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Are there any effective ways to watch NFL games (preferably live) on Android devices this coming season? Ideally, they'd be available in high resolution and streaming, but what options are available? I know there is a DirecTV app, but it seems to require having a DirecTV subscription, which many do not have.

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Define legitimate? Unless you're not based in the US? – t0mm13b Aug 13 '12 at 15:24
Ideally, it's one that wouldn't get you in trouble with some legal authority. If your method is only legal in some areas, having that info in the answer is probably a helpful move. – GWLlosa Aug 13 '12 at 19:17

1 Answer

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The NFL keeps a tight rein on its broadcast rights. Further, the outfits that ponied up those huge payments for those rights are not going to be happy if there is a cheaper alternative. So, no, there is not going to be a way to watch live NFL games without subscribing to cable or satellite.

If you're okay with watching games after the fact and you have an Android tablet, there's Game Rewind.

Things may be different outside the U.S. Using a proxy to bypass such limitations skirts the edge of legitimacy (in my opinion).

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Interesting to know! Are the US that bad with broadcasts? Just hearing about how there was a lot of disgruntled viewers on NBC trying to watch the Olympics Closing ceromony last night... – t0mm13b Aug 13 '12 at 15:38
@t0mm13b: In this case it's mostly the NFL. They charge pretty exorbitant licensing fees to the broadcasters that want to carry their games, and they are extremely protective of their broadcast/distribution rights. If cable companies gave away the games for free/cheap they would be taking a fairly substantial monetary loss, I imagine. – eldarerathis♦ Aug 13 '12 at 15:45
@eldarerathis: Not just the NFL. MLB and NBA are just as ardent. – Al Everett Aug 13 '12 at 15:47
Yeah, from what I've seen all of the major sports leagues are on about equal footing, and the broadcasters don't have much choice but to give them what they want. – eldarerathis♦ Aug 13 '12 at 15:52

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