The cord-cutter's guide to Super Bowl 2022 — watch without cable

It's nearly time for the Super Bowl 2022 live stream, even if you cut the cord and ditched cable. And since we spent last year testing all of the best cable TV alternatives, we've got the information you need about all of the top options for how to stream the big game without cable. And that's what we're going to be doing at Tom's Guide, as multiple staffers pay for Sling TV (and we just got a list of the cities where it offers NBC).

We now know who is playing in the biggest NFL live stream, with the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals having booked their places in Super Bowl LVI. Right now, we're in media week, as the teams meet the press as they prepare to tangle. They'll face off for the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday (February 13), and we already have plenty of details about how you can watch it (and see all of the Super Bowl 2022 commercials, too).

That's because the game is already announced to be on the NBC broadcast network, and we know everywhere you can find NBC. And no matter where you watch NBC, you'll likely see whatever Super Bowl ad Arnold Schwarzenegger's Zeus photo is likely tied to (it's apparently BMW).

There's now a gap of a couple of weeks as we build up to the big day, but read on to find out what your options will be to watch Super Bowl LVI if you've cut the cord. Just know that you can't watch Super Bowl 2022 in 4K — and anyone who claims otherwise is misleading you (upscaled 1080p isn't 4K, sorry).

Super Bowl 2022 live streams in the US can be free

In the U.S., Super Bowl 2022 is going to be widely available for those without cable. We primarily recommend fuboTV and Sling TV Blue, two of the best cable TV alternatives. Both have free trials for new subscribers, so if you started your new fubo or Sling membership in the morning, you'd be in the clear. Sling's 3-day free trial is the shorter of the two, as fubo offers a 7-day free trial.

One thing to note, though, Sling subscribers (and prospective ones, too) should check if their region has an NBC affiliate. As I discovered when trying to watch an SNL episode live, not all areas will get NBC on Sling. If you're in a major market, you should be more than ready. 

Sling notes that it offers NBC on Sling Blue in Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Hartford, New Haven, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Washington DC  and San Diego.

Check out our complete guide for how to watch Super Bowl 2022 on Sling TV for more details.

Of course, NBC is also available on DirecTV Stream and Hulu with Live TV, which are good, but not as competitive on pricing. There's also YouTube TV, a more-than-solid option. 

We recommend Sling and fuboTV for the two basic kinds of cord-cutters. Sling is there for the value-focused crowd, as its $35 per month rate is the lowest of any service that includes NBC — where Super Bowl 2022 is broadcast.

Fubo is one of the best streaming services because of its international-sports focused package of networks and one key special feature: Multiview. With fubo's Multiview, you can split your screen between multiple channels, and select which one you want to hear audio from. The fubo app on Apple TV 4K is now capable of adding a live scoreboard and stats board to your view.

The even-cheaper option will be the $4.99 per month Peacock Premium, the right Peacock tier for Super Bowl 2022.

If recording the game and other perks aren't a big deal, and if you have a local NBC affiliate that will be showing Super Bowl 2022 (and most should be), you have another option. With one of our best TV antenna picks you can just pull Super Bowl 2022 out of the sky.

Be sure to check out the best Super Bowl TV deals in case you want to upgrade your set before the big game. 

For the Super Bowl, Sling TV Blue is the way to go. There's a 3-day free trial, and it's $35 per month after that. Sling Blue also has CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, Comedy Central, TNT and many other channels. 

View Deal

Fubo.TV: One of the best streaming services with FOX, and the top pick for watching all of the 2022 NFL live streams, Fubo has all of the right network channels and the two cable channels you don't want to go without. Who needs cable? Not Fubo subscribers. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front.

View Deal

Peacock is the home of the vast NBCUniversal library, including every episode of The Office. In addition to classic movies and TV shows, subscribers can also watch episodes of current NBC series with Peacock Premium. The service also has originals such as Girls5eva, The Lost Symbol and the Saved By the Bell reboot.

View Deal

For more football, here's what you need to watch the Tom Brady documentary series Man in the Arena online.

How to stream Super Bowl 2022 from anywhere

We think speed, security and simplicity make ExpressVPN second to none. During our tests, we saw fast connection times, and we're impressed by the service's ability to access more than 3,000 services spread out across 160 locations in 94 countries. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied.

View Deal

NFL streaming tip:

If you're away from home and don't have NBC or Peacock available, you can still watch Super Bowl 2022. Using the best VPN makes it so that you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town, so you can access the same streaming services you already pay for.

Here's how easy it is to stream NFL from anywhere in the world:

1. Get a VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN as the best out there)
2. Connect to the location you want to stream from
3. Use your usual streaming service and watch like normal

Exclusive Tom's Guide Discount: Save 49% on the 12-month ExpressVPN plan