The official NFL preseason starts in one week, but football fans can already look forward to watching a game tonight.
The Chicago Bears and Houston Texans will be the first teams to play ahead of the season when they go head to head for the NFL Hall of Fame Game. The HOF Game takes place during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week in Canton, Ohio. Marking the start of the NFL preseason, the kick-off for the Hall of Fame Exhibition Game is slated for 8:00 p.m. ET on August 1, 2024. The game will air on ABC and ESPN, as well as ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes, but one of the easiest and most affordable ways to catch the Bears vs. Texans is with Sling TV.
Along with a pre-preseason football game this week, sports enthusiasts can also watch the Class of 2024 Enshrinement Ceremony on Saturday where seven players will be honored with a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame. This includes past players whose talent and dedication to the sport was unsurpassed, like Dwight Freeney, a defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar, wide receivers Devin Hester and Andre Johnson, defensive tackle Steve McMichael, defensive end Julius Peppers and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.
If you’re looking to watch the NFL Hall of Fame Game, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about streaming the upcoming Bears vs Texans game. NFL fans wanting to catch the game have a few different service options we’ve outlined below.
How to watch the 2024 Hall of Fame Game without cable
The NFL Hall of Fame Game will air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes (ESPN for Spanish speakers). If you don’t have cable, there are several options for streaming the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game online using live streaming services that offer ABC or ESPN — including Sling TV, FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV.
Sling TV
For NFL games on ABC or ESPN, one of the best ways to watch without cable is through a live TV streaming subscription to Sling TV. Right now, there is a Sling TV deal offering 50% off your first month of any tier — bringing the Orange Plan with your local ESPN network down to just $20. If you prefer to watch on ABC, Sling TV has a Blue Plan for $25 for the first month. You also can bundle the services with the Orange + Blue plan, which is $30 for the first month.
Watch ESPN on Sling TV
Sling TV’s Orange plan includes ESPN, along with 33 other channels like Disney, Freeform and ESPN2. Plans start at $40 per month, but new customers can get half off their first month.
FuboTV
With Fubo’s sports-focused live TV streaming service, you’ll have access to ESPN and ABC to watch the NFL Hall of Fame Game. FuboTV comes with 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage and a seven-day free trial.
Watch ESPN on FuboTV
FuboTV offers 190 channels in its base package, which includes ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, and the NFL Network. New customers can try FuboTV’s free week-long trial to test out the service.
Hulu + Live TV
You can also stream the NFL Hall of Fame Game on ESPN or ABC with Hulu + Live TV. Stream the game or watch on-demand whenever and wherever you want. Subscriptions start at $77 a month and there is also a three-day free trial. The service also bundles ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu’s on-demand catalog with your subscription.
ESPN+
You can also watch Chicago vs. Houston on ESPN+. Plans start at $11 per month or you can bundle the service with Disney+ and Hulu for $3 more per month. Subscribers get live streaming access to baseball, soccer, golf and more along with on-demand access to original docuseries and ESPN’s exclusive sports analysis.
How to watch the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game for free
There are a couple of options to watch the NFL Hall of Fame Game for free.
You will need to take advantage of FuboTV’s or Hulu + Live TV’s free trials. FuboTV has a free 7-day trial and Hulu + Live TV has a free 3-day trial. That means if you haven’t used either service you could sign up for one and cancel within the trial period to watch the HOF game for free.
When is the 2024 NFL Hall of Fame Game?
The NFL Hall of Fame Game takes place on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN, as well as ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes.
Key dates for the 2023-2024 NFL season
Here are all the important dates football fans will want to mark in their calendar for the upcoming NFL preseason and NFL regular season.
August 1: Hall of Fame Game
August 1-4: Hall of Fame Weekend
August 8-11: First Preseason Weekend
August 15-18: Second Preseason Weekend
August 22-25: Third Preseason Weekend
September 1: Final Day of Preseason Training Camps
September 5: First Week of Regular Season Games
September 5-6 and September 8-9: Kickoff Weekend
September 6: NFL International Game at Corinthians Arena in Brazil (Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles)
October 6: NFL International Game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London (New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings)
October 13: NFL International Game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London (Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears)
October 15-16: Fall League Meeting
October 20: NFL International Game at Wembley Stadium in London (New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
November 10: NFL International Game at Allianz Arena in Germany (New York Giants vs. Carolina Panthers)
December 10-11: Special Leage Meeting
January 11-13: Super Wild Card Weekend
January 30: East-West Shrine Bowl
February 1: Senior Bowl
February 2: Pro Bowl Games
February 9: Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
February 24 to March 3: NFL Scouting Combine
RELATED CONTENT: