How to Watch Football (NFL) on Thanksgiving 2024 for FREE
Thanksgiving Day has always been special for the NFL, and it has been for several decades. This Thanksgiving, the NFL will offer three games.
A day filled with family, food and football is upon us.
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NFL Thanksgiving schedule 2024
Bears-Lions will serve as the appetizer, Giants-Cowboys will follow as the main course and Dolphins-Packers will be dessert.
- Bears vs. Lions: 11:30 a.m. CT
- Giants vs. Cowboys: 3:30 p.m. CT
- Dolphins vs. Packers: 7:20 p.m. CT
How to watch 2024 NFL Thanksgiving games
Here are the networks for each Thanksgiving game:
- Bears vs. Lions: CBS
- Giants vs. Cowboys: FOX
- Dolphins-Packers: NBC/Peacock
History
NFL games on Thanksgiving are as old as the league itself. In 1920, its first season, the league played six games on Thanksgiving—three of which were between NFL teams.
The results back then: a 28-0 Dayton Triangles win over the Detroit Heralds, a 7-0 Akron Pros win over the Canton Bulldogs, and a 6-0 Decatur Staleys win over the Chicago Tigers.
Much has changed in the 104 years since, except for the presence of Detroit. The NFL once had to share Thanksgiving with the college and high school game; now, it has ascended to a position on par with cranberry sauce in its conquest of the holiday.
NFL Black Friday game 2024
While Amazon will not have its usual Thursday Night Football game as part of the Thanksgiving schedule, the streamer has created a new holiday tradition.
For the second straight year, Amazon will broadcast a Black Friday game on Prime Video. This year's matchup will see the Kansas City Chiefs host the Las Vegas Raiders at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 29.
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How to watch football on Thanksgiving for free
The NFL Thanksgiving Day games are all shared between FOX, NBC, and CBS, so you have multiple ways to tune in on Thanksgiving Day. All three channels are included on cable and streaming TV plans, so you’re set if you already have a TV setup.
If you want to watch NFL Thanksgiving football for free, we recommend installing an over-the-air (OTA) antenna like the Mohu Leaf on your TV. OTA antennas pull from local broadcast feeds and let you watch major channels like FOX and NBC for free. Streaming TV services like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo have free trial periods if you need to figure out a streaming setup on Thanksgiving Day. Check out our streaming TV trials guide to learn about these free offers.
As for the NFL’s Black Friday game, it’ll be a Prime Video exclusive, but you won’t need an active Amazon Prime membership to watch the game. Amazon will broadcast the game for free, and you’ll just need an Amazon account to watch it. Visit our Amazon Prime Video review to find out more.
FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC will get multiple college football Thanksgiving games, and you can watch them for free with an OTA antenna or standard TV plan. You can also watch Thanksgiving college football games with a streaming TV service, and many streaming providers like Fubo offer free trials.
