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The NFL preseason kicks into gear this week for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys as they face off at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday. It’s the first action of the preseason for both squads.
The game starts at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on various local channels for in-market viewers (CBS in Dallas and San Francisco) and on NFL Network for out-of-market viewers. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone or streaming device via one of the following live-TV streaming services:
If the game is on CBS in your area (as it is in Dallas, San Francisco, Austin, Sacramento and other markets), 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 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 Cowboys vs 49ers 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.
CBS, NBC, Fox, CW (all live in select markets; view channels in your area) and NFL Network are among the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Cowboys vs 49ers 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.
PS Vue — which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch — offers four different live-TV channel packages. All include CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC and MyTV (all live in select markets; view channels in your area), while NFL Network is in the upper three bundles.
You can start a free five-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Cowboys vs 49ers 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.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC & CW (all live in select markets; view channels in your area). NFL Network is not included, so this is an option for in-market viewers only.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Cowboys vs 49ers 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.
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 Cowboys vs 49ers 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.
Cowboys vs 49ers Preview
Training camp for the Dallas Cowboys hasn’t been about who’s on the field, but rather who’s not on it.
Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott has still not reported to the team, despite having two years left on his contract. He’s seeking a long-term deal that would give him a substantial bump in salary. Elliott is still on his rookie deal, which puts him 10th among running backs in terms of average annual salary at $6,239,086.
The Cowboys have not been shy about feeding Zeke the ball. Last year, Elliott had a monster workload, with 304 rushes — 43 more than any other player — to go with 77 catches, collecting 2,001 yards from scrimmage. He’s also led the NFL in rushing in two of his three seasons as a pro. The team also has to sign quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper to extensions, as both can become free agents as well.
On the 49ers side, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has already been ruled out. Garoppolo is coming off an ACL tear, but is expected to take the field in the coming weeks of the preseason.
San Fransisco is also dealing with an injury to Nick Bosa, who the team took with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft. He is not expected to play in the preseason.
The game wraps up the first week of preseason play with all the NFL squads active. The exhibition season kicked off last week 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 preseason 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.