How to stream Colts vs. Chargers for NFL opening weekend
Sunday’s Colts vs. Chargers matchup, which was once set to be one of the most exciting matchups of Week 1, will now likely simply be a litmus test for two teams with very different prospects for 2019.
For the Los Angeles Chargers, the question is whether or not this team can win a Super Bowl before aging gunslinger Phillip Rivers retires.
The Indianapolis Colts have to figure out what their team is going to look like after the unexpected retirement of Andrew Luck, their star quarterback.
No matter which way you look at it, this is a bad matchup for the Colts. Rivers should be able to pick apart Indianapolis’ bottom-shelf secondary. Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s tendency to hold on to the ball could bring pain from the Chargers’ robust pass rush led by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. With little star power on offense besides T.Y. Hilton, career backup Brissett also doesn’t have many weapons to help him find a faster release.
There are a couple of bright spots for the Colts. Melvin Gordon, the Chargers’ best rusher, is still holding out. The Chargers are known to start slowly in season openers. But, the Chargers are a team deep with talent and seem well-positioned to take advantage of the Colts quarterback downgrade.
It’s hard to imagine the Chargers blowing this one, but the game will be an important test for a Luck-less Colts team. Can they hang in for a close game against the Chargers or will Rivers and company stomp on them?
If this game is a blowout, how long will the Jacoby Brissett era last?
| HOW TO WATCH COLTS VS. CHARGERS | |
| HULU WITH LIVE TV | TRY NOW |
| SLING TV | TRY NOW |
| PLAYSTATION VUE | TRY NOW |
| FUBOTV | TRY NOW |
Indianapolis Colts Vs. Los Angeles Chargers
- When: Sunday, Sept. 8 at 4:05pm ET
- Where: Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA
- Streaming: CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket
There are a number of options for watching Colts vs. Chargers on streaming platforms that carry CBS. However, consult a coverage map to see what game your regional channel will be playing.
If a game is not being carried in your area, the only option might be an NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Colts vs. Chargers live stream: How to watch NFL online
1) Sling TV
- Cost: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
If you want to watch the Colts vs. Chargers online via Sling TV, you’ll need to be subscribed to either Sling Blue ($25 per month) or Sling Orange + Blue ($40 per month). Both of those packages include NFL Network and a number of sports channels—like three ESPN channels, NBCSN, and FS1—and it’s still a nice perk that Sling subscribers can order a la carte packages. Sling TV also offers a special Latino package for bilingual viewers. Sling TV is currently offering a deal where you can subscribe for 40% off the regular price for the first month of your subscription. That means Sling Blue would cost $15, and Sling Orange + Blue would cost $25. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.)
How to use AirTV with Sling
AirTV solves one of the Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing a basic AirTV for $79.99 or the AirTV Player for $119.99, you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV, (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “it’s practically magic.”
The basic AirTV is a dual-tuner streaming device, while the AirTV Player is basically an upgraded Chromecast that has Netflix preinstalled. You’ll still need to own an HD antenna, because even though AirTV gets you access to your local channels, it doesn’t actually physically show them to you.
But AirTV—which has no monthly fee—serves to strengthen one of Sling’s biggest weaknesses compared to other live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. All those services have plenty of local channels.
2) FuboTV
- Cost: $54.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
If you’re a big-time sports fan, FuboTV is your best streaming service option. If you love international soccer and you’re a Spanish speaker, FuboTV also offers various add-on packages, including Fubo Latino and Fubo Português. FuboTV’s basic plan showcases nearly 100 channels and includes NFL Network. At $54.99 per month, you’ll also get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, BeIn Sports, and CBS Sports Network, along with premium channels like FX/FXX/FXM. The only notable omission for sports fans is ESPN. You can add Fubo’s Sports Plus package for an additional $8.99 per month, which allows you to stream NFL RedZone, (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
3) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 5-day free trial)
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
If you’d like to watch live NFL games directly from your PS4, PlayStation Vue is your best bet. PlayStation also works with streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire products, but what separates PlayStation from the rest of the streaming services is that it’s also compatible with Kodi. No matter how you stream, you’ll get to choose from four tiers of channels—all but the cheapest include NFL Network. From there, you can also add NFL RedZone as part of the $10-per-month Sports Pack, which also unlocks ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Classic, Longhorn Network, Outside TV, and NBCUniversal regional sports networks. You can see the full list of PlayStation Vue channels here. Two other great perks: You can stream on up to five devices at once, and there’s also unlimited cloud DVR.
4) Hulu with Live TV
Cost: $44.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its offerings, including ESPN and FS1, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for college football fans, including ESPNand FS1. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
6) NFL Sunday Ticket
NFL Sunday Ticket
Cost: $73.99 per month for four months, or one single payment of $293.96
There are two—and only two—ways of acquiring NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV. There’s NFLSundayTicket.TV, which costs $73.99 per month for four months. It’s everything you love NFL Sunday Ticket but online-only. You can stream from pretty much any device that connects to the internet (but only on one device at a time).
You can also upgrade to the NFLST.TV Max bundle for a total of $99 per month for four months or one single payment of $395.99. You can also add on NFL Game Pass, which allows you to watch replays of every game after they air, for $50 for the full season.
There’s another way to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV: Amazon Prime. While you can’t pay for the package using Amazon Prime, you can at least watch all of the games on the service. To start, first download the NFL Sunday Ticket channel on Amazon Prime. It’s free. From there, you’ll just need to sign in with your subscription credentials.
College students can purchase NFL Sunday Ticket at a discounted price through NFLSundayTicket.TV U.
Colts vs. Chargers: Why it matters
The likely result here is a Chargers victory, but pay attention to the score. If the Colts keep this one close, Brissett might be able to keep this team afloat. If everything goes right for this Colts team against lesser opponents later in the season, it isn’t crazy to imagine this as a wild card team.
If the Chargers only manage to win in a squeaker against a diminished Colts team, fans will be asking if this squad has what it takes to go the distance. When their stars are injured, the defense looks bland. Without Gordon, the team may not be as balanced. The offensive line has been unimpressive. If these minor complaints add up to something more major, it’s not hard to imagine a Chargers team that can’t quite measure up to the Patriots, Chiefs, or Steelers in the AFC.
Both teams will be looking beyond wins and losses in this game to try and foretell what the future may hold. Of course, it seems that the Colts are trending down, while for the Chargers, things are looking up.
But, in the NFL, one game can change everything.
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READ MORE:
- How to watch NFL RedZone without cable
- How to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without a DirecTV satellite
- How to watch NFL Network online (without cable)
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