with what you watch.
ESPN / ABC and Live TV Services
A significant portion of NBA games air on ESPN and ABC, both of which require either a TV provider login or a live TV streaming service. YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo all include ESPN and ABC, making any of them a solid backbone for NBA viewing. The tradeoff is monthly cost – these services run $70–$80/month – but they replace your cable bill rather than adding to it.
Max (for TNT Games)
TNT carries a substantial number of NBA games throughout the season, including playoff matchups. Max, the streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery, includes TNT content and is available for around $16/month on the ad-free plan. This is a meaningful piece of the NBA streaming puzzle that often gets overlooked. If you want the full picture of national broadcasts, Max covers the TNT side while Peacock handles NBC and live TV services cover ESPN/ABC.
Premier League Apps and Services
Peacock
Peacock is the go-to app for Premier League fans in the US. NBC holds the rights to the Premier League, and Peacock streams the majority of matches – including many exclusive to the platform. The Premium tier at around $8/month gives you access to live matches, replays, and highlights. For how much coverage you get, it represents genuinely good value and the app experience has improved considerably over recent seasons.
One thing to know: not every match is on Peacock. NBC Sports and USA Network still air some games, which means you may need a live TV service to catch certain fixtures. But for the bulk of the season, Peacock covers most of what you need.
USA Network / NBC Sports (via Live TV Services)
Some Premier League matches air on USA Network, which isn't available on all streaming platforms. YouTube TV and Fubo both carry it. If you're following the league closely and want to make sure you don't miss anything, having a live TV service alongside Peacock fills that gap cleanly. For more casual fans, Peacock alone may be enough.
The Best Combinations by Viewing Habit
If you only watch NFL, Prime Video (free with Prime) plus Peacock ($8/month) covers Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and some playoff games. Add a digital antenna for local CBS and Fox games, and you're covering most of the regular season without much extra spend.
If you watch NBA and NFL, adding Max ($16/month) to the setup above gives you TNT coverage for basketball. For national ESPN/ABC broadcasts, a live TV service or TV provider login is still needed – this is the main gap in a no-cable setup for basketball fans.
If you follow Premier League primarily, Peacock is the starting point and covers the majority of matches. YouTube TV adds the remaining network coverage and works as a full live TV replacement if you watch other sports too.
If you're a heavy multi-sport viewer across all three leagues, a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV or Fubo combined with Peacock covers the widest ground. You'll still want the NBA app for out-of-market games and NFL+ if you watch a lot on mobile.
What to Watch Out For
The blackout problem is real and won't go away. Both NFL and NBA streaming products black out games that are available locally or on national TV, which is exactly the kind of game you most want to watch. Know the blackout rules for whichever league app you're subscribing to before you commit.
Don't confuse ESPN+ with ESPN. ESPN+ is a separate tier that does not include the live ESPN channel. If you see "ESPN+" included in a bundle, that does not mean you get MNF or nationally televised NBA games. Live TV streaming services that include ESPN as a channel are a different thing entirely.
Subscription creep is a real risk with sports streaming. Peacock, Max, NBA League Pass, NFL+, and a live TV service can add up to more than a cable bill if you're not selective. Decide which leagues actually matter to you and build around those, not around fear of missing something.
Free trials can work in your favor for big events, but services are deliberately slow to cancel. If you're signing up for a trial before a playoff series or a major match, set a calendar reminder to cancel before billing starts.
FAQ
Is there one app that covers NFL, NBA, and Premier League? No single app covers all three leagues completely. Peacock comes closest – it has NFL (Sunday Night Football), NBA (select games), and Premier League – but it doesn't cover Thursday Night Football, NBA on TNT, or ABC/ESPN broadcasts for either sport.
Can I watch these sports on my phone without a subscription? NFL+ offers a basic mobile plan around $7/month for local games. Some free highlights and clips are available through the official league apps, but live full-game streaming requires a paid subscription to at least one service.
Is YouTube TV worth it for sports streaming? If you watch multiple sports and want a clean, single-app experience that comes close to replacing cable, yes. It includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, and USA Network, which covers the majority of NFL, NBA, and Premier League broadcasts. The $73/month price point is high but typically still lower than a cable package.
Do I need different apps for each league? In practice, yes – at least partially. The cleanest setups use two or three apps together. Peacock does a lot of heavy lifting for all three leagues, but filling the gaps for NBA on TNT and NFL on ESPN requires additional services.
What devices do these apps work on? All the major apps – Peacock, ESPN+, Prime Video, NBA app, NFL+ – work on iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and most smart TVs. Compatibility is rarely the issue anymore.
Wrapping Up
Watching the NFL, NBA, and Premier League without a TV provider is completely doable – it just takes a little planning. Peacock is the single most useful app for covering ground across all three leagues. Prime Video handles Thursday Night Football for free if you have Prime. NBA League Pass covers out-of-market basketball. And a live TV service like YouTube TV fills in the ESPN and ABC gaps if you want the full national broadcast experience. Build your stack around what you actually watch, keep an eye on the total monthly cost, and you'll end up with a setup that works better and likely costs less than cable ever did.
📚 Sources
NFL+ features and pricing – NFL.com: https://www.nfl.com/nflplus
Peacock sports programming overview – Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/sports
Amazon Prime Video Thursday Night Football – Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/primevideo/sports/nfl
YouTube TV channel lineup – YouTube TV: https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/channels
ESPN+ vs ESPN explained – ESPN Press Room: https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2021/08/espn-to-launch-espn-plus-tier-within-disney-bundle/
NBA League Pass features and blackout policy – NBA.com: https://www.nba.com/watch/league-pass-stream
Max streaming plans and pricing – Max: https://www.max.com/plans
Premier League on Peacock – NBCUniversal: https://www.peacocktv.com/sports/soccer
Fubo sports channel lineup – Fubo: https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/channels
NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube – YouTube: https://tv.youtube.com/learn/sundayticket/
