It’s that time of year again. And before we get started we have to say this. The Super Bowl is not something that is broadcast via a cable channel. Unlike the NCAA Tournament and College football national championship the Super Bowl is still broadcast through free over-the-air television stations across the country. So with that in mind the focus is on CBS.
The old fashioned way
So first of all. If you can get CBS with an antenna you can watch the Superbowl that way. It really goes without saying. And If you are already a household that uses an antenna you already know this. But if you are in a home without cable and have never tried using an antenna to receive a signal there is no time like the present to give it a try. We find that the best results come from antennas that are mounted outside the home but many people live by the newer indoor mounted antennas from companies like Antennas Direct, Mohu and Winegard.
Streaming from CBS
If you do not want to take a chance on antennas there are a number of streaming options for the game. What is available to you has everything to do with what kind of connected devices you have in the home.
You can watch the game for free on your phone or connected devices with the CBS Sports App or on CBSSports.com. If you do not own a streaming device with those apps you can always hook a computer to your TV with an HDMI cord. My laptop was my first streaming device.
CBS All Access will also have the game live via access to local CBS stations. Will you be able to watch the game with CBS All-Access? It simply depends on whether CBS all access and your local CBS play well together. You can find out if this is so by going through the process to sign up for the service. If you take that rout you will also get access to all those new Star Trek shows and the new version of The Stand.
Cable Replacement Services
There are various streaming TV packages that are set up as alternatives to traditional cable. They Include Hulu, Fubo TV, Vidgo and YouTube TV. We did not include Sling TV in that listing because it does not offer streaming of local network affiliates as part of its service and instead encourages users to use an antenna. The important part of looking into any of the streaming services though is using their built-in tools to see if you actually receive your local CBS affiliate through the service. These kinds of TV coverage deals are complicated and will vary from TV market to TV market. Therefore we can not say cut and dry that you can watch the Superbowl if you have Hulu or YouTube TV, despite what somewhat might say on a Facebook group or forum.
Any of these services will offer some sort of trial service and should do the job through at least the weekend. Though you may find that if you have previously tried a service in the past that you will not be able to get a trial because you would not be a new customer. Consider setting up a fresh account with a new email address if that is an issue.
We hope that this was a helpful and realistic guide to help you enjoy the football fun this Sunday. Now get your snacks and enjoy the commercials.
