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How to watch the 2021 Super Bowl, with or without cable

Simon Cohen
By

This year’s Super Bowl — the 55th edition of the mega-matchup — takes place on Sunday, February 7, and it will be unlike any previous Super Bowl, due to the ongoing pandemic. Fan presence in the stadium will be limited to just 22,000 occupants, and unlike last year, you won’t be able to view the game in 4K or HDR.

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But whether Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida is packed with fans or not, you’ll still be able to watch all of the gridiron action and halftime glitz from home.

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If you have a cable subscription, access to streaming services, or you rely on over-the-air broadcasts, you can watch Super Bowl 2021. Here’s how.

Super Bowl LV

Date: Sunday, February 7

Time: 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cable or satellite

This year, CBS owns the rights to broadcast Super Bowl LV — its 21st time delivering the game to viewers — and it will be making live game coverage widely available across its many platforms.

If you have a cable or satellite subscription, it’s a no-brainer. Just switch to CBS and you’re good to go.

Live TV streaming services

If you use one of the many live TV streaming services like Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV Now, or Fubo TV, your access to the Super Bowl will vary. Since CBS is carried by Fubo TV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and AT&T TV Now as part of their basic or all-inclusive price plans, those who use these services already have everything they need.

Sling TV is a slightly different story. Neither of Sling’s main Orange or Blue packages includes CBS. But if you use Sling TV in conjunction with an over-the-air antenna and a device like AirTV, you should still be able to pull in your local CBS affiliate. Another way to go is via the NFL Network, which is included in the Sling Blue package. If you have Sling Orange, the optional $10 per month Sports Extra Add-on includes NFL RedZone, whoch offers yet another way to stream the game live.

Stand-alone streaming services and apps

If you don’t have access to a live TV streaming service, there are other ways to watch the game online.

CBS All Access is the primary streaming home for the Super Bowl. If you have a CBS All Access subscription (whether the basic or ad-free tier), you’ll be able to watch on all of its many supported devices, like smart TVs, phones, tablets, and on the web.

But if you don’t have a CBS All Access account, there are also some free streaming options.

In addition to CBS’s digital properties, according to CBS, the game will be streamed free on NFL digital properties across devices, and on mobile via the participating teams’ mobile properties, as well as Yahoo Sports and other Verizon Media mobile properties. It will also be available in Spanish on ESPN Deportes and ESPN digital platforms.

Finally, you’ll be able to watch for free via CBSSports.com on the web, and on the CBS Sports app, which is available as a free download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV,  Android TV, iOS, and Android, plus several smart TV platforms.

Antenna TV

If you have an HD antenna and a CBS affiliate available in your area, you’ll be able to watch the big game. If you don’t have an antenna, we’ve handpicked some of our favorites to help you get tuned in for one of the biggest Sundays of the year.

If you live near a CBS affiliate that is broadcast over the air, but your antenna reception is too poor to enjoy the game, check out Locast. The free service makes over-the-air channels available as live online streams, but availability can vary vastly by market.

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Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
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