Monday Night Football is one of the most popular sports slots on TV, attracting over 14 million viewers every week. Unfortunately, it’s been a long time since you could just tune into your local network TV station to catch the big game.
Although it takes a bit more effort these days, it’s not too difficult to tune into Monday Night Football in 2021 without a cable subscription. While it’s true the games are all on ESPN, a number of streaming services offer that channel as part of their lineup. There are quite a few options for cord cutters to watch each week’s matchup, and some of them are even free.
Read on to learn about all your choices for watching Monday Night Football without cable in 2021.
Monday Night Football Schedule 2021
Monday night football kicks off on ESPN on September 13, 2021. The opening game is also simulcast on ABC, so anyone can watch that game without cable or a streaming service. After that, each game will air on ESPN, along with a Spanish-language broadcast on ESPN Deportes.
On top of that, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will offer an alternate simulcast of “Monday Night Football With Peyton and Eli” during 10 of the season’s 17 games. This broadcast features Peyton and Eli Manning offering in-game commentary of their own.
The full Monday Night Football schedule is listed below. All games will air at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Remaining “Peyton and Eli” games TBD.
| Week Number | Date | Visitor | Home | Where To Watch |
| 1 | 9/13/21 | Baltimore Ravens | Las Vegas Raiders | ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2/ESPN+ (Alternate simulcast) |
| 2 | 9/20/21 | Detroit Tigers | Green Bay Packers | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2/ESPN+ (Alternate simulcast) |
| 3 | 9/27/21 | Philadelphia Eagles | Dallas Cowboys | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2/ESPN+ (Alternate simulcast) |
| 4 | 10/04/21 | Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 5 | 10/11/21 | Indianapolis Colts | Baltimore Ravens | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 6 | 10/18/21 | Buffalo Bills | Tennessee Titans | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 7 | 10/25/21 | New Orleans Saints | Seattle Seahawks | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2/ESPN+ (Alternate simulcast) |
| 8 | 11/01/21 | New York Giants | Kansas City Chiefs | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2/ESPN+ (Alternate simulcast) |
| 9 | 11/08/21 | Chicago Bears | Pittsburgh Steelers | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 10 | 11/15/21 | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 11 | 11/22/21 | New York Giants | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 12 | 11/29/21 | Seattle Seahawks | Washington Football Team | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 13 | 12/06/21 | New England Patriots | Buffalo Bills | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 14 | 12/13/21 | Los Angeles Rams | Arizona Cardinals | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 15 | 12/20/21 | Minnesota Vikings | Chicago Bears | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 16 | 12/27/21 | Miami Dolphins | New Orleans Saints | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
| 17 | 1/03/22 | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers | ESPN, ESPN Deportes |
How to Watch Monday Night Football on Hulu
Fans who want to pair their football-watching with binging their favorite TV series will probably find their best best in the Hulu+ Live TV option. For $64.99/mo., this plan gives you complete access to Hulu’s extensive on-demand streaming library, as well as live broadcasts from over 75 channels.
Monday Night Football lovers will have access to ESPN and ESPN2, which allows them to watch both the regular broadcast and the Manning brothers’ simulcast when it’s available. To get ESPN Deportes, Spanish-speaking viewers will need to purchase the Español add-on for $4.99/mo.
Hulu+ Live TV also includes other popular sports stations, such as CBS Sports Network, ESPN U, FS1, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network, and TNT, along with live streams of local network affiliates. This makes Hulu a great option for any sports fan looking for a wide variety of national sports and some local broadcasts.
How to Watch Monday Night Football on YouTube
YouTube TV offers even more live TV variety for viewers for the same price as Hulu+ Live TV, starting at $64.99/mo. If you’re looking for Monday Night Football, you’ll find ESPN and ESPN2 here, and the basic plan includes unlimited cloud DVR storage, so you won’t have to miss a minute of it. Spanish-speaking viewers are out of luck, however, as YouTube TV doesn’t currently offer an option to include ESPN Deportes.
YouTube TV has over 85 channels, including the same cable and network sports stations as Hulu+ Live TV. There are also a few extras, such as MLB Network, NBA TV, and Univision. The biggest downside of YouTube TV is its lack of an on-demand streaming library and Spanish-language broadcasts. If your primary goal is to watch live sports, though, it has a stronger lineup than Hulu+ Live TV. You can also purchase the Sports Plus add-on for additional coverage, including Fox Soccer Plus and NFL Red Zone.
How to Watch Monday Night Football on fuboTV
FuboTV has billed itself as the go-to for cord-cutting sports streamers, and it lives up to the hype. For $64.99/mo., FuboTV gives viewers access to a huge array of sports coverage from channels like ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, Fox Soccer Plus, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network, NHL Network, and more.
Overall, the standard plan includes 109 stations and a decent library of on-demand shows, though its library is nowhere near as large as Hulu’s.
Viewers looking for Monday Night Football will have no trouble finding it here. You’ll have access to every broadcast and 250 hours of cloud DVR storage, which you can upgrade in the Pro or Elite plans. It also includes ESPN Deportes at no extra charge. This makes FuboTV a likely choice for football and sports lovers alike.
How to Watch Monday Night Football on Sling
Cord cutters who want to watch Monday Night Football on a tighter budget may find what they’re looking for on Sling TV, which offers two packages that you can purchase separately or as a complete bundle.
With Sling Orange, which is priced at $35/mo., you can watch ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3, giving you full access to every Monday Night Football broadcast. You also get 50 hours of DVR storage to record any games you can’t watch live.
If you want to watch additional sports, though, you’ll need to purchase the Sling Orange & Blue package, which adds stations such as FS1, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network, and TNT. With 51 total channels, this plan doesn’t offer as much variety as Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV or FuboTV, but it’s a bargain at $50/mo. You can also add ESPN Deportes and 19 other Spanish channels with the “Best of Spanish TV” package for $5.mo.
How to Watch Monday Night Football on DIRECTV STREAM
If you’re looking for a cord-cutting option for watching Monday Night Football that’s closer to traditional cable, DIRECTV STREAM might be a good choice. Formerly AT&T TV Now, DirecTV Stream offers an Entertainment Package that includes ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and NBC Sports Network for $69.99/mo. Overall, this is fairly limited sports coverage, but the plan includes over 65 channels and 45,000 on-demand titles, as well as options to add on channels like ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, and NBA League Pass.
While that basic plan may satisfy Monday Night Football plans, its premium price point may not be as appealing. However, true sports fans will be enticed by DIRECTV STREAM’s upper-tier Choice, Ultimate, or Premier plans, which include many other sports networks. These packages start at $84.99 and are currently the only option for cord cutters who want access to Bally Sports regional networks to watch their local teams.
These options give DIRECTV STREAM viewers the cable experience without the cable box — and no annual contracts, making it a good option for sports-loving cord cutters.
How to Watch Monday Night Football for Free
Not looking to take on another monthly bill? There are a few options for you if you’re looking to stream Monday Night Football for free:
- Yahoo! Sports app: You can actually watch any national or local NFL games for free on your mobile phone or tablet with this app. All you have to do is download the app and turn on your location. You won’t be able to screencast to your TV or watch out-of-market games, though.
- NFL app: Like the Yahoo! Sports app, you can watch national and local in-market games for free on your mobile device. Out-of-market games and screencasting are prohibited.
- Hulu+ Live TV: You can try Hulu for free for seven days, so you can catch a free game before you have to commit to a month of the service.
- YouTube TV: YouTube TV offers free trials to first-time subscribers. Lengths may vary.
- FuboTV: You can get a seven-day free trial of FuboTV.