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The Cleveland Browns, who have become one of the most compelling teams this preseason thanks to a roster overhaul plus the new Hard Knocks stardom, look to continue their August success when they take on the Buffalo Bills Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET. For those out of market, it will be broadcast on 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, which vary depending on if the game is televised 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 Cleveland and Buffalo, where the game is on ABC, Hulu with Live TV is your best option. But if you’re in Rochester, Columbus or Toledo, where the game is on CBS, Amazon Prime is the way to go
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
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: 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: 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 Browns and Bills 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.
Game Preview
The biggest question heading into the Bills’ second preseason game, and the regular season, for that matter, is who the starting quarterback will be. Bills head coach Sean McDermott tried out a number of young players during the preseason opener, and each achieved varying degrees of success. AJ McCarron went 7-for-10 with a healthy 11.6 yards per attempt. Josh Allen finished just 9-of-19 for 116 yards, but he flashed that big arm that has many excited about his potential. Nathan Peterman, who started, arguably performed the strongest, going 9-for-10 with 119 yards, a touchdown and a pick.
It’s likely that McDermott will continue with this revolving door method into tonight’s game, though he did raise eyebrows when he told Buffalo Rumblings that he was “considering” starting Allen at QB at some point during the preseason.
There’s also a big question mark lingering over the position of wide receiver, as Zay Jones has lost his hold on the starting spot due to his recent injury. Andre Holmes and Rod Streater will be competing for the spot, as will Corey Coleman, who should get some run against his old team.
And speaking of players going up against their old teams, Browns QB Tyrod Taylor is confident that his new squad can keep the momentum of their first preseason game going into tonight.
“It was definitely a good start. That’s all it was, a start,” he told Cleveland Browns.com. “We’ve got to continue building off it, learn from it, put it behind you and continue to move forward. We’re still in training camp mode, diving into the details each and every day, myself included, and just trying to take the offense to the next level as well as the defense and special teams.”
When asked whether the team is eager to make their preseason debut, Taylor said: “I’m excited. The fans have been very supportive at our training camp, so I know it’s going to be even more support in our home stadium. I’m looking forward to playing in front of our home fans and giving them something to cheer about.”