Bears vs. Bucs Livestream: How to Watch NFL Week 2 Online Today – CNET
Bears vs. Bucs Livestream: How to Watch NFL Week 2 Online Today - CNET
Baker Mayfield led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a win last week in their first game in the post-Tom Brady era, passing for a pair of scores with no interceptions.
The Bears are coming off a brutal loss to the Packers at home, with second-year starter Justin Fields throwing a pick six and losing a fumble.
To even their record, the Bears will need to find better consistency on offense and hold onto the ball against a Buccaneers defense that forced three turnovers last week.
The Bears and Bucs kick off in Tampa, Florida, at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Fox. Here is how you can watch, even if the game isn’t available on your local Fox channel.
The game will be shown on TV in the Seattle and Detroit areas (according to 506 Sports) on live TV streaming services, but there may be cases where you’re blocked because of an internet location glitch or just want an added layer of privacy for streaming. There is an option that doesn’t require subscribing to something like NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Plus, or searching the internet for a sketchy website: You can use a virtual private network, or VPN.
Here’s how you can watch the game from anywhere in the US with a VPN.
Read more: NFL 2023: How to Watch and Stream Games and RedZone With or Without Cable
Quarterback Justin Fields is under pressure following his lackluster showing in the Bears’ defeat to the Packers last weekend.
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
Bears vs. Bucs: When and where?
For Week 2 of the NFL season, the Buccaneers host the Bears at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Sunday. The game will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
How to watch the Bears vs. Bucs game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally due to incorrectly applied blackout restrictions, you may need a different way to watch the game and that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, plus it’s a great idea for when you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US and Canada, as long as you’ve got a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
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ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the Bears vs. Bucs game in the US
This week’s Bears-Bucs game is on Fox, so in addition to a VPN set to an area carrying the game (see tips below) you’ll need a live TV streaming service that carries a local Fox affiliate that’s broadcasting the game. The least expensive such service is Sling TV Blue.
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Sling TV’s Blue plan includes NBC, Fox and the NFL Network, though it does not have CBS, ABC or ESPN. Enter your address here to see which local channels are available where you live. NFL RedZone is also available for an extra $11 per month.
Note that to get ABC and ESPN, you’ll need to switch to the similarly priced Orange plan (which drops Fox, NBC and NFL Network) or go for the combined $60 per month Orange and Blue bundle that includes channels from both packages. With the combined plan, the Sports Extra add-on, which has RedZone, is an extra $15 per month.
One important caveat: In our experience, Fox local affiliates will only be available if your billing address is in one of the 18 metropolitan areas covered in Sling’s agreement. If you’re outside of one of these areas, you’re probably better off going with one of the alternate services listed below.
Numerous other live TV streaming services carry local Fox stations as well, namely YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo. They all cost more than Sling TV, but they also carry more channels, including football-broadcasting channels like ESPN. Check out our live TV streaming services guide for details.
If you live in an area where the game is being broadcast, an over-the-air antenna connected to your TV provides another option for Fox. The best part about antennas is that there are no streaming or monthly fees required, though you will need to make sure you have good reception.
Quick tips for streaming Bears vs. Bucs using a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
- Sling Blue is only an option if and when the ability to get Fox local affiliates is active on your account. You may want to verify that your billing address is eligible for that option before committing your credit card.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
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