Look, being a Chicago Bears fan is a lifestyle choice that involves a lot of heartbreak, a lot of hope, and—increasingly—a lot of confusion about which app you actually need to open to see the kickoff. Gone are the days when you just turned to Channel 2 or Channel 9 and called it a day. Now? You're juggling three different streaming logins and praying your neighbor’s Wi-Fi doesn't cut out during a crucial third-down conversion. If you're wondering what can I watch the Bears game on, you aren't alone. The NFL’s broadcast rights have become a massive spiderweb of local affiliates, national networks, and tech giants like Amazon and Google.
It’s frustrating. One week it's CBS, the next it’s a random Thursday night game on a platform you forgot you subscribed to last year.
Basically, the answer depends entirely on where you’re sitting right now. Are you in the 312 area code, or are you a displaced fan living in Arizona or Florida? The rules change based on your GPS coordinates. If you’re within the Chicago market, life is relatively simple because local broadcast rules still favor "over-the-air" TV. But for the rest of the country, watching Caleb Williams lead the offense requires a bit more strategy.
The Local Strategy: Watching in Chicago and Beyond
If you are physically located in the Chicago television market, you have the easiest path. You’ve got the local affiliates. Most Bears games air on FOX (WFLD-TV) because they hold the primary rights for NFC games. It’s been that way for decades. However, when the Bears play an AFC team at home, you’ll often find them on CBS (WBBM-TV).
Buy an antenna. Seriously. A decent digital antenna costs twenty bucks and pulls these channels out of the air for free in high definition. It’s the most reliable way to beat the 30-second delay that plagues most streaming services. There is nothing worse than hearing your neighbor scream because of a touchdown while your stream is still showing a huddle.
For those who have cut the cord but still live in the area, services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV carry all these local channels. They’re expensive—usually north of $75 a month—but they provide the most seamless "couch-to-game" experience. You just open the app, click the guide, and there’s the game.
But what if it's a night game? That’s where things get messy. Sunday Night Football is always on NBC (WMAQ in Chicago) and streams simultaneously on Peacock. If it’s Monday Night Football, you’re looking at ESPN or occasionally ABC. If you only have a digital antenna, you might miss some of these cable-exclusive matchups unless they are "simulcast" on a local broadcast station, which the NFL usually does for the participating teams' home markets.
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What Can I Watch the Bears Game On If I Live Out of State?
This is where the real struggle begins. If you’re a Bears fan living in New York or Los Angeles, you are at the mercy of the "regional map." Every Sunday, FOX and CBS decide which games to show in which cities. Unless the Bears are playing a high-profile opponent or are having a breakout season, they might not be the "Game of the Week" in your area.
The "holy grail" for out-of-market fans is NFL Sunday Ticket.
For years, this was stuck on DirecTV, but now it lives exclusively on YouTube TV. It is not cheap. You’re looking at several hundred dollars a season. However, it is the only legal way to guarantee you see every single snap of every single Bears game regardless of where you live. You can buy it as a standalone "Primetime Channel" on YouTube, meaning you don't actually need a full YouTube TV monthly subscription to get the games.
Another sneaky tool is NFL+. This is the league's own subscription service. It’s a bit of a mixed bag. You can watch live local and primetime games on your phone or tablet, but you can’t "cast" them to your TV. If you’re okay watching the Bears on a 6-inch screen while you’re at a grocery store or stuck at a wedding, it’s a lifesaver. If you want the full big-screen experience, you’ll need the "Premium" tier of NFL+, which allows you to watch full game replays immediately after the live broadcast ends. It’s great for people who work on Sundays and don’t want to be spoiled.
The Streaming Giants and the "Exclusive" Problem
We have to talk about Amazon Prime Video. If the Bears are scheduled for Thursday Night Football, Amazon is the only place to find them nationally. You won't find it on cable. You won't find it on Sunday Ticket. You need an active Prime membership.
Wait, there’s a loophole.
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If you live in the Chicago market, the NFL requires that the game be shown on a local "free" station as well. Usually, this is WGN or another local independent station. They do this so fans without high-speed internet aren't totally locked out. But if you’re outside of Chicago, it’s Amazon or bust.
Then there’s the Netflix factor. Starting recently, the NFL moved its Christmas Day games to Netflix. If the Bears end up on the holiday slate, you'll need that login too. It’s a fragmented mess, honestly. You basically need a spreadsheet to keep track of which billionaire owns the rights to which week of the season.
Avoiding the "Blackout" Headache
You’ve probably heard the term "blackout," and it still haunts some older fans. Historically, if a game didn't sell out, it wouldn't be shown on local TV. The NFL suspended this rule years ago, so you don't have to worry about the stadium being full just to see the game on your couch.
However, "blackouts" in the modern sense usually refer to streaming. If you try to use a VPN to pretend you're in Chicago while using a service like YouTube TV, it might work, or it might get your account flagged. These services are incredibly good at detecting GPS spoofing. If you're wondering what can I watch the Bears game on without the technical headaches, sticking to the official apps is usually the path of least resistance, even if it hurts the wallet.
- Check the Schedule Early: Look at the network icon next to the game. If it says FOX or CBS, check your local listings.
- The 506 Sports Factor: Every Wednesday during the season, a website called 506 Sports releases "broadcast maps." These are color-coded maps showing which parts of the country get which games. It is the single most important resource for a displaced fan.
- Radio is Underrated: If you’re driving or can’t get a stream to work, the Bears Radio Network is elite. 780 AM and 105.9 FM (WBBM) in Chicago carry the call. You can often stream the radio broadcast through the Chicago Bears official app, though geographic restrictions sometimes apply there too.
The Cost of Being a Fan in 2026
Let's be real for a second. To have 100% certainty that you can watch every game, you’re looking at a combination of:
- A base TV package (Cable, YouTube TV, or Fubo)
- Amazon Prime
- Peacock (for those random NBC exclusives)
- NFL Sunday Ticket (if you're out of market)
It adds up. If you're trying to save money, the best move is to find a reliable "Bears Bar." There are Chicago-themed bars in almost every major city—from the Hudson River to the Pacific Coast—that pay for the expensive commercial Sunday Ticket packages so you don't have to. You spend twenty bucks on wings instead of eighty bucks on a monthly streaming bill. Plus, watching a game with twenty other people screaming "Bear Down" is infinitely better than shouting at your cat when the defense misses a tackle.
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Final Technical Checklist
Before kickoff, make sure your apps are updated. There is nothing worse than clicking "Live" at noon only to see a "Downloading Update: 10%..." progress bar.
If you are using a smart TV app, try to hardwire your internet with an Ethernet cable. 4K and high-bitrate HD streams for live sports are data-heavy. If your kids are in the other room playing Fortnite or streaming TikTok, your Bears game is going to buffer. Hardwiring solves 90% of those "why is the picture blurry" complaints.
Also, check your audio settings. If you have a surround sound system, some apps (like YouTube TV) now support 5.1 audio for NFL games. It makes the stadium noise feel like it's actually in your living room, which is both awesome and terrifying during a loud home game at Soldier Field.
Actionable Steps for the Next Kickoff
Stop scrolling and do these three things right now to ensure you don't miss the first drive:
- Download the "NFL" and "Chicago Bears" official apps. They often have a "Way to Watch" feature that detects your location and tells you exactly which channel or service has the rights to the game in your specific zip code.
- Check the 506 Sports broadcast maps on the Wednesday before the game. This will tell you if you're in the "green zone" or "red zone" for the Bears broadcast.
- Verify your logins. If the game is on Amazon Prime or Peacock, log in the night before. Don't be the person resetting their password while the Bears are already up 7-0.
Knowing exactly what can I watch the Bears game on is half the battle in the modern NFL era. Once the technical side is sorted, all you have to do is sit back, grab a drink, and hope the offensive line holds up for four quarters.