How to watch San Francisco 49ers: live stream every 2020 Niners' game from anywhere
Catch all the NFL action from the Bay Area this season
The 2020/21 NFL season is well under way and pre-season NFC favorites the San Francisco 49ers haven't gotten off to the start they had hoped for. With the Seahawks looking like the dominant team in the ultra-competitive NFC West, the Niners can't afford to lose many more games if they want to make another run at the Super Bowl, so don't miss another second of the action. Follow our guide below as we explain how to watch a San Francisco 49ers live stream and catch every game online, no matter where you are in the world right now.
Everything you need to know to watch the San Francisco 49ers online for every game of the 2020/21 NFL season is below, from TV channel details to live streaming options - and you can take your preferred Niners' coverage with you wherever you are by a drafting a rock-solid VPN.
As much as anything, 49ers fans are now praying for the health of both Jimmy G's ankle and George Kittle's foot. Star quarterback Garoppolo, groomed for all those seasons in New England by GOAT Tom Brady before transforming the Niners' fortunes upon his arrival in 2017, suffered a fresh high ankle injury in San Fran's week 8 loss to the Seahawks, and will miss at least six weeks - but potentially the rest of the 2020 NFL season if he has to undergo surgery.
Kittle, one of the league's best tight ends, is also expected to have to sit out the rest of the season, after fracturing his cuboid bone. These are big losses for the talented team, who made it to the Super Bowl LIV last season before ultimately falling to Pat Mahomes and the mighty Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 31-20.
But the 49ers have some of the most loyal fans in the NFL, and with their games continuing to be played behind closed doors (no in-person attendance), we know you still believe - and want to know the best, easiest ways to catch the Niners in action this season. Have no fear, except when it comes to anything podiatric - here's how to watch the San Francisco 49ers online and live stream every game that they play in the 2020/21 NFL season.
- Related: how to watch an NFL live stream for every game this season
How to watch a San Francisco 49ers live stream from outside your country
You may not be able to watch the San Francisco 49ers play using your usual cable TV or streaming service subscription due to coverage blackout rules in the US or international geo-blocking restrictions.
When this is the case, the simplest and most reliable solution is to use a VPN service, which masks your IP address - and therefore your location - when you visit a website. On top of that, it gives you the ability to reroute your device's internet connection through a server in a different country or state, thereby getting you access to coverage that might not otherwise be available - even though you probably pay for it.
Use a VPN to get a 49ers live stream abroad
ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN right now
We've taken the time to try out all the biggest VPN providers and we found ExpressVPN to be the pick of the bunch. It works with lots of devices and offers super fast connections across its many servers.
Throw in its robust set of security features and ExpressVPN is the best all-round VPN for streaming - and perhaps best of all, it has a 30-day money back guarantee plus 3 months FREE when you subscribe for a year.
Access ExpressVPN via your laptop, iPhone, tablet, Android phone, PlayStation, Xbox and plenty more. Express is a do-it-all service that also benefits from 24/7 customer support.
How to watch the 49ers in the US: live stream San Francisco 49ers football in 2020
49ers fans in the US that don’t want to miss a single game this season will need either a cable package or a subscription to a streaming service that gives you access to CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN and the NFL Network. This season, Fox and NFL network will show Thursday Night Football, NBC will show Sunday Night Football and ESPN will show Monday Night Football.
The NFL also has its own streaming service called NFL Game Pass which costs just $99 for the whole season. However, there is a big catch as in the US: the service will only allow you to watch replays of games, and doesn't offer live streams like its international version.
For this reason, we recommend getting a subscription to a streaming service that gives you access to CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN and NFL Network instead of signing up for NFL Game Pass. If you’re located outside the US it’s a different story as the International NFL Game Pass doesn’t have these same restrictions but more on that later. Of all the streaming services currently available, Sling TV is the best option for most Niners' fans.
The best streaming service for San Francisco 49ers fans
To watch every 49ers game this season, you’ll need to sign up for the service’s Orange + Blue plan which costs $35 for your first month and then increases to $45 per month. Sling’s Orange + Blue plan gives you access to almost all of the channels you’ll need to watch the NFL live this season as it includes ESPN, Fox, NBC and the NFL Network, though not CBS.
This isn't really a problem if you only want to watch 49ers games this season, as Fox is the regional sports network for the Bay Area and airs Niners' games that aren't being nationally televised. So Sling TV, which offers a FREE trial of all its plans, should have San Fran-or-bust fans completely covered.
If you're a Niners fan who also likes watching other NFL teams play from time to time, then you might still want CBS. In that case, Sling is currently running a promotion where it will send new customers who pre-pay for two months of its service a free over-the-air antenna which will allow you to watch all of the NFL games shown on CBS this season.
Alternatively, for the odd CBS game you might want to watch, you could check out the network's CBS All Access service, which is cheap at just $5.99 a month and offers a FREE 7-day trial of its own.
How to watch San Francisco 49ers blackout games
And if blackouts become an issue for whatever reason, remember that having a good VPN on your software roster can help you get around this - just follow the guide above.
How to get a free 49ers live stream for select games
Not interested in signing up for cable or for a streaming service? Don’t worry as you’ll still be able to watch a number of football games for free on mobile by downloading the Yahoo Sports app. Yahoo will show every NFL game that is broadcast in your local TV market for free in its app including Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football.
How to watch a San Francisco 49ers live stream in Canada
The streaming service DAZN is the best way to watch the NFL and 49ers games in Canada this season.
With DAZN, you’ll be able to watch every game in the 2020-21 NFL season on all of your favorite streaming devices as the service supports Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One and PS4 in addition to iOS, Android, PC and Mac.
It costs $20 a month or $150 per year but DAZN also has a FREE TRIAL available so you can test out the service for yourself.
How to watch the San Francisco 49ers: live stream every game in the UK
If you’re in the UK, then Sky Sports is one of watching the 49ers this season as the network will show more than 100 live games on Sky Sports Main Event and on its new Sky Sports NFL channel. The network will show at least five live games per week including every Thursday, Sunday and Monday Night Football game, plus a selected early and late kick-off game.
The 49ers are often among the teams featured, but for those who don’t want the full commitment of a Sky contract, there are other options.
A Now TV Sky Sports Pass will let you watch the network’s NFL coverage and can be cancelled at any time. In addition to the NFL, there's also loads of football, cricket, golf, and F1 action, with pricing that starts at £9.99 for a day's use - but we highly recommend the better value Monthly Pass for the majority of viewers. £33.99 gets you coverage for the beginning of the 2020 NFL season as well as the full month of content from other sports as well.
And for the die-hard 49ers fans that can’t stand the thought of missing a single game will be happy to know that NFL Game Pass is also available in the UK. However, unlike in the US, the International NFL Game Pass will let you watch all 250+ games this season live as they happen as well as the Playoffs and Super Bowl LV for £143.99 per year. You can also pay for your NFL Game Pass plan in four installments of £36.00.
If the 49ers do happen to go all the way again this year, UK fans will also be able to watch Super Bowl LV in February 2021 for free as the BBC will show the whole game live on TV and online via BBC iPlayer.
If you're looking to watch the San Francisco 49ers from abroad, you might be geo-blocked out of some of these viewing options. Using a reliable VPN can easily get around this so you can get back to the game.
How to watch San Francisco 49ers NFL games in Australia
49ers fans in Australia have several options to watch the NFL this season as Foxtel, 7Mate and Kayo Sports will all broadcast live games.
Foxtel will broadcast live NFL games via ESPN but you will need to add the network’s Sports Package for $25 per month on top of the Foxtel Plus Pack at $49 per month to watch making it a hard option to recommend. While you won’t be able to watch every game this season on 7Mate, the network will show two games per week free over-the-air and some games will be available to stream on its streaming service 7Plus.
If you’ve already cut the cord, then the excellent value streaming service Kayo Sports also has you covered for all things ESPN and can be cancelled at any time - so we'd recommend looking into this option first. It costs either $25 or $35 per month depending on which package you choose but it’s still far cheaper than Foxtel and you can grab a 14-day FREE TRIAL to test it out. Perhaps best of all, a single Kayo Sports subscription can be used simultaneously across multiple devices, meaning you can share one with family or friends and pay less.
And don't forget: you can grab a good VPN to ensure you can access your preferred streaming coverage from anywhere in the world, while NFL Game Pass is available in Australia for those who don't want to miss a single 49ers game this season.
San Francisco 49ers 2020 regular season schedule
Current San Francisco 49ers record: 4-4 (4th in NFC West)
- Week 1 - 49ers vs Cardinals - lost by 49ers 24-20
- Week 2 - 49ers at Jets - won by 49ers 31-13
- Week 3 - 49ers at Giants - won by 49ers 36-9
- Week 4 - 49ers vs Eagles - lost by 49ers 25-20
- Week 5 - 49ers vs Dolphins - lost by 49ers 43-17
- Week 6 - 49ers vs Rams - won by 49ers 24-16
- Week 7 - 49ers at Patriots - won by 49ers 33-6
- Week 8 - 49ers at Seahawks - lost by 49ers 37-27
- Week 9 - 49ers vs Packers on Thursday, November 5
- Week 10 - 49ers at Saints on Sunday, November 15
- Week 11 - Bye Week
- Week 12 - 49ers at Rams on Sunday, November 29
- Week 13 - 49ers vs Bills on Monday, December 7
- Week 14 - 49ers vs Washington Football Team on Sunday, December 13
- Week 15 - 49ers at Cowboys on Sunday, December 20
- Week 16 - 49ers at Cardinals on Sunday, December 27
- Week 17 - 49ers vs Seahawks on Sunday, January 3
San Francisco 49ers: 2020/21 season team news
Ahead of the 2020/21 NFL season, San Francisco lost wide receiver Travis Benjamin and offensive linemen Shon Coleman and Jake Brendel, with the trio deciding to opt-out due to health concerns surrounding the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However, the 49ers did add an additional 20 players to their roster during the offseason.
The big question this season is whether or not San Francisco will be able to go all the way once again and get another shot at the Lombardi Trophy. It looks increasingly unlikely and has historically proven to be a very difficult feat, as only the 1971 Dallas Cowboys, 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2018 New England Patriots have managed to follow up a Super Bowl defeat with a Super Bowl win the following season.
- Related: here's how to watch a college football live stream
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James is a technology journalist with nearly 10 years experience and currently Sports and TV Streaming Editor at Future, where he works across TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide. He is here to help you find the best ways to watch sports, TV shows and movies online. Previously, he was News and Features Editor at Trusted Reviews, Editor of Lifehacker UK, and Senior Staff Writer at ITProPortal.