Best NFL Kodi addons: How to watch live

There are a few Kodi add-ons that let you watch live NFL streams. With the regular season fast approaching, we’ve compiled a list of the best Kodi addons for live streaming the NFL in 2023/2024.

But before you start, know that Kodi add-ons can pose a risk to your cybersecurity. Most Kodi add-ons are developed and maintained by volunteers not affiliated with the streaming service providing the video. Sometimes, malicious add-ons pretend to be legitimate, and updates to once-safe add-ons can contain malware. For that reason, we always recommend using a VPN with Kodi.

Best VPN for Kodi users: NordVPN

If you use Kodi without a Virtual Private Network (VPN), your internet provider can see exactly what you get up to online. This not only comes with some pretty significant privacy issues, but it also allows them to throttle your speeds when you do certain activities (like streaming or torrenting).

The best solution is to use NordVPN, as it provides robust encryption and a choice of servers that work to stream the NFL from abroad or in a blackout state.

Want to know more? Check out our full NordVPN review.

How to watch NFL on Kodi

To watch the NFL on Kodi, do the following:

1. Load the latest version of Kodi that works with the addon you want to use (we recommend version 19 (Matrix) since Nexus hasn’t left Alpha yet).
2. Open the Addons page on the left
3. Click on the Package symbol on the top left
4. Click on Install from the repository
5. Locate and select the appropriate addon repository
6. Select Video add-ons
7. Find and install the addons listed below
8. Load the addons from the Addons menu on the home page

That’s all! You can also bypass geographic content restrictions imposed by some of these services using a VPN. We’ll explain in more detail below.

How to stream NFL live on Kodi

Below, you’ll find our list of the best Kodi addons for watching the NFL 2023/2024 season. Most are easily found in the Official Kodi Addon Repository, although given the fast-changing nature of Kodi’s addon development scene, you may need to look elsewhere for some of the most recently updated versions.

Sling.TV

Sling TV is a streaming service with a $40 monthly plan that lets you watch ESPN, FOX, NBC, and NFL Network. The corresponding Kodi addon is simple and easy to use: just download it from the developer’s GitHub page, install it, and start streaming.

This service is only available in the US, so you’ll need a VPN to get a valid US IP address if you want to watch the NFL via Sling TV from outside of America.

Catch-up TV & More

In the UK, NFL fixtures will air on Sky Sports, and you can watch online using either Sky Go (cable required) or Now TV. Unfortunately, neither of these are available as Kodi add-ons. However, there will be a weekly summary called The NFL Show every Saturday on ITV and STV, and the latter channel is included in the Catch-up TV & More add-on.

This addon is included in the official Kodi repo. To access the STV channel, you’ll need a British IP address. Those traveling outside of the UK will need a VPN.

Hulu

If you have a Hulu + Live TV subscription, you can stream any NFL games shown on NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, and NFL Network. You just have to install the Hulu addon from the SlyGuy repo, log in, and get started. Note that this addon will only work if you’re in the US or using an American VPN server.

Where to watch NFL regular season in 2023/2024

The NFL has very expensive contracts in place with the following US-based networks:

• CBS
• ABC
• NBC
• FOX
• ESPN

This means any streaming service that gives you access to some or all of these will allow you to watch NFL games. Several great streaming options exist that provide adequate, legally-available coverage at a relatively low cost. Those include:

• Sling TV
• fuboTV
• YouTube TV
• Hulu with Live TV
• NFL Game Pass (only shows regular-season games outside of the US)
• Paramount Plus
• Over-the-air (OTA) TV antenna

Of these, you’ll find that an OTA digital TV antenna is the cheapest option, but you’ll only be able to watch local games.

Sling TV is probably the best, cheapest option if you want to see almost every game made available through cable TV. Through Sling TV, you can get access to NBC, Fox, NFL Network, and ESPN for $50 per month. You’ll need to order Sling’s Orange+Blue package to get all four. The only channel you won’t get is CBS, as CBS restricts its live streaming to only over-the-air antennas and its Paramount+ streaming service.

That said, the other options on the list all come in at around $70 per month and provide various ways to watch most NFL games, including regular season match-ups.

How to safely and privately use Kodi addons for NFL

Numerous add-ons will get you there if you’re looking into streaming NFL games on Kodi. However, notable privacy and security risks are associated with official and unofficial Kodi addons.

Perhaps the biggest risk to all Kodi users is addon hijacking. This is when someone releases malicious updates to a well-known addon and infects the user’s system or turns it into part of a botnet. Kodi addons can also be used to spy on user information, access hard drives, and collect personal information through man-in-the-middle attacks, so this is a serious issue.

You can protect yourself from addon hijacking by turning off Kodi’s automatic updates. To do this, click the gear icon on Kodi’s home screen, navigate to System > Addons > Updates, and change the setting to Notify, but don’t install updates.

Unofficial live streaming NFL addons for Kodi

One of the primary reasons many users turn to Kodi is the prospect of “free” TV and movies. However, most Kodi addons that promise this type of content do so through pirated streams. Although many legitimate third-party addon developers in the community create perfectly honest options for Kodi users, many third-party addons focus on pirated streaming.

The problem is that it’s often hard to tell which addons are official and which aren’t, especially when they come so highly recommended on various forums. To this end,  we’ve listed some of the most popular unofficial addons below, not as a recommendation but as a clarification. We recommend that you avoid these illegitimate sources for security and legality’s sake.

• SportsDevil
• Castaway
• cCloud TV

Disclaimer: Kodi should only be used for content you have a legal right to access. Neither the Kodi Foundation nor Comparitech advocates the use of Kodi for piracy.

Can I use a free VPN to watch the NFL on Kodi?

No. Generally speaking, free VPNs are much too slow to stream HD NFL games on your Kodi. Free VPNs have very few servers that are massively oversubscribed. This makes those servers very sluggish, which means you will experience high levels of buffering when you try to watch the NFL.

In addition, free VPNs are very easy for streaming providers to spot. This means that streaming services like Paramount+ (CBS), fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Sling TV find it very easy to detect and block those free VPNs. As a result, they will not work to unblock and watch NFL streams abroad (or blackout games within America).

In addition to these performance issues, we recommend staying away from free VPNs for privacy and security reasons. Free VPNs have invasive privacy policies that allow them to track everything you do online for profiling purposes. To create a revenue stream, those companies will then sell your data to third parties, such as marketing companies and data brokers.

In addition, studies have revealed that free VPNs lack encryption, suffer from DNS and IP leaks, have server and app vulnerabilities, and engage in shady practices such as hiding spyware in their apps. This makes using a free VPN with your Kodi extremely risky because you will not get the privacy or security you expect.

For these reasons, we advise avoiding free VPNs and opting for a quality, paid provider. If you’re worried about the cost, opt for one with a free trial or money-back guarantee to ensure you’re happy with the service before committing long-term.

Is it legal to watch the NFL on Kodi?

Kodi is a legitimate media player, and there’s nothing illegal about it. However, its legality becomes a topic of discussion when third-party add-ons are involved. NFL Game Pass is a legitimate service to watch NFL games. The legal issues crop up when NFL Game Pass content is accessed via unofficial Kodi add-ons.

Here’s a breakdown:

1. Official Kodi Add-ons: If there’s an official Kodi add-on for NFL Game Pass, using it is legal and straightforward.
2. Unofficial Kodi Add-ons: This is where it gets tricky. Unofficial add-ons that provide access to NFL Game Pass content without proper licensing are crossing the legal line, landing you in deep water if you get caught for copyright infringement.

So, the legality of watching the NFL on Kodi hinges heavily on how you access the NFL Game Pass content. Stick to official channels, and you’re in clear territory. Venture into the unofficial add-ons, and you’re treading on thin ice.