Super Bowl LIII is almost here and fans from coast to coast are getting ready to watch the Patriots and the Rams battle for the win. Before the kickoff, though, cord-cutters will want to make sure they have the right service and apps to stream the game. Here’s how to watch the Super Bowl on Nvidia Shield TV consoles.
Streaming the Super Bowl: What You Need to Know
If you were waiting for the football season to end before cutting your cable subscription, you can make the move now. Streaming TV services offer most of the cable channels people actually watch and charge only a fraction of the price of a traditional cable subscription. Fortunately, most of the streaming services have Android TV apps that run natively on the Nvidia Shield TV.
Having a native Android TV app is important because Android mobile apps aren’t designed to run on a big screen or work with a remote control. You’ll get the best game day experience by going with one of the services in the next section. If your service doesn’t support Android TV, it will still support Chromecast. Streaming to your Nvidia Shield from your smartphone is a bit of a hassle, but it will get the job done.
Do you get CBS?
There is another catch: since the Super Bowl airs on CBS, it may not be available. Whether you get CBS or not depends on where you live and which streaming service you use. That means you will have to check each service’s zip code lookup tool before you subscribe.
The reason for the complication: even though a company like fuboTV may sign deals with CBS, that doesn’t mean it can stream every local CBS station. The national networks only own about a dozen local stations each. The other 1,700 local stations are owned by media companies and investor groups. Until each streaming service cuts deal with each station owner, cable will still have an advantage over streaming.
Sling TV, the largest streaming TV service, is the worst case scenario. It doesn’t have deals with CBS or ABC and can’t stream any of their local affiliate stations. Sling TV has a great service, but we can’t recommend it for streaming Super Bowl LIII.
Streaming TV Services with Android TV
CBS All Access
CBS has its own subscription streaming service, CBS All Access. Although it’s best known for having original content based on the Star Trek and The Good Wife franchises, CBS All Access also lets you stream your local CBS station.
Content and packages
The two subscription plans are based on whether you have to watch commercials during when viewing on-demand content. Of course, you get all of the ads during the live CBS broadcast — but aren’t ads the whole reason for watching the Super Bowl?
In addition to offering a free 7-day trial, CBS All Access discounts your service 15% when you pay for an annual plan.
In addition to the live local stream, CBS All Access lets you watch content from an on-demand library of more than 10,000 episodes. These include classics like Gunsmoke, nostalgic shows like Touched by an Angel, as well as the latest prime time hits like Madam Secretary. CBS All Access’ original content includes Star Trek: Discovery.
Features and extras
You won’t get a cloud DVR with CBS All Access. That’s OK for prime time programming, but won’t help you if you need to step away from the game. You can’t pause or rewind the CBS live stream either.
Download & Play lets you save on-demand content to your device to watch while you’re offline. If you’re going to take a long flight, for example, you can binge all of NCIS.
People in your household can use the CBS All Access app on up to five devices at the same time. Besides the Nvidia Shield, you can use the service with the following devices:
- Living room devices: Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Select Samsung and Vizio televisions.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
- Desktop browsers: Watch through the CBS website.
fuboTV
When fuboTV got its start, it only offered live streams of sports events. Today’s fuboTV may offer a more diverse lineup of basic cable and network channels, but it is still the go-to streaming service for sports fans.
Channels and packages
Both of the two primary subscription plans — fubo and fubo Extra — support streams of local CBS stations.
The basic fubo subscription includes nearly thirty sports channels. You can add even more sports by upgrading to fubo Extra or to one of fuboTV’s channel packs. Unfortunately, none of the ESPN channels are available through fuboTV.
Features and extras
You get 30 hours of cloud DVR recording time standard with a fuboTV subscription. For an extra $10, you can upgrade that to 500 hours.
Another $6 upgrade will let people in your household stream to three devices at the same time rather than the default limit of two devices. Besides the Nvidia Shield TV, you can watch fuboTV on the following devices:
- Living room devices: Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Devices based on Fire TV, Roku and Android TV.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: None.
- Desktop browsers: fuboTV recommends Chrome.
PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue is a full-featured alternative to cable that offers a compelling channel lineup and strong features. You don’t need to worry about the PlayStation branding. The Sony-owned streaming service doesn’t care what game console you use — as long as it’s not an Xbox. It even lets PC gamers join.
Channels and packages
PlayStation Vue offers four subscription plans that include progressively more channels as you spend more. Your local CBS station, if it’s supported, will be available in all four.
- Access: 45+ channels for $45 per month.
- Core: 70+ channels for $50 per month.
- Elite: 94 channels for $60 per month.
- Ultra: 96 channels for $80 per month.
The entry-level Access plan has local network affiliates and a good selection of basic cable channels. Upgrading to the Core plan adds a stronger lineup of sports channels. The Elite plan activates PlayStation Vue’s full lineup of basic cable channels. Spending the extra $20 for the Ultra plan is a great deal because it gives you access to premium movie channels from HBO and Showtime.
Features and extras
Unlike other streaming services, PlayStation Vue does not let you buy upgraded features. That’s okay, though, because the standard features are among the strongest in the industry.
Your family can save as many programs as you want using PlayStation Vue’s cloud DVR feature. The shows will remain on file for 28 days before disappearing.
Another family-friendly feature of PlayStation Vue is its standard 5-device streaming limit. In addition to the Nvidia Shield, PlayStation Vue is available on a wide range of devices.
- Living room devices: Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Televisions based on Amazon Fire TC, Android TV and Roku.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android, Amazon Fire Tablets and iOS.
- Game consoles: PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge.
YouTube TV
YouTube may be better known for user-generated content, but it also offers a very strong streaming alternative to cable. YouTube TV is also becoming a stronger competitor for the streaming industry giants, Sling TV and DirecTV Now.
Less than two years after its launch, YouTube TV now reaches 98% of households in the United States. More importantly, the service can stream local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC stations in 90% of the markets that get YouTube TV.
Channels and packages
YouTube kept things simple with its subscription service. There is only one plan which runs $40 per month. Additional subscription options are available for premium channels like Showtime, AMC Premiere and Shudder.
The standard channel lineup includes more than 60 broadcast and basic cable channels. Every network’s sports channel is available as well as Fox’s regional sports channels. You get a full spectrum of news channels from — Fox News to MSNBC — with BBC World News thrown in for an outsider’s perspective. In addition, YouTube TV offers the most popular lifestyle and entertainment channels.
Features and extras
Even more family-friendly than PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV supports separate profiles for as many as six people per household. Each person’s viewing history and recommendations are kept separate — as are the recordings in the cloud DVR library.
YouTube TV’s cloud DVR has an unlimited capacity. All six people can record as much content as they want. Even better, YouTube TV will wait a full nine months before deleting those recordings.
One weakness of YouTube TV’s features is its simultaneous streaming limits. Despite letting each account have as many as six profiles, YouTube TV will only allow three streams at a time.
Another negative aspect of YouTube TV’s service is the lack of Amazon Fire TV support. Google and Amazon don’t play nice together. Nvidia Shield TV owners are okay since Android TV is part of the YouTube TV platform lineup.
- Living room devices: Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Certain models from HiSense, LG, Samsung and Sharp as well as televisions based on Android TV and Roku.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: Xbox One.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome.
Streaming Services with Chromecast
Neither Hulu with Live TV or DirecTV Now supports Android TV or the Nvidia Shield TV. That doesn’t mean however that you’ll need to cancel your subscription to stream the Super Bowl. Both services support Chromecast, which means you can stream the game from your smartphone or tablet to your Nvidia Shield TV.
Hulu with Live TV
Hulu with Live TV takes the streaming service’s enormous catalog of on-demand content to the next level by adding live TV streams. Good features, a solid live TV channel lineup and all of that on-demand content make Hulu with Live TV a great choice.
Channels and packages
You get a choice between two subscription options. The standard $40 per month plan comes standard with more than 50 live TV channels. You can also choose a plan that offers only live TV for $39 per month, but it doesn’t make much sense. Note that at the end of February, Hulu will be increasing its pricing to $45 per month.
CBS and the other national networks have deals with Hulu, but local availability of the live streams will vary by market. Hulu with Live TV provides a good lineup of lifestyle, news, entertainment and sports channels.
Features and extras
The most compelling feature of Hulu’s service is its ad-free option. For an extra $4 per month, advertising disappears from almost all of Hulu’s on-demand content. Most of the major networks and cable channels let you stream episodes from the current season of their shows as part of Hulu’s on-demand service. That means you get to watch recently-aired episodes ad-free.
For shows that Hulu doesn’t carry on-demand or for live events you don’t want to miss, Hulu with Live TV offers a cloud DVR with 50 hours of recording time. An extra $15 per month will bump that up to a full 200 hours — and let you fast forward through commercials.
Hulu isn’t very generous when it comes to simultaneous streaming. You can only stream to two devices at a time. Another $15 upgrade will let you stream to as many devices as you want at home and up to three devices when on the road.
A $20 combination offer lets you get both the expanded DVR and the infinite simultaneous streaming.
Although it doesn’t support Android TV or the Nvidia Shield TV, Hulu with Live TV has a very strong device ecosystem.
- Living room devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Certain Samsung and LG televisions as well as some devices based on Amazon Fire TV or Roku.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
- Desktop browsers: Most browsers.
DirecTV Now
Still in second place among the streaming services, DirecTV Now provides a very cable-like service at affordable rates.
Channels and packages
The more you pay DirecTV Now, the more channels you’ll get. If your local CBS affiliate is available, you will be able to stream it with any one of the four subscription plans.
- Live a Little: 65+ channels / $40 per month.
- Just Right: 85+ channels / $55 per month.
- Go Big: 105+ channels / $65 per month.
- Gotta Have It: 125+ channels / $75 per month.
- Todo y Más: 90+ spanish-language channels / $45 per month.
For the sports fan, the Go Big option will be the best bet. This gives you access to all of the sports channels in the DirecTV Now lineup.
Features and extras
DirecTV Now is playing catch-up when it comes to features. Until last year, it didn’t even offer a cloud DVR. Even now, the recording feature is still in “beta” testing. You can only record 20 hours of content. Those recordings expire after 30 days.
Only two devices can stream DirecTV Now at the same time unless you pay an extra $5 to add a third device to your account. DirecTV Now’s device lineup includes:
- Living room devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Samsung and Amazon Fire TV televisions.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: None, but Xbox One support is “coming soon”.
- Desktop browsers: DirecTV Now only streams to Chrome and Safari browsers. With Internet Explorer and Firefox, you can only manage your settings.
NFL Game Pass
The NFL won’t stream the Super Bowl live, so the NFL App is not an option on game day. A subscription to NFL Game Pass, however, will let you watch a replay of the entire game. You also get full access to every regular season game. Whether the $50 subscription makes sense for the last game of the postseason is your call. It is cheaper than tickets to the Super Bowl.
Over-the-Air Streaming
One nice thing about the Nvidia Shield TV is the way it lets you go old school with broadcast TV. Although it’s more technically challenging, catching an over-the-air broadcast is the best way to stream live sports. Unlike cable channels like ESPN, CBS broadcasts all of its content in full high definition.
Simply connect an antenna and an HDTV tuner to your network and you can stream any over-the-air channel through your NVIDIA Shield TV. The app store has over-the-air streaming apps from Channel, HD HomeRun, Plex and others.
