Honestly, trying to figure out how to watch monday night football streaming used to be easy. You just turned on ESPN. But now? It’s a mess of apps, "exclusive" windows, and subscriptions that seem to change every single season.
If you're sitting there ten minutes before kickoff frantically Googling why the game isn't on your usual app, you aren't alone. Between ABC simulcasts, ESPN+ exclusives, and the new "ESPN Unlimited" tier, the goalposts have moved.
The basic way to watch monday night football streaming
Look, if you want the path of least resistance, you need a service that carries ESPN. That’s the "main" home. For most of the 2025-2026 season, the Monday night ritual lives there.
But it’s not just one channel anymore.
A huge chunk of the schedule now gets "simulcast" on ABC. This is great news if you have an old-school antenna—you can literally watch some of these games for free. For example, during the 2025 season, the Vikings vs. Bears opener was on both ESPN and ABC. When the NFL knows a game is going to be a massive ratings hit, they usually put it on both to grab the biggest audience possible.
Then you have the ManningCast. If you’d rather watch Peyton and Eli make fun of each other (and occasionally talk about the game) on ESPN2, you need a service that includes the "deuce."
The best streaming services for the job
If you're ready to ditch cable, you have four or five main choices. Each one has its own annoying quirk.
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- YouTube TV: It’s basically the gold standard right now, even if the price has crept up to around $73–$83 a month. You get ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. It’s simple. The DVR is unlimited, which is a lifesaver if you're stuck in traffic and miss the first quarter.
- Hulu + Live TV: Very similar to YouTube TV in price, but it comes with a massive perk: the Disney Bundle. That means you get ESPN+ and Disney+ included. Since ESPN+ carries some exclusive Monday night games that aren't on regular TV, this is actually a really smart play.
- Sling TV: The "budget" pick. If you only care about Monday Night Football, you get Sling Orange. It’s usually around $40–$46 a month. Just be careful—Sling Orange doesn't have ABC in most markets. You’ll get the ESPN feed, but if a game is only on ABC for some reason, you might be out of luck unless you use an antenna.
- Fubo: This is the sports-heavy choice. It’s great, but it’s expensive. You get everything you need for Monday night, plus a ton of international sports.
What about ESPN+ and the new "Unlimited" tier?
This is where things get slightly confusing. ESPN recently launched a direct-to-consumer service called ESPN Unlimited. It’s about $30 a month.
Wait, is that different from ESPN+?
Yes. ESPN+ is the cheaper version (around $11–$13) that gives you "extra" content like UFC prelims and hockey. ESPN Unlimited is the full-blown digital version of the actual ESPN cable channel. If you don't want a massive 100-channel bundle like YouTube TV, you can just buy ESPN Unlimited and watch monday night football streaming directly through the ESPN app.
It’s a huge shift. For years, you had to have a cable login to use the ESPN app for MNF. Now, you can just pay them directly.
The "I'm on a budget" mobile workaround
If you don't care about seeing the game on a 65-inch 4K TV and you're okay with watching on your phone, NFL+ is the cheapest way to watch monday night football streaming.
It’s around $7 a month.
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The catch? You can only watch "primetime and local games" on your mobile device (phone or tablet). You cannot cast it to your TV. You cannot open the app on your Roku and watch it there. It’s strictly for the small screen. But hey, if you're at work or on a bus, it’s a total lifesaver. Plus, it gives you the live radio broadcast of every single game, which is great if you're driving.
How the 2025-2026 schedule changed things
The NFL has started doing these "doubleheaders" more often.
Sometimes there will be a game on ESPN at 7:00 PM ET and another game on ABC at 8:15 PM ET. If you only have a service that carries one of those, you're missing half the action. In Week 2 of the 2025 season, we saw the Bucs and Texans on ABC while the Chargers and Raiders were on ESPN.
You’ve gotta check the schedule every week. It’s annoying, but it’s the reality of modern sports rights.
Why you might need an antenna
Honestly? Go to a store and buy a $20 digital antenna.
If your internet goes down or your streaming app starts buffering during a crucial two-minute drill, the antenna is your backup. Since so many Monday Night Football games are now on ABC, you can get a crisp, high-definition signal for free over the air. No lag. No "spinning wheel of death."
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Actionable steps to get ready for kickoff
Stop waiting until five minutes before the coin toss to figure this out.
First, check if you already have access through a family member’s cable login; if you do, just download the ESPN app and sign in. If you're starting from scratch, I'd suggest doing the YouTube TV free trial—they almost always offer a week for free to new users.
If you want the cheapest permanent solution for a big screen, look into Sling Orange. Just make sure you check their channel map to see if your local ABC is included, or pair it with that antenna I mentioned. Finally, if you're a die-hard who wants the ManningCast and the exclusive international games, the Hulu + Live TV bundle is the most "complete" package for the money.
Check your internet speed too. You need at least 25 Mbps for a stable 4K stream, though 10 Mbps will usually get you by in standard HD.
Get your logins sorted now. The 2026 playoffs are right around the corner, and the last thing you want is to be staring at a "Password Incorrect" screen while the opening kickoff is in the air.