You’re sitting there, fifteen minutes before kickoff, and the screen is black. We've all been there. It’s frustrating because the NFL has turned finding out how to watch Green Bay Packers game into a complicated puzzle of zip codes, streaming rights, and "exclusive" windows. If you live in De Pere or Ashwaubenon, it’s easy—you just turn on the local Fox or CBS affiliate. But for the millions of Packers fans scattered from Los Angeles to Orlando, it's a weekly hunt. This isn't just about turning on a TV anymore; it’s about navigating a landscape where Amazon, YouTube, and traditional cable are all fighting for your eyeballs.
The basic local map and why it fails most people
If you’re lucky enough to live in the Green Bay or Milwaukee "home markets," your life is simple. You get the games on over-the-air television. Most Packers games land on Fox, thanks to the NFC’s long-standing broadcast contract. Occasionally, if they’re playing an AFC opponent at home, you might see them on CBS. Then there's NBC for Sunday Night Football. You buy a $20 digital antenna, plug it in, and you're golden. Honestly, it’s the most reliable way to watch. No buffering, no lag.
But let’s be real. Most of us aren't in Wisconsin.
When you're out-of-market, the NFL’s "broadcast map" becomes your worst enemy. Every Sunday morning, experts like John Preezy at 506 Sports post these color-coded maps showing which games will be aired in which regions. If the Packers are playing at the same time as the local team in your area—say, the Giants if you're in New York—you’re likely going to get stuck watching the Giants. This is the "regional lockout," and it's the primary reason fans get so desperate to find a workaround.
YouTube TV and the Sunday Ticket shift
The biggest change in recent years is the migration of NFL Sunday Ticket to YouTube TV. For decades, DirecTV held this like a golden goose. Now, it’s digital. If you want every single out-of-market Packers game, this is basically the only legal "all-in" solution. It's expensive. You're looking at hundreds of dollars per season. You don’t strictly need a YouTube TV base subscription to buy Sunday Ticket—you can get it as a standalone "YouTube Primary Channel"—but it’s often cheaper if you bundle.
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One thing people often miss: Sunday Ticket does not include local games or "nationally televised" games.
It’s a weird quirk. If the Packers are playing on Monday Night Football, Sunday Ticket won't show it. If the game is being broadcast on your local Fox station, Sunday Ticket will actually black it out on the app and force you to watch it on your local channel. It’s a protectionist move for the local affiliates. So, even if you drop $400 on the Ticket, you still need a way to get your local channels or ESPN.
Prime Video, Peacock, and the streaming exclusives
Remember when every game was on "regular" TV? Those days are dead. The NFL has carved out specific games that only exist on streaming platforms. Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. If Green Bay is playing on a Thursday, and it’s not Thanksgiving, you better have a Prime login.
Then there’s Peacock. NBCUniversal has started bidding on exclusive rights for specific regular-season games and even playoff games. In 2024 and 2025, we saw the league lean heavily into this. If the Packers are scheduled for one of these "streaming-only" international games—like the ones in London or Brazil—you might find yourself needing a one-month subscription to a service you never use otherwise. It’s annoying. It’s "subscription fatigue." But it’s the reality of the modern NFL.
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The NFL+ option for the mobile fan
There’s a middle-ground service called NFL+. It’s relatively cheap compared to Sunday Ticket, but it comes with a massive catch: you can only watch live games on a phone or tablet. You can't cast it to your 75-inch OLED TV. Well, technically you can't—the app usually blocks screen mirroring for live broadcasts.
NFL+ gives you access to "live local and primetime games." This means if the Packers are on your local TV, or they are on Sunday, Monday, or Thursday night, you can watch on your phone. It’s great for the fan who is stuck at a kid’s soccer game or working a Sunday shift. It also includes "NFL RedZone" if you pay for the Premium tier, which is arguably the best way to keep up with the whole league if you don't care about seeing every single snap of the Packers game.
International fans and the Game Pass loophole
If you’re reading this from outside the United States, your options are actually better. NFL Game Pass International, now hosted on DAZN, is a powerhouse. Unlike the US version of Sunday Ticket, the international Game Pass usually includes every single game live, with no blackouts (depending on the country).
Some US fans try to use VPNs to spoof their location to a different country to access this. It’s a cat-and-mouse game. Streaming services have become incredibly good at detecting and blocking VPN IP addresses. While some people swear by it, it's often more headache than it's worth when the stream cuts out in the fourth quarter because the server got flagged.
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The bar scene: A dying art?
There is something to be said for the classic Packers bar. Green Bay has one of the most robust "displaced fan" networks in the world. From The Kettle of Fish in New York City to random spots in Tokyo, Packers fans congregate. If you don't want to pay for Sunday Ticket, searching the "Packers Everywhere" database is a legit move. These bars pay for commercial licenses to show every game. You spend $30 on wings and beer instead of $400 on a subscription. Plus, you get the communal experience of "Go Pack Go" chants with strangers.
Technical hurdles: Lag and resolution
Nothing ruins a game like a spoiler from a text message. If you are watching on a streaming service like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV, you are likely 30 to 45 seconds behind the "real-time" broadcast. If your brother is watching on an antenna and texts you "TOUCHDOWN!!" while you're still looking at a 3rd-and-long, the experience is ruined.
To minimize this, hardwire your streaming device with an Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi is fine for movies, but for live sports, the jitter can cause the stream to downscale to 480p right when Jordan Love is launching a deep ball. Most NFL games are still broadcast in 1080i or 720p, though we are finally seeing more "4K Upscaled" broadcasts for big primetime games.
Summary of the best ways to tune in
Forget the fancy charts. Here is the move based on who you are.
If you live in Wisconsin, get an antenna. It’s free and it’s the fastest signal. If you live outside of Wisconsin and have the money, YouTube TV with Sunday Ticket is the "set it and forget it" option. If you’re on a budget, find a local Packers bar or stick to the primetime games on NBC, ESPN, and Amazon.
Don't wait until kickoff to check your logins. The NFL app and various streaming platforms often require updates right when you’re trying to authenticate your account. Check it on Saturday.
Actionable next steps for game day
- Check the coverage map: Visit 506 Sports on Wednesday or Thursday of game week to see if your local Fox/CBS station is carrying the Packers.
- Verify your subscriptions: If the game is on Thursday, ensure your Amazon Prime account is active. If it’s a Monday, check your ESPN/cable login.
- Test your hardware: Ensure your smart TV or streaming stick (Roku, FireStick, Apple TV) is updated to the latest OS version to avoid mid-game crashes.
- Set up a backup: Have the NFL app downloaded on your phone. If your home internet goes down, you can at least catch the local broadcast on 5G via NFL+.