Watching Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11 will be easy to do without paying for an expensive cable bundle. And you won’t want to miss Patrick Mahomes and the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs face Brock Purdy and the champs from the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers. This game promises to be an epic rematch of Super Bowl LIV, when the Chiefs defeated the 49ers 31 to 20.
The game kicks off at 6:30 PM Eastern Time at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Pre-game coverage starts at 2:00 PM ET.
CBS has the rights to broadcast the game this year. We’ll show you how to watch the action—plus all those great commercials and the half-time show, starring Usher—even if you don’t have a cable- or satellite-TV subscription.
CBS will broadcast the game in 4K HDR this year, but you can put an asterisk next to that: CBS hasn’t invested in 4K equipment, so it will be upscaling from 1080p resolution to 4K UHD. It’s also worth noting that not every streaming service offers 4K. We’ll let you know which services do in the options below.
Option 1: Stream the Super Bowl with a TV-streaming service
Signing up for a streaming service is the simplest way to tune into the big game, although it’s not the cheapest–unless you sign up for a free trial and cancel your subscription sometime after the game.
Your other option–if you pick one up at a store or act quickly enough to get one delivered–is to purchase an over-the-air TV antenna. We’ll show you several great options in that category, too.
These are our top picks in streaming TV services
DirecTV Stream
Pros
- Powerful grid guide
- DVR has no ad-skipping restrictions
Cons
- Limited channel selection for the price
- DVR limits both recording space and storage time
- No personalized viewing recommendations
- Software suffers from bugs and sluggish performance
DirectTV Stream isn’t one of our favorite streaming services, but it does offer CBS in its Entertainment package for $79.99 a month.
FuboTV
Pros
- Unique lineup of sports channels that are much pricier in other bundles
- Well-designed TV apps make sporting events easy to find
- Live streams have much lower latency than other bundles
Cons
- Included DVR storage is skimpier than other bundles
- Inconsistent 60 fps support on sports channels
Fubo is one of the three streaming services offering the game in 4K. You’ll need the Elite package, $89.99 a month, or a higher tier subscription; plus, a 4K-capable streaming device to watch it. Fubo offers a 7-day free trial.
Hulu + Live TV
Pros
- Excellent value for Disney bundle subscribers
- Expansive on-demand catalog
- Recommendations and staff picks make the app fun to explore
Cons
- Live TV can be inefficient to navigate
- Hard to figure out which Hulu programs allow ad skipping
- Can’t watch on TV devices while traveling
Hulu’s live TV streaming service also gets you CBS. As with other streaming services, geographical restrictions apply, but you can check availability in your area here. Now that Disney has complete control over Hulu, a subscription includes Hulu + Live TV, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads) for $76.99 per month. Hulu also offers an $89.99-per-month subscription that nixes the ads from its Hulu channel (but not live TV) and Disney+; ESPN+ still has ads at this level.
Paramount+
Pros
- Offers content for a wide range of viewers
- Optional subtitles
- Discounts for paid-annually plans
Cons
- We experienced fatal crashes with the ads-included plan
- A lot of mediocre content at the time of our review
- Major gaps in feature film library
Paramount+ offers the easiest way to get CBS without a TV antenna, and the app will be streaming the Super Bowl in 4K HDR. All you need to watch the game and its surrounding coverage is the Essential Plan for $5.99 a month. New subscribers get a one-week free trial, so you won’t have to pay a cent if you decide to cancel after the game.
YouTube TV
Pros
- Solid mix of channels for the money
- Includes DVR with no storage limits
- Easy-to-understand app design
Cons
- Not available in some markets
- Ad-riddled on-demand videos can override DVR
- Some channels don’t support 60-frames-per-second video yet
YouTubeTV includes CBS among more than 100 channels in its $72.99-per-month base package ($62.99 per month for the first three months). To watch the game in 4K, you’ll need the 4K Plus add-on, which costs an additional $9.99 a month. You can try the service for free for two weeks.
Option 2: Tune into the Super Bowl with an over-the-air antenna
If you’re old enough, the thought of using an antenna probably conjures memories of temperamental “rabbit ears” and staticky images. Thanks to modern broadcast technology and over-the-air antennas, you can get a high-quality image that can, in manycases, be better than what you’d get with a subscription.
If you live close enough to a broadcast tower, you might be able to use a paper-thin indoor model, such as our top pick, the Channel Master Flatenna 35. The 35 indicates the manufacturer’s promise of 35-mile range. A Flatenna 50 model promising—you guessed it—50 miles of range is also available for $49. We’re also fans of the Televes Bexia amplified indoor antenna ($99.95 street).
If you’re more distant than that, you might be better off with an antenna that mounts to your roof or on a freestanding mast. The Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) is our favorite in that category. Another alternative is to mount an antenna like the Winegard Elite 7550 in your attic. Whichever way you go, all you need to do is plug the antenna into the tuner that’s a fixture of most modern TVs.
Before you purchase an antenna, though, go to a site like Rabbit Ears and see which networks are available from your local broadcasters. Just enter your address to get a report of all the broadcast signals in your area, ranked from strongest to weakest. Once you determine which broadcaster is furthest from your home, you’ll know what range antenna to buy. A website such as Antennaweb will show you the CBS channels closest to your zip code.
Enter your zip code at Antennaweb’s website and you’ll get a channel guide to the over-the-air programming available in your area. You can also enter “Super Bowl” in the search box to see a schedule of all the TV programming related to the game.
Enter your zip code at Antennaweb’s website and you’ll get a channel guide to the over-the-air programming available in your area. You can also enter “Super Bowl” in the search box to see a schedule of all the TV programming related to the game.
Michael Brown/Foundry
Enter your zip code at Antennaweb’s website and you’ll get a channel guide to the over-the-air programming available in your area. You can also enter “Super Bowl” in the search box to see a schedule of all the TV programming related to the game.
Michael Brown/Foundry
Michael Brown/Foundry
These are our top picks in TV antennas
Winegard FlatWave Amped — Best flexible amplified indoor TV antenna
Pros
- Strong reception, clear picture quality
- Amplifier contributes to good range
- Amplifier can be powered by a wall wart or your TV’s USB port
Cons
- Not the best-looking thing to have on your wall or window
- Excess cable can get messy quick
The FlatWave Amped impressed us with its ability to pull in more broadcast channels than the competition. Further, those it did receive were a little stronger than from our runner-up, which should make for happier TV viewing.
Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) — Best roof-mount TV antenna
Pros
- Strong, sensitive reception
- Built-in 5G filter
- Built-in amplifier and indoor distribution amp
Cons
- Large physical size
- Assembly can be confusing
- Not designed to tune in low-VHF signals
The Televes Dat Boss Mix LR (model 149884) is the best outdoor TV antenna we’ve tested. It delivered an excellent performance, pulling in strong signals from local and distant TV towers. It’s a great choice in areas with medium to low reception levels, and it comes with a built-in amplifier and in-home distribution amplifier, plus a 5G filter to eliminate interference from cellphone signals.
Winegard Elite 7550 — Best attic-mount TV antenna
Pros
- Good reception of strong to medium level signals on UHF and VHF-High
- Inline amplifier helps boost signals
- Suitable for attic or outdoor mounting
Cons
- Plastic mounting bracket feels a little cheap
The Winegard Elite 7550 immediately impressed with its ability to pick up more broadcast channels than the competition at higher signal levels. It has a built-in amplifier and performed well on both VHF-High and UHF broadcast bands. Because of its size you’ll want this one in the attic or outside of your house.
Get your gridiron on
Whichever options you choose, you’re guaranteed to have a front-row seat when the NFL’s best team hoists the Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Author: Michael Ansaldo, Freelance contributor
Michael Ansaldo is veteran consumer and small-business technology journalist. He contributes regularly to TechHive and PCWorld.