How to Get NFL Games Streamed to My TV Through the Internet

Watch the Seattle Seahawks' Josh Portis over the Internet.

There are several ways to watch the NFL over the Internet. To watch all of the games live, you must pay for a subscription through DirectTV -- $350 as of the time of publication. If you are willing to wait until the games have been played, purchase a subscription to the NFL Rewind service and watch the games on the following day. If your Internet provider has a contract with ESPN, you can watch NFL games on the Watch ESPN website, but only the games for which ESPN has the contract.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with TV out port
• HDMI, S-Video, VGA or composite video cable

Instructions

1. Connect your computer to your TV. The most common type of connection is with an HDMI cable, but you might have an S-Video connection, a VGA connection or even a composite video connection. Check your TV's user guide to find the appropriate connection method.

2. Power on your TV and then your computer. Press the "Windows" key and "P," then click on the display option that you want: "Projector Only," "Duplicate" or "Extend Desktop." Projector Only sends a video signal from your computer only to the external device -- in this case your TV; Duplicate shows the same video on both the computer monitor and the external device; Extended Desktop gives you an extra monitor to the left or the right of your computer monitor, so you can have a website with the game stats on the computer while watching the game on the TV.

3. Log in to the website from which you are going to stream the video. For the paid services, provide a username and password. For Watch ESPN, simply connect to the site at watchespn.com. Select the game you want to watch. It is then streamed over the Internet to your computer and displayed on your TV.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have the same type of connection on your computer as on your TV, get a converter. For example, you can convert from DVI to HDMI or from S-Video to composite.

• HDMI provides both audio and video. If you want your computer to carry the sound and you have another type of video port, run an audio line out from your computer. Find a headphone-to-RCA converter cable at your local electronics store or online.

References

• Microsoft Windows: Connect Your Computer to a TV

Resources

• ESPN: Watch ESPN
• National Footbal League: NFL Game Rewind
• DirectTV: NFL Sunday Ticket To-Go