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The NFL preseason kicks into gear this week for the Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills as they face off at New Era Field on Thursday. It’s the first action of the preseason for both squads.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET. Here’s a rundown of how to watch the Colts vs Bills 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 Indianapolis and ABC in Buffalo, 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 Indianapolis & 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 isn’t included, so fans in Buffalo 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 Colts vs Bills 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 Indianapolis, Buffalo & 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, Fox, ABC, CBS 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 Colts vs Bills 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 Indianapolis, Buffalo & 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, Fox, ABC, 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 Colts vs Bills 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 Rochester: Amazon Prime
If the game is on CBS in your area (as it is in Rochester, NY), 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 Colts vs Bills 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 Colts vs Bills 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 Colts vs Bills 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.
Colts vs. Bills Preview
The Colts enter the season with high expectations following a 10-6 season a year ago that ended in the AFC Divisional Playoffs with a loss to the Kansas Chiefs.
The biggest storyline of the preseason for the Colts has been the health of star quarterback Andrew Luck, who’s missed most of training camp with a nagging calf injury. He will not be suited up for the game against the Bills.
“At times, I do worry about it. It can be frustrating,” Luck said of the injury. “I’ve improved. Maybe I’m not improving as fast as I want, and missing things is no fun.”
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft is entering his eighth season in the league, having made the Pro Bowl four times, including last season. He missed all of 2017 with shoulder issues.
The Bills finished 6-10 during a rebuilding 2018 season, finishing third in the AFC East. Buffalo will be looking for improvement from second-year quarterback Josh Allen, who was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Allen started 11 games during his rookie campaign, collecting 2,074 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, he also threw 14 interceptions. Allen came into the league being known for his big arm, but used his legs to great effectiveness while trying to figure out the NFL game. He had 631 yards and eight scores on the ground, including a franchise 135-yard rushing performance against the Dolphins.
Other players to watch for the Bills will be running backs LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore. The team signed Gore this offseason after he spent a year with the Dolphins, rushing for 722 yards in 14 starts. He’s entering his 15th season in the NFL.
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.