As a VPN Expert, These Are the VPNs I Recommend for NFL Streaming

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Written by Attila Tomaschek

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Attila covers software, apps and services, with a focus on virtual private networks. He's an advocate for digital privacy and has been quoted in online publications like Computer Weekly, The Guardian, BBC News, HuffPost, Wired and TechRepublic. When not tapping away on his laptop, Attila enjoys spending time with his family, reading and collecting guitars.

Expertise Attila has nearly a decade's worth of experience with VPNs and has been covering them for CNET since 2021. As CNET's VPN expert, Attila rigorously tests VPNs and offers readers advice on how they can use the technology to protect their privacy online.

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As a VPN Expert, These Are the VPNs I Recommend for NFL Streaming
What's the best VPN for streaming NFL games?
About VPNs for streaming NFL games
Factors to consider in a VPN for the NFL
VPN for NFL streaming FAQs

ExpressVPN is currently the best VPN for streaming NFL games, thanks to its excellent unblocking capabilities, servers in all 50 states and smooth interface across platforms.

Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for streaming and is great for anyone looking for a top VPN at a budget-friendly price.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN for streaming NFL games and offers a ton of server locations around the world and in 22 US cities.

PIA is another solid choice for streaming NFL games because it has servers in every US state, which can be beneficial if you’re looking to access a specific city’s local broadcast.

I remember a time when all I needed to do to watch NFL football was to flip on my television and tune to one of four or five channels. I’d throw a couple of logs on the fire and settle in for a full slate of Sunday NFL programming without needing to decipher how to watch the games I wanted to watch. These days, it seems like there are dozens of available options for streaming NFL games, with things getting increasingly complicated every year as additional streaming services enter the fray to secure exclusive rights to high-profile matchups. Two brand-new streaming services from Fox and ESPN joined the lineup this year, giving you even more ways to stream NFL games this season.

Although there are more options to watch more games than ever before, the overall streaming experience is not exactly fan-friendly. This is thanks to the highly fragmented nature of the NFL streaming landscape. These days, you need to be a paying subscriber to at least three different individual streaming platforms in addition to a live television streaming platform that covers all of your local network and cable stations if you want to watch the games available in your region.

It takes a lot to watch the NFL in 2025, but using a VPN to stream NFL games can help maximize your streaming capabilities and get you access to even more matchups by routing your internet connection through a different location. Depending on what streaming service you use to watch NFL games, you may only have access to out-of-market matchups or you may only have access to the matchups available on your local network stations. This weekend's preseason action includes the New York Giants at the Buffalo Bills on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, the Dallas Cowboys at the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET and the Miami Dolphins at the Chicago Bears on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. With a VPN, you can have your pick of whichever game you'd like to watch.

Although VPNs are designed mainly to protect your privacy online, many people use them to access geographically restricted streaming content. Because a VPN can make it look like you’re using the internet in a different region, your NFL streaming options aren’t limited by your physical location, so you can theoretically watch any live NFL game you want when connected to a VPN. So whether you’re managing multiple fantasy football teams, wagering on the action, avoiding TV blackouts, streaming your home team from abroad or just a casual fan who likes to watch a ton of football, a VPN is a useful addition to your digital toolbox. Not all VPNs perform equally when it comes to streaming -- whether that's NFL games or movies and shows. Based on my decade of experience using, testing and researching VPNs, I recommend using one of the VPNs listed above for streaming NFL games because of each provider's excellent unblocking capabilities and superb performance across operating systems and streaming devices. Just remember to check the terms of service for any streaming service to make sure location-changing isn’t a violation of its terms.

Based on my years of testing various VPN products, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN for streaming NFL games.

Streaming capabilities

Not all VPNs are equal when it comes to how adept they are at unblocking geo-restricted streaming content. To be fair, streaming is not a high priority for every VPN. Some VPNs put a strong focus on streaming because they know that many of their customers sign up to stream content from different regions. Others may focus more on privacy or otherwise may not have the resources to deliver reliable streaming performance. Either way, you’ll want a VPN with a strong track record when it comes to streaming if you want consistent and reliable access to services that stream NFL games.

Server locations

If you’re in the US and have a subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket, you’ll want a VPN that has servers in various US regions. This is because NFL Sunday Ticket only gives you access to out-of-market NFL matchups. So if you want to watch your local matchup, you’ll need to connect to a server outside of your current region. Otherwise, if you subscribe to a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV or DirecTV then you can connect to servers in other locations to access regional broadcasts. The more server locations you have at your disposal (especially in the US) the more options you have for streaming NFL games.

Speed

Using a VPN will slow your internet speeds somewhat, but if you have a fast VPN, you probably won’t even notice a difference as long as your base internet speeds are fast to begin with. If your VPN is slowing your speeds too much, your NFL streaming experience may be choppy. A fast VPN will ensure that the stream remains uninterrupted and you don’t miss a second of the action. For optimal speed performance, I recommend using the WireGuard protocol or your VPN provider’s proprietary protocol.

Privacy

Privacy is an important consideration for any VPN, whether you’re a casual user or have critical online privacy needs. Look for a VPN with AES 256-bit encryption, DNS leak protection and a kill switch -- at a minimum. This will help boost your privacy and ensure your online activity remains private.

Price

The price of the VPN service will be an important consideration for most people. Some VPNs cost $100 or more per year, but you can get premium VPN services that are great for streaming NFL games for as low as $40 per year.

Technically, you could. Don’t count on free VPNs being very effective at delivering a satisfying streaming experience. Most free VPNs impose strict usage limitations that make them basically useless for streaming. Even with a “generous” 10GB per month data allowance, you might be able to stream one game per month -- and that’s if the speeds are fast enough for streaming. Besides having limitations, some free VPNs are dangerous to use because they may sell your data or even be infected with malware. At CNET, the only free VPN we recommend is Proton VPN’s free tier, which doesn’t include any usage or speed limitations. On Proton VPN’s free tier, you cannot manually select the server location to connect to, so it may take you a few attempts to even get connected to a US server to stream NFL games.

There’s no shortage of streaming services that offer NFL broadcasts, and it can be overwhelming to wrap your head around all of the different options. Some notable options include Peacock, Paramount Plus, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, Fox One, NFL Plus, NFL Sunday Ticket, RedZone and Netflix. There are also live TV streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Sling and Fubo that also broadcast regional coverage of NFL games.

No, you don’t need a VPN to stream NFL games. You can stream NFL games using any number of streaming services that broadcast the NFL. If you don’t want to stream at all, you can just stick with traditional cable or get an antenna to pick up your local broadcast channels and watch the old-fashioned way. If you want to open up your NFL streaming options and access matchups you wouldn’t normally have access to, a VPN can help.

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