How to watch the NFL draft on Apple devices

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How to watch NFL draft 2017
Here's how to stream the NFL draft on all your Apple gear.
Photo: Skitterphoto/Pexels CC

By Chris Brantner, guest blogger

It may feel like forever until the beginning of football season, but the NFL draft is here to offer us all a brief glimpse into the excitement to come. The draft, which runs Thursday through Saturday, is an opportunity to dive into the NFL early and get an idea about the futures of certain teams.

You can keep up with all the picks whether you’re on your iPad, iPhone, Mac or Apple TV. There’s truly no reason to miss out!

Stream the NFL draft on Apple devices

If you want to watch the NFL draft on your Apple device, you can actually do so in several different ways.

Before you start your NFL draft blitz, you might want to check the official 2017 NFL draft notes (.pdf) and download the NFL draft slots sheet (.pdf) to keep track of all the action.

WatchESPN website and app

If you’re an ESPN subscriber, you can log in and watch the NFL draft on WatchESPN during the weekend. You’ll get access whether you pay for a cable package or a subscription to popular streaming services like Sling TV or PlayStation Vue.

As long as you can watch ESPN with your subscription, you’ll get access. You can use the app on your iPhone or iPad, or you can hit the WatchESPN website on your Mac.

NFL.com and NFL Now app

The pro football league is actually offering streams on NFL.com and its NFL Now streaming app. You’ll need access to the NFL Network in order to access these services, which will let you watch everything the network broadcasts during the draft live stream. (These can also be handy options to stream NFL coverage during the regular season.)

Sling TV

Sling TV is a streaming service that’ll let you watch NFL draft coverage without cable across ESPN, ESPN2 and the NFL Network. The ESPN networks are a part of the $20 per month “Sling Orange” package. You can watch free for a week with a seven-day trial.

If you want to get NFL Network along with ESPN, you must bump up to the “Sling Orange + Sling Blue” package. This costs $40 per month and delivers about 45 diverse cable channels. Sling TV can be streamed on its app, the Sling TV website or from an Apple TV.

PlayStation Vue

Sony streaming service PlayStation Vue also offers an NFL draft stream. The package to get ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network costs $35 per month. You can watch the entire draft coverage along with around 60 other channels.

The service is compatible with iOS — just download the PlayStation Vu app. You can also sign in and watch streams from your Mac or on the big screen with Apple TV.

The broad range and size of the Vue channel package makes this a strong option as a full cable replacement. For many people, PlayStation Vue offers all the channels they’re interested in watching. You can test the service and watch the draft for free during a five-day trial.

DIRECTV NOW

Another service for those without cable, DIRECTV NOW also lets you watch the NFL draft on ESPN and ESPN2. NFL Network is not included here, but you should get plenty of coverage on the ESPN networks. The cost runs $35 per month for a package of more than 60 channels.

Like PlayStation Vue, DIRECTV NOW can easily function as a full cable alternative. Subscribe and you can stream all the content on the DIRECTV NOW iOS app, on your television with Apple TV or straight from the service’s website. You can try DIRECTV NOW free for a week.

Great era for streaming sports

Clearly, you’ll have some good options for watching the NFL draft. This is one of the best parts about sports nowadays — it’s incredibly easy to stream some of the biggest events. Must-see games like the NBA playoffs and the NHL playoffs can now easily be streamed across all your Apple devices.

Now you’ve got no excuse to miss out on anything!

Chris Brantner founded Cut Cable Today, a website for cord cutters.

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