The ease of being able to watch your favorite NFL team each week has gotten to a breaking point for most fans. As the NFL has been able to sell off streaming rights for packages of games rather than as a whole to one company, you likely will need several subscriptions if you have cut the cord.
We are about to look at the real cost of being able to watch all 17 regular season games, and the reality of what watching the NFL in 2026 has become. Luckily, the Bengals aren’t as bad off as some teams that
have to have Netflix.
Below is The Athletic’s schedule along with what network will be airing the game.
Cable or Satellite
We are getting to the point that cord-cutting is getting as — if not more — expensive than the alternative of traditional cable or satellite TV. You could also potentially find an indoor antenna to potentially get games that way, but it also requires you to be in-market.
NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL RedZone
For out-of-market fans looking for a legitimate way to watch games, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV, or bought through your YouTube profile, will cover games outside prime-time slots.
NFL RedZone tries to follow the most exciting action. Typically following games that are close to scoring or have a drastic turn. You do not have control over what you watch, so it isn’t ideal for watching specifically Cincinnati. This can also be found on NFL+ Premium (that can be bundled with ESPN Unlimited).
Online Stream options for the TV games
We are talking CBS (Paramount+), Fox (Fox One), ABC/ESPN (ESPN Unlimited), and NBC (Peacock). It may also be worth adding NFL Network here since they fall under the Disney umbrella now. With ESPN, you can get the Madrid game in Week 9 on ESPN Unlimited, NFL+ Premium, or regular NFL+ (both are mobile only).
Depending on your cable package, all of these games should be available with the exception of maybe NFL Network. It is very important to note that all of these apps that stream afternoon games are in-market games ONLY.
Prime Video
Surprisingly, one of the easiest and most accessible streaming options. You just need Amazon Prime, which will give you access to Prime Video. You could also watch free on Twitch with a registered account. Unfortunately, this only covers the New Year’s Eve game against the Ravens in Week 17.
Grand Total
In-market fans: Basic Cable ~$30 (CBS, FOX, and NBC), Prime Video ~$15, NFL+ (mobile only) ~$7, and ESPN Unlimited (because the Bengals Week 11 Monday Night Football game is exclusive to ESPN and not simulcast on ABC) ~$30
- Total a month: ~$82 or ~$67 (if you are willing to watch the Prime Video game on Twitch). You could also cut out cable costs entirely for an antenna, but you are risking quality and video dropping.
- You aren’t saving by streaming with Paramount+ ~$9, Peacock ~$13 (their base plan does not include live sports) and FOX One ~$20 totaling to ~$42 a month. Peacock and Paramount+ at least also let you have shows and movies for the ~$12 more
Out-of-market fans: For new users, NFL Sunday Ticket is $30 a month ($60 a month for existing), Prime Video is ~$15 a month, NFL+ (mobile only) ~$7 a month, and ESPN Unlimited ~$30 a month
- Total a month: $82 for new Sunday Ticket users or $112 for existing (because you get punished for loyalty)
- As a reminder, you wouldn’t even have the choice of streaming the big three channels as out-of-market fans. That ~$42 a month would easily clear and be a much better deal than the ~$60 for returning customers.
This is trying to map out the cheapest way for fans to enjoy all the Bengals’ games from at least the comfort of their own home. You can also account for maybe only getting subscriptions like NFL+ or ESPN Unlimited for just the month Cincinnati plays their game, but you have to remember to cancel those subscriptions. That also means you won’t be watching most Monday Night Football or international games, though.
We are all just going to have to start finding people nearby to watch Bengals games with just to split the cost of watching the games. I at least hope this helps some of you plan out how you will be watching some of these games.
