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After 10 years, Jon Gruden returns to an NFL sideline on Friday night when his Oakland Raiders take on the Detroit Lions in a Week 1 preseason matchup.
The game is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. ET. For those out of market, it will be broadcast on the NFL Network. For those in market, it will be broadcast on a local channel, depending on your city.
If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, here’s a rundown of all your live stream options, depending on whether the game is in your market or not:
If The Teams are in Your Market
First, check to see what local channel the game is on in your area–it will be either ABC, CBS, CW, Fox or NBC. Then, if you sign up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services, you’ll be able to watch a live stream of one, some, or all of those channels, depending on the service.
For example, for fans in San Francisco/Oakland and Detroit, where the game is on Fox, Hulu with Live TV and FuboTV are both good options. In Saginaw, where the game is on CBS, Amazon Prime is a good option.
Here’s a rundown of all the streaming services, what they include, and how to sign up and watch:
(Note that local channels are available live in select markets)
Local channels included: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, NBC
In addition to its massive Netflix-like library of on-demand movies and TV shows, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, which includes ABC, CBS, CW, Fox and NBC. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of any of those channels on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch the game live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Local channels included: CBS, CW, Fox, NBC
A streaming service that is largely tailored towards sports fans, FuboTV includes CBS, CW, Fox and NBC. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of those channels on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch the game live, FuboTV also comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch games and shows up to three days after they air even if you forgot to record them. The main FuboTV channel package also comes with NFL Network, which will air a replay of every preseason game.
Local channels included: CBS
If you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch all CBS content (both live and on-demand) via the CBS Amazon Channel, which also 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 your local CBS channel on your computer via the Amazon website, or you can watch on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Amazon Video app.
Local channels included: Fox, NBC
Fox and NBC are both included in the “Sling Blue” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch a live stream of either channel on your computer via the Sling website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on. “Sling Blue” also comes with the NFL Network, which will air a replay of every preseason game, so you can also watch that way if you miss it live.
If the Teams Aren’t in Your Market
For everyone outside of the Lions and Raiders markets, the game will be broadcast nationally on NFL Network, which is included in main FuboTV channel package.
You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of NFL Network on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
Preview
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After almost 10 years away from coaching, Jon Gruden returned to the NFL to be a full-time head coach this offseason. Gruden, once given the nickname “Chucky” for his striking resemblance to the famous horror movie doll, will once again patrol the sidelines for the Silver and Black of the Oakland Raiders.
Gruden begins his second tenure as Raiders head coach (1998-2001) when they host the Detroit Lions in Week 1 of NFL Preseason.
For Gruden, it was a culture shift to take on the reigns again, as the NFL landscape has changed dramatically in the decade he was away, primarily serving as the color analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The NFL has become a pass-heavy league, which should play into Gruden’s strengths; he believes his team is close to ready:
Derek Carr is easily the best individual talent Gruden has ever directly had the opportunity to work with as an NFL coach next to former league Most Valuable Player Rich Gannon (2002). In addition to inheriting Carr, Gruden inherits an offense that includes offseason acquisition, wide receiver Jordy Nelson.
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the Raiders without a little dysfunction, namely the future of All-Pro (2015, 2016) pass-rusher Khalil Mack and his contract situation moving forward.
The Lions have a new head coach of their own as well, as former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia comes over aiming to transform the entire culture in Detroit.
Detroit had a relatively quiet offseason, but its biggest move may be stabilizing the running back unit by bringing in LeGarrette Blount. The Lions finished 10th in red zone scoring percentage in 2017 despite not having a traditional, capable back to give the bulk of the carries to inside the five-yard line. Blount has successfully managed to transform himself into a winning player despite some early career problems, and has rings with both the Patriots two years ago and Philadelphia Eagles last season. Blount provides a stable complement to more adept pass-catchers Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick.
The Lions also got some important news this week. Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, who had knee surgery during the offseason, was activated off the PUP List and returned to practice Monday.
Ansah is an important part of the Lions’ defensive front seven, which is among the thinner units depth wise in the NFL.