If you’re looking to get a glimpse of the future stars of football, you’ll be happy to learn that you can stream the 2023 NFL Draft for free through a variety of streaming services (or watch via over-the-air TV).
You’ll need to sign up for a free trial of a streaming service to watch the whole 7 rounds, though day 1 and day 3 will be available for free on ABC via over-the-air antennae. You’ll also need to take care not to spend any money you don’t need to during the process – unless you want to keep your paid subscription, of course.
This guide will cover:
- When and where the 2023 NFL Draft will be held.
- How to watch it on streaming services for free.
When is the 2023 NFL Draft?
The NFL draft will take place from April 27–29 (Thursday–Saturday) in 2023.
Round 1 is scheduled for 8 pm EST on Thursday, April 27. Rounds 2–3 will begin at 7 pm EST on Friday, April 28, and Rounds 4–7 at 12 pm (noon) EST on Saturday, April 29.
Where is the 2023 NFL Draft?
In 2023, the NFL draft event will be held in Kansas City, Missouri.
There will be a fan fest, the NFL Draft Experience, involving various exhibits, games, and autograph opportunities. The fan fest will be set up to the south of the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Registration is free.
The draft itself will happen at the National WWI Museum and Memorial’s Memorial Courtyard. It will be live-streamed so that you can watch it from anywhere in the world.
How to Stream the 2023 NFL Draft for Free
Most people probably won’t be traveling all the way to attend the NFL Draft in person. However, you might be interested in how to keep up with the latest updates by streaming the Draft for free.
1. Get a Trial of NFL Plus
All seven rounds of the NFL Draft will be live-streamed on the NFL Network, among other channels.
You can watch the NFL Network live from NFL Plus, the National Football League’s streaming subscription service.
If you’re in the U.S., you can sign up for a free trial of NFL Plus. Visit the NFL Plus subscriptions page, click “Start 7-day Free Trial”, and follow the instructions to sign up.
Free trials are only available for the Monthly subscription (not the Season plan), so be sure to click the right one. Make sure you cancel your subscription before the free period is over.
Note that NFL Plus can only be streamed on smartphones and tablets via the NFL app. If you want to watch the NFL draft on a TV, you will need to use a different option.
2. Get a Trial of a Streaming Service With ABC, ESPN, or NFL Network
Other than the NFL Network, the NFL Draft can also be watched on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN Deportes.
Sometimes, you might not be able to sign up for NFL Plus or NFL Game Pass Free Plan. In that case, try getting a free trial with another streaming service offering a network the Draft will be broadcast on.
For example, DirecTV Stream has ABC and ESPN and offers a 5-day free trial
.
Hulu + Live TV, Fubo TV, and YouTube TV offer all three of NFL Network, ABC, and ESPN.
Although some streaming services offer free trials, they’ll still require your payment information.
If you don’t cancel your trial before it ends, you will be charged a monthly subscription.
Also, make sure to read the streaming service’s terms and conditions carefully. Some services don’t allow you to get a free trial if you’ve had another one on a past account.
Another Option: Use an Antenna to Watch Over the Air on ABC
Another option for watching the NFL Draft for free is to use an over-the-air TV antenna. This is an antenna that can catch broadcasts from local TV stations.
An over-the-air antenna itself isn’t free, but using it will be once you have access to one. They’re relatively inexpensive as a one-time purchase compared to streaming services, so getting one can save money anyways.
ABC, a channel available on over-the-air TV, will be airing the 2023 NFL Draft live (day 1 and day 3 only). Use your TV’s inbuilt tuner to switch to the right channel once you’ve gotten your antenna plugged in.
You can even stream over-the-air TV to other devices, for the comfort of watching from your phone or computer. You’ll need an external tuner for it, but the experience can be quite close to a more modern streaming service.