New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams is the Monday night game this week, and it kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Monday night belongs to ESPN, and most weeks the same game is simulcast on ABC, which puts it back within reach of an antenna at no cost.
Here is every way in, sorted by what it costs you.
The game is at SoFi Stadium, on Monday, September 21.
The short answer
Check ABC first. When the Monday night game is simulcast there, an antenna gives you the whole thing for free, and nothing else on this page beats that price.
On an ESPN-only week you need a login: the ESPN app with a pay television account, a live TV bundle that carries ESPN, or NFL+ on a phone.
Your local listings on game day settle which of those two weeks you are in. It changes from week to week, so it is worth the thirty seconds.
Kickoff time where you are
| Time zone | Kickoff |
|---|---|
| Eastern | 8:15 p.m. |
| Central | 7:15 p.m. |
| Mountain | 6:15 p.m. |
| Pacific | 5:15 p.m. |
ESPN, ABC and what the app actually needs
The ESPN app carries the game, but the live feed asks for a provider login, which means a cable, satellite or streaming bundle that already includes ESPN.
Downloading the app is free; the football behind it is not. That distinction catches people out every season.
When the game is on ABC in your market, the antenna route below does the same job at no recurring cost, on a bigger screen, with no account at all.
Pregame coverage starts around 7:45 p.m. ET.
Every route in, and what it costs
| Route | Carries this game? | Cost | Where it plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antenna, on ABC simulcast weeks | Yes, when ABC carries it | $20-$40 one time | Television |
| ESPN app | Yes, with a provider login | Needs a bundle | Any device |
| NFL+ | Yes, primetime is included | About $7/mo | Phone and tablet only |
| Live TV bundle | Yes, through ESPN | $60-$90/mo | Any device |
| Free NFL app | No, coverage and highlights only | $0 | Any device |
The antenna route, and why it keeps winning
A $25 indoor antenna pulls CBS, FOX, NBC and ABC out of the air in most of the country, with no account attached to it and no monthly line on your card.
Those four networks carry the large majority of the season between them, so one purchase covers most weekends for as long as the antenna lasts.
Two things decide whether it works where you live: how far you sit from the transmitters, and what stands between you and them. A window facing the towers is usually enough inside a city; further out, an amplified or roof-mounted model earns its price.
The picture is often better than the streamed version of the same broadcast, because nothing is being compressed for a network connection, and it does not buffer in the fourth quarter.
NFL+, and the limit nobody reads first
NFL+ runs about $7 a month and does carry live games, with two conditions that decide everything: phones and tablets only, and only the games local to you plus the primetime windows.
It does not cast to a television. That restriction is the product rather than a fault in it, so if you watch on the big screen this is the wrong purchase.
For a commute, a kitchen counter or a seat in the stadium, it is the cheapest live football there is.
Live TV bundles, and when they actually make sense
A streaming bundle costs $60 to $90 a month and hands you CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN behind one login, on any device, usually with a cloud recorder attached.
The math only works if you want most of the season. For a single game it is the most expensive route on this page, and every one of these services can be cancelled the week after you stop needing it.
If you are signing up anyway, check which bundle carries your local channels before you pay: the lineup changes by zip code, and the one your neighbour recommends may be missing the affiliate that matters to you.
Before kickoff, in order
- Confirm the carrier on game day rather than assuming it. The league schedule settles it in seconds.
- If a broadcast network has it, try the antenna first. After the one-time cost it is free, and it does not depend on your connection.
- If you are streaming, open the app and sign in early. Logins fail at kickoff, when everyone else is doing the same thing.
- On a phone, NFL+ is the cheapest way in. On a television, it is not an option at all.
- Test it on the device you will actually watch on, not the one nearest to you now.
Questions people ask about this game
What channel is Giants vs Rams on?
ESPN, and on most weeks ABC carries the same broadcast. Check your local listings on game day to see which applies this week.
Can I watch it free?
Yes, with an antenna, when the game is simulcast on ABC in your market. On ESPN-only weeks you need a provider login, a bundle or NFL+ on a phone.
Do I need cable for this game?
No. An antenna covers the broadcast networks at no recurring cost, and the streaming routes above replace cable entirely for the games they carry.
Will NFL+ put the game on my television?
No. NFL+ plays live games on phones and tablets only, and it does not cast to a big screen.
What if the stream drops in the middle of the game?
Have a second route ready before kickoff. An antenna is the steadiest fallback there is, because it does not depend on your internet connection at all.
Is there a way to watch without signing up for anything?
Only the antenna, and only when a broadcast network carries the game. Every streaming route asks for an account, even the ones with a free trial attached.
Where these details come from
Kickoff time and carrier come from the official league schedule, which is updated when a game moves.
Prices are the rates each service publishes for its own plans, and they change from time to time. Check the current figure on the service page before you subscribe.
Every app, side by side
This page covers one game. If you want the whole picture instead, the main guide compares every app that carries live football, what each one costs, and which of them work on a television rather than only on a phone.