American football fans are gearing up for another exciting NFL season. With the 2024 NFL schedule release just weeks away, viewers are already researching how to watch NFL games without cable this upcoming year.
One of the most common questions asked ahead of each football season is “does Dish Network have NFL Sunday Ticket?” Many satellite subscribers grew accustomed to accessing every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game through Dish in years past.
However, Dish Network no longer carries the NFL Sunday Ticket package after losing the broadcasting rights in 2020. Read on to understand what football viewing options Dish Network still provides along with the best alternatives to watch NFL games without access to Sunday Ticket this 2024 season.
The History Between Dish Network and NFL Sunday Ticket
Dish Network and rival provider DIRECTV have a long history of competing for the coveted rights to air NFL Sunday Ticket.
Back in 1994, DIRECTV became the first satellite company to offer subscribers access to every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game through NFL Sunday Ticket. This gave displaced NFL fans living across the country an easy pathway to follow their favorite team week to week.
Just two years later in 1996, Dish Network struck a deal with the NFL to also carry Sunday Ticket. For over 20 football seasons, DIRECTV and Dish went head-to-head to deliver NFL Sunday Ticket to their respective satellite subscribers.
Having Sunday Ticket on both major satellite networks was a win for NFL fans. Competition helped keep prices in check while expanding access to every NFL game across providers. Football fans could subscribe to their satellite service of choice while still enjoying NFL Sunday Ticket access.
However, ahead of the 2020 NFL season, Sunday Ticket rights came up for bid again. This time around, DIRECTV emerged victorious in the bidding war while Dish Network sadly lost NFL Sunday Ticket capabilities.
Without the ability to watch most out-of-market football games on Sunday afternoons, this loss was extremely disappointing for loyal Dish Network subscribers who loved NFL Sunday Ticket access over the years.
Does Dish Network Have NFL Sunday Ticket in 2024?
With NFL training camps underway ahead of the 2024 NFL regular season kickoff, American football fans are understandably curious whether Dish Network will regain access to NFL Sunday Ticket.
Unfortunately, as of 2024 Dish Network still does not carry NFL Sunday Ticket. After losing the rights battle in 2020, Dish customers have now gone three football seasons without access to out-of-market Sunday afternoon games.
The lone places to get NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2024 NFL season are through DIRECTV satellite subscriptions and YouTube TV. Dish Network currently has no pathway to show live NFL Sunday Ticket games in 2024.
Football fans certainly miss having easy access to every NFL matchup on Sunday afternoons. However, understand Dish Network still offers subscribers several avenues to watch meaningful professional and college football action without access to Sunday Ticket games.
What NFL Football Can You Watch on Dish Network?
Losing NFL Sunday Ticket undoubtedly hurt Dish Network football fans. But depending on your Dish programming package, their satellite service still provides the ability to watch:
- Local CBS, Fox, and NBC stations – Gives you access to national games plus view regional matchups based on your geographic area.
- ESPN family of networks – Monday Night Football plus expanded NFL analysis programming.
- NFL Network – 24/7 NFL coverage including exclusive Thursday night games in the later season.
- NFL RedZone channel – The popular “whip around” channel jumps to every scoring play across Sunday afternoon games (requires Dish’s Multi-Sport package add-on for $13/month).
While out-of-market Sunday games are limited without Sunday Ticket access, Dish Network enables subscribers to watch marquee national NFL broadcasts through both traditional linear programming and TV provider-agnostic streaming outlets.
For example, Dish customers can conveniently access digital streaming platforms like:
- Amazon Prime Video – Home to Thursday Night Football with Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit announcing all season long.
- Peacock Premium – Sunday Night Football with Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth calls the weekly marquee SNF matchup.
- Paramount+ – Live streams CBS games like NFC action, AFC matchups, and SEC college contests.
Dish conveniently lets subscribers connect streaming apps like these directly through their Hopper DVR systems. Combine easy access to critical streaming services with Dish’s channel lineup, and NFL fans still have plenty of professional pigskin to enjoy on Saturdays and Sundays each weekend.
Alternatives for Watching NFL Games Without Dish Sunday Ticket
Die-hard NFL supporters across the country are creatures of habit who enjoy watching their favorite out-of-market team live every Sunday afternoon. Losing access to every game is understandably devastating.
Thankfully, viewers whose Sundays revolved around NFL Sunday Ticket on Dish Network still have pathways to catch live out-of-market football action through a few key alternatives:
YouTube TV – This popular cable TV streaming replacement includes NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on option for subscribers. YouTube TV provides the full Sunday Ticket experience akin to what Dish users previously enjoyed.
YouTube Primetime Channels – Don’t want the full YouTube TV subscription? YouTube proper also offers standalone NFL Sunday Ticket access for super fans willing to pay a premium.
DirecTV Satellite – While requiring a two-year contract, going back to the incumbent satellite provider DIRECTV grants access to NFL Sunday Ticket games once again. This mirrors the Dish Network experience from over 20 seasons of head-to-head competition.
Sports Bars + NFL App – Patronizing local sports bars equipped with NFL Sunday Ticket or utilizing the NFL mobile viewing app provides additional out-of-market viewing options for desperate football fans.
While not as convenient as enjoying NFL Sunday Ticket from your own living room, these alternatives each offer a pathway to catch your favorite out-of-market team in action live throughout the 2024 NFL season.
What NFL Programming Does Dish Network Offer?
Losing NFL Sunday Ticket unfortunately forced some difficult programming decisions for loyal Dish Network subscribers. However, Dish still provides plenty of NFL content to fans through national broadcasts and by carry NFL Network.
For example, Dish Network allows viewers to watch:
- Local CBS, Fox, and NBC stations – Catch Sunday regional and primetime games based on where you live.
- Monday Night Football – ESPN and ABC share rights to broadcast live Monday night matchups all season long.
- Thursday Night Football – Games appear on NFL Network later in the 2024 season (requires Prime Video early on).
- NFL Network – 24/7 NFL news, analysis, and exclusive regular season games.
- NFL RedZone – The beloved “whip around” channel jumps to every scoring play from Sunday afternoon (part of an add-on package).
Although out-of-market Sunday games are limited without Sunday Ticket, Dish Network provides enough national NFL action to satisfy casual professional football fans. Hardcore viewers may still want an additional streaming package for guaranteed access to more league and team-specific content.
Will Dish Network Regain Rights to Air NFL Sunday Ticket?
This is the key question at the heart of every displaced Dish Network subscriber missing access to NFL Sunday Ticket. Could a return to Dish be possible down the road?
Unfortunately for Dish customers hoping to watch NFL Sunday Ticket games again soon, the short-term outlook seems bleak.
YouTube TV signed an exclusive deal with the NFL ahead of the 2024 season worth a reported $2 billion annually. This contract keeps NFL Sunday Ticket as a YouTube TV exclusive through at least 2029 – 2030.
With nine seasons still remaining on the pact, don’t expect NFL Sunday Ticket to return to Dish Network anytime in the near future. DIRECTV also seems destined to retain their portion of the rights through this entire contract span given their long-tenured relationship with the NFL.
Perhaps someday Dish Network and the NFL reopen negotiations to bring NFL Sunday Ticket back into the Dish programming fold. But Dish satellite subscribers will likely need to seek Sunday Ticket alternatives for many upcoming NFL seasons until at least 2030.
Conclusion – What NFL Viewing Options Exist Without Dish Sunday Ticket?
Losing NFL Sunday Ticket after enjoying out-of-market football access for over 20 years is an enormous disappointment for dedicated Dish Network subscribers. However, viable pathways still exist to watch live NFL action throughout the 2024 season and beyond.
While not as convenient as having every Sunday afternoon game a click away, Dish Network still empowers NFL fans by carrying national primetime broadcasts across linear and streaming outlets. Supplement Dish with services like Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+, or NFL+, and you can easily piece together enough NFL programming to get your professional pigskin fix.
And if you simply must watch your favorite out-of-market team every week, alternatives like YouTube TV, YouTube Primetime Channels, DIRECTV satellite, sports bars, and the NFL mobile app present potential (if pricey) solutions.
Dish Network severely lacks without NFL Sunday Ticket compared to just a few seasons ago. But savvy NFL viewers can combine the Dish content still available with streaming services and mobile viewing to ensure they don’t miss a moment of hard-hitting football action all season long.
