Getty Damar Hamlin's condition continues to improve amid the prayers of millions.
The Buffalo Bills take on the New England Patriots in the Bills’ first game since the scary incident involving safety Damar Hamalin.
The game (1 p.m. ET) will be televised on CBS in select markets. If the game is in your market, you can watch a live stream on Amazon Prime, Paramount+, FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which all come with a free trial.
Those are the best options if the game is in your market, but there are also some alternatives for out-of-market viewers, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch the Patriots vs Bills streaming live online today:
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Amazon Prime
Note: This is an option if the game is in your market
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch a live stream of their local CBS station via the Prime Paramount+ channel (“Premium” plan). You can try both Amazon Prime and the Paramount+ Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Once you’re signed up for the Prime Paramount+ Channel, you can watch the Patriots vs Bills live on the Amazon Video app or Amazon website.
Compatible devices for the Amazon Video app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, various smart TV’s, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
FuboTV
Note: This is an option if the game is in your market
You can watch a live stream of CBS and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Patriots vs Bills live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
DirecTV Stream
Note: This is an option if the game is in your market
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” CBS is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Patriots vs Bills live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Paramount+
Note: This is an option if the game is in your market
This is ultimately the same as the Amazon Prime option above, only you’ll watch on Paramount’s digital platforms instead of Amazon’s. You can watch your local CBS channel live via Paramount+ (“Premium” plan), which comes with a free trial:
Once signed up for Paramount+, you can watch the Patriots vs Bills live on the Paramount+ app or Paramount+ website.
Compatible devices for the Paramount+ app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Samsung Smart TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
SundayTicket.TV
Note: This is an option if the game is out of your market
You can watch a live stream of every out-of-market, non-nationally televised NFL game via SundayTicket.TV. Unfortunately, the service is only available for people who live in residences where DirecTV Satellite isn’t available (apartments, condos, etc.), residents of a few select metropolitan cities or college students. You can check your eligibility and sign up here:
Once signed up, out-of-market fans can watch the Patriots vs Bills live on the NFL Sunday Ticket app or NFL Sunday Ticket website.
Compatible devices for the NFL Sunday Ticket app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
DirecTV Satellite
Note: This is an option if the game is out of your market
This is different from “DirecTV Stream,” which is a live-streaming service that comes with no contract and doesn’t offer Sunday Ticket in any of its packages.
DirecTV Satellite is a cable option, which comes with a contract, but it’s worth mentioning here because for many people, it’s the only way to get Sunday Ticket and watch live out-of-market games in the United States. Sunday Ticket is currently included at no extra cost with the “Choice” ($69.99 per month) and above TV bundles:
Once signed up for DirecTV, out-of-market viewers can watch the Patriots vs Bills live on the DirecTV app or DirecTV website.
NFL+
You can watch in-market games live and out-of-market games as replays after their conclusion on NFL+, which comes with a free seven-day trial and then costs $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year after that:
Once you’re signed up for NFL+, you can watch the Patriots vs Bills live on the NFL app or NFL website.
Compatible devices for the NFL app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
If You Live in Canada: DAZN
Viewers in Canada can watch a live stream of every NFL game (preseason, regular season, postseason), NFL Network and NFL RedZone via DAZN, which comes with a free trial:
Once signed up, viewers in Canada can watch the Patriots vs Bills live on the DAZN app or DAZN website.
Compatible devices for the DAZN app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Samsung Smart TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Patriots vs Bills Preview
The Buffalo Bills will take the field for the first time since safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field in a Monday Night Football game on January 2.
Hamlin’s condition improved as the week went, and he reached the point of being able to speak to his teammates via FaceTime on January 6. Hamlin most recently posted on Instagram on January 7.
“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much,” Hamlin wrote. “The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!”
Now, the Bills look to continue their on-field journey in a quest to win the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy. The Bills can earn a neutral site game for the AFC Championship Game with a victory on Sunday against the New England Patriots.
“You can’t not honor his request to go out there,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said via Pro Football Talk on January 6 after Hamlin’s conversation with the team where he expressed his desire for them to keep playing. “Today’s news was a lot of tears of joy, I’ll tell you that. To know that’s what he wants, that’s what his dad wants, I think guys are excited to get out there.”
Kansas City locked up the No. 1 seed with a 31-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Bills can’t tie the Chiefs’ record of 14-3 because of the canceled Week 17 game when Hamlin collapsed. The NFL ruled that Buffalo (12-3) could play a neutral site game with the Chiefs because of one fewer game played.
Buffalo can also ruin the Patriots’ season in the process on Sunday. The Patriots (8-8) need a win on Sunday to make the playoffs and avoid a second losing season in three years since the departure of Tom Brady to Tampa Bay.
While Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has his sights set on beating the Bills and getting his team into the playoffs, he marveled at Hamlin’s miraculous recovery.
“I think every update that we get in the locker room, everyone’s super excited to hear that each time, he’s doing better,” Jones said via NESN. “We’re all super excited. Honestly, (that question) is pretty wild. You can tell that he’s a competitor, right? That’s the first thing he’s asking and all that. I think that’s who we are as people.”