Packers vs. Commanders: How to Watch Online for Free on Thursday Night Football

All the legit ways to watch Packers vs. Commanders without paying cable

The Green Bay Packers hosted the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field on Thursday Night Football, September 12, 2025. The game streamed on Amazon Prime Video, which has exclusive U.S. rights to TNF. For fans trying to watch without a cable bundle, there were workable paths—some fully free, others that can be free if you’re eligible for a trial.

Start with the official broadcast: Amazon Prime Video. If you’re a Prime member, you get TNF as part of your membership on phones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming sticks, and game consoles. New members are often offered a trial window, which can turn a single TNF night into a no-cost watch if the offer is available in your region. It’s worth signing in early, updating the Prime Video app, and choosing the best available stream quality your connection can handle.

In most NFL matchups on Thursday, fans in the participating teams’ local markets can also watch the game free over the air on a local broadcast station. If you’re in the Packers’ or Commanders’ home TV markets, scanning for the local affiliate with a basic antenna is usually enough. Listings vary by city, so it’s smart to check your local guide on game day.

NFL+ provided another route, especially for mobile viewers. The service carries live local and primetime games on phones and tablets, including TNF, though full features require a subscription. Promotions change, but the app has historically offered trial periods around the season. If you go this route, confirm what’s included on your device and whether the trial covers live TNF in your area.

One practical note: streaming has delay. Prime Video can lag behind radio or social media by 20–60 seconds. If spoilers bug you, mute push alerts and avoid group chats until a break in play. If you like advanced stats, Amazon’s alternate broadcast with enhanced analytics (often branded as a data-rich viewing mode) gives you route maps, pressure rates, and win probabilities alongside the main feed.

Free alternatives: watch-alongs, radio, and live updates

If you just needed play-by-play, community, and a second screen, YouTube was busy all night. The Commanders Report by Chat Sports ran a Washington-focused watch-along hosted by Jack Sperry, with live scoreboard, drive summaries, instant reactions, and viewer polls. On the Green Bay side, the Packers Report—hosted by Joey Petersen and Gage Kilbourne—did the same for Lambeau loyalists, mixing analysis with fan Q&As and giveaways. Tom Grossi also hosted his well-known live play-by-play and reaction stream, pulling in a cross-team crowd and plenty of memes.

It’s important to be clear about what these watch-alongs are—and aren’t. They’re not the game broadcast. You won’t see the actual game feed due to rights restrictions. What you get is synchronized commentary, live stats, highlights that hosts are allowed to show, and a chat room that’s constantly moving. For a lot of fans, that community feel beats watching alone, especially in high-leverage moments.

Audio coverage filled the gaps for people on the road or at work. The Packers Radio Network carried the game across Wisconsin and neighboring states, while the Washington Commanders Radio Network covered the D.C. region and beyond through affiliates. Commanders fans could say, “Play BIG 100 on iHeartRadio” to a smart speaker or open the free iHeartRadio app to tune in. If you’re syncing radio to TV, a quick trick: pause your video stream for a few seconds, then resume until the crowd noise and the radio call line up.

Both teams’ official websites kept fans in the loop with live updates, in-game notes, and chat features. It’s a low-bandwidth option if you’re stuck with spotty Wi-Fi or want to follow along discreetly. Drive charts, injury updates, and key stats usually hit there within a minute of the play.

Here’s a quick no-cable playbook for game night:

• Try Prime Video first. If you’re new to Prime and a trial is offered in your region, you can turn that into a one-night free live stream.
• Check for a free over-the-air broadcast in the Green Bay and Washington home markets. A basic antenna often does the trick.
• Use NFL+ on mobile/tablet if it’s included in your plan or a current trial covers TNF.
• Open a YouTube watch-along (Commanders Report, Packers Report, Tom Grossi) for live commentary and community if you can’t access the game feed.
• Switch to radio: Packers Radio Network or Commanders Radio Network via the iHeartRadio app or a smart speaker command.

If you’re setting up a living-room hub for friends, pair the official stream with a watch-along on your phone or laptop for instant debate and context. Keep the chat on silent to avoid spoilers, and if you’re juggling multiple screens, prioritize the main feed’s audio to reduce echo.

One last thing: skip sketchy sites promising full game video for free. They’re unreliable, often illegal, and can infect your device with malware. Between Prime Video, local OTA in-market, radio, NFL+, team sites, and YouTube watch-alongs, you have safe, legal options that cover every situation—from a crowded couch setup to earbuds on a late train.

For the matchup itself, the draw was clear: rookie Jayden Daniels steering Washington into a loud Lambeau under the lights, and Jordan Love looking to stack early-season wins for Matt LaFleur. That mix is why TNF keeps pulling big attention on streaming platforms—people want the action, but they also want company, context, and a clean feed. On Thursday, fans found all of it—whether through Prime’s main broadcast, a local antenna in-market, a radio call on the go, or a watch-along window buzzing with reactions.