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As the preseason reaches its final week, the Minnesota Vikings are hitting the road to take on the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on Thursday.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET. Here’s a rundown of how to watch the Vikings 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 Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis, 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 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 Vikings 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 Minneapolis & 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 with FuboTV, 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 Vikings 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 Rochester & Other Markets: Amazon Prime
If the game is on CBS in your area (as it is in Rochester and Cedar Rapids), 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 Vikings 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 Vikings 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 Vikings 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.
Vikings vs. Bills 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, 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 Vikings are entering the year looking to recapture the NFC North crown after watching the upstart Chicago Bears snag the banner a year ago. The Vikings won the title in 2017.
Minnesota inked quarterback Kirk Cousins to a big money deal last offseason, and his first year with the Vikes came with mixed results. The team finished 8-7-1 and Cousins threw for 4,298 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Cousins didn’t inspire any confidence in the team’s preseason finale, going just 3-of-13 for 35 yards passing.
“Really disappointing performance,’’ Cousins told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “Put it on me. It wasn’t good enough. If we play that way during the season, it’s going to be a very tough year. We have to be much better than we were [Saturday]. And I really should say I have to be much better than I was. It’s about as simple as that.”
The Bills finished 6-10 a year ago, missing the playoffs. However, head coach Sean McDermott has said this is, “an exciting time to be a Buffalo Bill and a fan of the Buffalo Bills.”
The team is relying on second-year quarterback Josh Allen to show some progression for his sophomore season where he passed for 2,074 yards 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He did have a historic season running the ball, totaling 631 yards and eight touchdowns using his feet.
The Bills added quick wide receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley to hopefully shore up the passing game, while veteran Frank Gore will join LeSean McCoy in the backfield.
On defense, first-round pick Ed Oliver should help the team’s defensive line create more pressure. He joins fellow recent first rounders Shaq Lawson, Tre’Davious White and Tremaine Edmunds on the Buffalo defense.
The Bills kick of their season against the Jets on Sept. 8. The Vikings face the Falcons on the same day to open their 2019 campaign.