It’s time to celebrate turkey, football, family and naps on the couch. The NFL on Thanksgiving is back.
Or as Bill Belichick once put it: “Football, family and food, sign me up.”
- LIVE STREAM: Watch every Thanksgiving NFL game by signing up here
This year, we have another tripleheader of NFL games on national television as the country’s great November pastime continues to cement itself as an all-day affair.
It’s a long day of Thanksgiving football. You’ve got to fit dinner and a nap in there somewhere. Plus, you’ve got to appease the non-football crowd. That’s why we’ve got another edition of MassLive’s helpful guide to what to watch on Thanksgiving day — and what you can nap through:
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023
Start time: 8:30 a.m. EST | End time: Noon EST | TV channel: NBC | Live stream: Peacock | Sling | DirecTV Stream | fuboTV
No one needs to watch the NFL pregame shows on Thanksgiving. Football is going to be on all day anyway.
Instead, you’re better off devoting the morning to the Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year’s floats include Goku from “Dragon Ball Z, Monkey D. Luffy from “One Piece,” The Pillsbury Doughboy, Spongebob Squarepants and Grogu/Baby Yoda from “The Mandalorian.” How could you pass that up?
Plus, there will be a bunch of new musical acts and young TikTok stars featured that you’ll have no idea who they are. But the kids will know, probably. Nap rating: Don’t even think about it. You should be helping everyone get ready.
Early game: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers
Start time: 12:30 p.m. EST | TV channel: FOX | Live stream: fuboTV | Sling | DirecTV Stream
Oh, how the tables have turned in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers is long gone in Green Bay. All of a sudden, it’s the Lions are running the NFC North at 8-2. Detroit will be favored in this one. But there will be plenty of anticipation to see if the Lions can handle being the Thanksgiving favorites on the big stage. Will they live up to it? Or will it be another Detroit disappointment? This will be a good game to watch. Nap Rating: Stay awake for kickoff, but you can nap if it turns into a blowout.
Why do the Cowboys and Lions play on Thanksgiving? How did that start?
The Detroit Lions are back with the opening game Thursday, followed by the Dallas Cowboys — as is tradition. It started as a marketing ploy by the Lions in the 30s, with the Cowboys following with the same strategy in the 60s. It just sort of stuck from there.
Late afternoon game: Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders
Start time: 4:30 p.m. EST | TV channel: CBS | Live stream: fuboTV | Sling | DirecTV Stream | Paramont+
This game doesn’t quite have as much juice as the early afternoon game. The Cowboys enter as the favorites as the Commanders have already traded away their two best players this year.
There’s a good chance this game is a snoozer. But if it’s competitive, things could get interesting at the end. Nap Rating: Feel free to nap through the first half. But check the fourth quarter.
Night game: San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Start time: 8:20 p.m. EST | TV channel: NBC | Live stream: Peacock | Sling | DirecTV Stream | fuboTV
We’ve got a battle between the two top teams in the NFC West. The 49ers are the juggernauts, coming in with all these big-name stars like George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are the plucky underdogs who are young and have an underrated roster. Football-wise, this projects to be the best game of the day. Rating: Grab an evening coffee. This game should be good.
How to watch NFL on Thanksgiving, streaming options: With the rise of streaming services, there are more ways to watch the games than ever. Sure, there are conventional TV channels. But for the CBS game, there’s Paramont+. For the NBC game, there’s Peacock. Meanwhile, you can watch all of the games streaming if you have fuboTV, which has a free trial.
There are also options like DirecTV Stream and Sling, which is one of the cheapest options available. Fans who have cable subscriptions can also use login credentials from their TV providers to watch via NBC, FOX or CBS.
