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The NFL preseason kicks into gear this week for the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers as they face off at Lambeau Field on Thursday. It’s the first action of the preseason for both squads.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET. Here’s a rundown of how to watch the Texans vs Packers online without cable, with the live streaming options being dependent on where you reside:
If The Game is in Your Market
First, you’ll want to know what channel the game is on. It’s on ABC in Houston and NBC in Green Bay, and it will be on either ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW or MyTV in other cities.
Then, if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of one, some or all of these channels (in select markets) on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV or other streaming device via one of the following live-TV streaming services:
Fans in Houston, Green Bay & Other Select Markets: PlayStation Vue
PS Vue — which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch — offers four different live-TV channel packages, all of which include NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and MyTV (all live in select markets; view channels in your area).
You can start a free five-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of Texans vs Packers on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
If you can’t watch live, PS Vue comes with cloud DVR.
Fans in Green Bay, Milwaukee & Other Select Markets: FuboTV
NBC, CBS, Fox and CW (all live in select markets; view channels in your area) are among the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports. ABC is not available, so fans in Houston will want to use a different option.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Texans vs Packers on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Fans in Houston, Green Bay & Other Select Markets: Hulu With Live TV
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including NBC, ABC, Fox, CBS & CW (all live in select markets; view channels in your area).
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Texans vs Packers on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Fans in El Paso & Des Moines: Amazon Prime
If the game is on CBS in your area (as it is in El Paso, TX and Des Moines, IA), Amazon Prime’s CBS channel is a great option.
If you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch all live and on-demand CBS content via the CBS All-Access Amazon Channel, which comes with a 7-day free trial.
Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the CBS channel, you can then watch a live stream of the Texans vs Packers on your computer via the Amazon website, or you can watch on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or other streaming device via the Amazon Video app.
If The Game is Out of Your Market
You can watch every out-of-market preseason NFL game online via NFL Game Pass, which costs $99.99 for the season (or you can pay four installments of $29.99).
You can start a free trial of NFL Game Pass right here, and then if the game is outside of your market, you can watch the Texans vs Packers on your computer via the Game Pass website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NFL app.
If You’re in Canada: DAZN
Viewers in Canada can watch every preseason, regular season and postseason NFL game live online via DAZN, a digital streaming service that also includes NFL Network, NFL RedZone, Premier League soccer, Champions League soccer, boxing and other live sports for $20 per month or $150 per year.
You can sign up for a free one-month trial of DAZN right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Texans vs Packers and every other NFL game on your computer via DAZN.com, or on your phone, tablet, smart TV, Roku, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the DAZN app.
Texans vs. Packers Preview
The Texans and Packers have grown well-acquainted with each other leading up to their preseason tilt this week, practicing in joint sessions twice. One of the practices ended up in a full-scale scrap after rookie corner Lonnie Johnson Jr. delivered a jarring hit on Jace Sternberger, earning him a trip to the showers. It should make things interesting when the teams take the field for some live action.
“I thought there was no place for that,” first-year Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said. “It’s an unfortunate deal, because I was pretty clear with our guys we’re not doing that stuff. I know what I saw out there, and that particular play, that’s not what we want to be about.”
Last year, the Packers finished a disappointing season 6-9-1 limping to the finish line. It was the first time that Green Bay had missed the playoffs in consecutive years in over a decade. The team parted ways with long-time head coach Mike McCarthy following a Week 13 loss to the struggling Cardinals. LaFleur, who previously held the role of offensive coordinator with the Titans, was hired in the offseason.
Houston reeled off a franchise-record nine consecutive wins last season, winning the AFC South with an 11-5 record before falling to the Colts in the Wild Card round.
Lamar Miller is established as the No. 1 back for the Texans, coming off his first Pro Bowl. However, the preseason will be important to figure out the depth behind him, with Taiwan Jones, Josh Ferguson, Buddy Howell, Damarea Crockett and Karan Higdon all battling for spots.
The Texans aren’t expected to play their starters very long and likely will be without star defensive end J.J. Watt, who tweaked a groin at practice.
The preseason kicked off last Thursday with the Hall of Fame Game, pitting the Denver Broncos against the Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos won the plodding preseason tilt 14-10, scoring a late touchdown to record the victory.
For most teams, the preseason consists of four preseason games — the Falcons and Broncos being the exception that play five. Starters mostly see limited reps in the preseason, with playing time peaking in the third game. The games are meant for teams to evaluate talent deeper down on the depth chart and dwindle their rosters to 53 players.
The exhibition games run through Aug. 29, with the kickoff to the NFL’s 100th season taking place on Thursday, Sept. 5 with NFC North rivals Green Bay and Chicago facing off.