Getty Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Brown participates in warmups prior to a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 17, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
As the preseason reaches its final week, the Detroit Lions are hitting the road to take on the Cleveland at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here’s a rundown of how to watch the Lions vs Browns 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 Fox in Detroit and ABC in Cleveland, 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 Detroit, Cleveland & 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 Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC & 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 Lions vs Browns 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 Columbus, Toledo & Other Select Markets: Amazon Prime
If the game is on CBS in your area (as it is in Columbus, Toledo, Saginaw and Dayton), and you don’t need any other channels, 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 seven-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 Lions vs Browns 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.
Fans in Detroit & Other Select Markets: FuboTV
Fox, NBC, CBS 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 included, so fans in Cleveland 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 Lions vs Browns 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 Detroit, Cleveland & 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 Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC 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 the Lions vs Browns 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.
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 Lions vs Browns 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 Lions vs Browns 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.
Lions Vs. Browns Preview
As the preseason hits its final week, most teams will take a long, hard look at the deepest part of their depth charts with 53-man roster cuts on the horizon. Few, if any starters usually see the field in the preseason finale.
Most teams play just four preseason games — the exception being the two teams who play in the annual Hall of Fame Game — hoping to find a balance between staying sharp and avoiding injuries. That being said, there are always injuries that arise in the exhibition games that leave teams and fans with their heads in their hands.
The Browns are the most intriguing team entering the season, making some big roster moves in the offseason. Premier among those pickups was wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who’s excited for a fresh start in Cleveland after a tumultuous five years in New York.
“I’m excited to be part of the excitement,” he told reporters. “I’d watched from afar, kind of the struggles. They didn’t win a game that one year, then won a game … I feel like it’s just been on the come up. It’s just that time. I just want to give absolutely everything I have and see where we land. Starting with training camp, to then preseason, to then the first game of the season.”
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield also faces sky-high expectations entering his second season, but disappointed in his longest action of the preseason last week in Tampa Bay. Mayfield competed just 10-of-26 passes for 72 yards with one interception coming just before half. His QB rating was a paltry 30.6.
The Lions have had probably the worst luck of the preseason, losing linebacker Jarrad Davis and center Frank Ragnow to leg injuries. Head coach Matt Patricia said neither injury is season-ending, but it surely was not something the team wanted to see in the preseason.
Last season the Lions finished 6-10 and last in the NFC North in Patricia’s rookie season as a head coach. Detroit hasn’t won the AFC North since 1993.
Quarterback Matt Stafford will be looking to rebound from a miserable 2018 campaign, which was his worst year as a pro in which he started all 16 games. Stafford passed for 3,777 yards 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The Lions are hoping that second year back Kerryon Johnson can bring more balance to the offense and the addition of veteran pass-catcher Danny Amendola will help Stafford through the air.
The Lions begin their season on Sept. 8 against the Arizona Cardinals and No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. The Browns kick off their year at home against the Tennessee Titans.