Why You Can Trust CNET Falcons vs. Bucs Livestream: How to Watch NFL Week 5 Online Today
Looking to stream the Atlanta Falcons as they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Here's everything you need for Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on Fox.
The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter Week 5 atop the NFC South with 2-2 records, which means the winner of Sunday's game will have sole possession of first place. The Falcons placed running back Cordarrelle Patterson on injured reserve this week, but backups Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley looked good in relief as the Falcons ran for more than 200 yards in a win against the Browns last week. With quarterback Marcus Mariota also contributing to the run game, the Falcons will need to continue to find success running the ball on Sunday against the Buccaneers to control the clock and keep the ball out of Tom Brady's hands. Brady and the Bucs have lost two straight and will look to get back on track at home. The Falcons and Buccaneers kick off on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Fox.
The game will be shown on Fox across much of the country including the Atlanta and Tampa 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 2022: How to Stream Every Game Live Without Cable
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Falcons vs. Bucs: When and where?
For Week 5 of the NFL season, the Falcons will take on the Bucs at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Sunday. The game is set to take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
How to watch the Falcons vs. Buccaneers 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.
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 Falcons vs. Bucs game in the US
This week's Falcons vs. Buccaneers game is on Fox, so in addition to a VPN 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.
Among the live TV streaming services that carry local Fox stations, the cheapest is Sling TV Blue at $35 per month. Note that Sling is currently running a promotion where the first month of service is half-price ($17.50) for new subscribers.
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 FuboTV. They all cost more than Sling TV, but they also carry more channels, including football-specific channels like Fox, ESPN, NFL Network and/or RedZone. Check out our live TV streaming channel guide for details.
Quick tips for streaming Falcons vs. Buccaneers 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.
- The game should be airing over large swaths of the country, including much of the east coast, per 506 Sports. You can use VPN locations in NYC and others, but we tested it through Tampa Bay.
- 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.