Why You Can Trust CNET How to Watch the Super Bowl for Free Today: Paramount Plus Is All You Need to Stream
With this year's big game on CBS today, streaming it for free is actually pretty easy.
With CBS broadcasting this year's Super Bowl, fans looking to stream the big game can once again turn to the TV network's streaming service -- Paramount Plus -- if they don't have an antenna, cable, satellite or streaming TV provider.
This will be CBS' third Super Bowl that it streams on its own service, with 2019 and 2021's Super Bowls having been available on CBS All Access (the precursor to Paramount Plus). More importantly, Paramount Plus is one of the last streaming services that still offers a one-week free trial, so fans looking to watch can do so for free. No promo code is needed to get the trial; you'll just need to set a reminder to cancel the service after the Super Bowl in the event you don't want to keep it.
You can watch the CBS broadcast on Paramount Plus with its $6-per-month Essential tier. You can check for yourself if your area has live CBS streaming here. It also offers a free, one-week trial.
Paramount Plus offers two tiers: A base "Essential" option that runs $6 per month and has ads as well as a pricier "With Showtime" plan that runs $12 per month, includes access to premium cable channel Showtime, allows you to download shows for offline viewing and has no ads "except live TV and a few shows."
Both options are available at a discount if you want to sign up for an annual subscription ($60 per year for Essential, $120 per year for the "With Showtime" option) and either plan will get you live NFL games including this year's Super Bowl.
You can stream Paramount Plus on a variety of devices ranging from iOS and Android phones and tablets and Xbox and PlayStation game consoles to smart TVs and streaming players running software from Amazon, Apple, Google, LG, Samsung, Vizio or Roku.
Paramount Plus details how to cancel the streaming service on its website, although for easiest use it may be best to sign up through a browser and then go sign in on your device of choice. If you do it this way, you can simply go to Paramount Plus' website, click on your username in the upper right-hand corner, then head to "account" and select "cancel subscription" when you want to leave.
Signing up through other means can make canceling the service a bit more complicated. Going through other services like Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV Channels, for example, may require you to contact Amazon or Apple to close your Paramount Plus account.
Paramount's approach of offering a free trial is a welcome change from other NFL streamers. Peacock, which had two exclusive NFL games this season including a Wild Card weekend contest between the Chiefs and Dolphins, notably does not offer a free trial, so fans looking for that game needed to sign up and pay. ESPN Plus, which similarly had an exclusive NFL game during the regular season, similarly does not offer any free trials.
In addition to the free trial, it's worth pointing out that some services offer bundles that include Paramount Plus. Walmart Plus, for example, includes a subscription to Paramount Plus Essential with its Amazon Prime-rival subscription shopping service.