We're T-minus four days from the Super Bowl, so it's time to get your streaming plan nailed down for game day. And we've got some good news for cord-cutters: There are a ton of options for how to watch. But there are also many Bowls (three, by my count), so here's everything you need to know so you can fit in all the puppies, kittens, and, of course, football into your Sunday schedule.
Kicking things off is the Kitten Bowl, which begins at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 3, on Hallmark Channel and will feature many rescued kittens competing for the National Championship of Feline Football trophy. I don't know exactly what that means, but I do know that it will be cute. And if you miss it the first time, it will air again at 5 p.m. You can catch these lil kittens using your cable provider on Hallmark Channel Everywhere or by streaming Hallmark Channel on Sling TV, fuboTV, DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, or Philo.
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Then at 3 p.m. ET is the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. (And if you're more partial to puppies than kittens, you can tune in starting at 11 a.m. for the preshow.) By the looks of it, the starting lineup is very fluffy. To watch, tune into Animal Planet Live with your TV provider, or stream Animal Planet on Hulu Live TV, Philo, or DirecTV Now. Sunday scaries, be gone!
And finally, the main event: Super Bowl kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and here's how to watch. The big game, between the Patriots and the Rams, will be streaming on CBSSports.com, which you can access via tablet, phone, or computer. You can also stream it via the CBS app on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast, or the CBS All Access plan, which you can try out with a free one-week trial just in time to catch the game. And lastly, CBS All Access, Charter Spectrum, and PlayStation Vue subscribers who have an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV can stream the game on CBS Sports on the Apple TV app. (Just add the game to your Up Next queue, and you're ready to go.) You can also opt to receive notifications on your Apple devices as the game plays. And lastly, you can also access CBS on fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, and DirecTV Now, all of which offer free trials (that you can totally drop after Sunday, if you feel so inclined...).
And if any streaming issues arise while you watch, a rep for tech-care company Asurion suggests a few key troubleshooting methods. If you're streaming from your phone to the TV, be sure you’re on your home wifi and that you close all other background apps to keep the connection strong. Also, you'll want to turn off internet connections on other devices in your home to make sure the connection is as clear as possible. And if buffering issues occur during the game, the best thing to do is wait. If you close or refresh the app, the game will likely reload and jump forward to live, which might mean missing an important play.
Happy streaming and bowling! Also, a small consolation prize for dwellers of the losing team's city: Uber Rewards will provide an “Unhappy Hour” following the game by offering free rides for the losing city for one hour. To redeem, first join Uber Rewards through the Uber app. If you're in Boston or Los Angeles, you'll see the promo code appear in the app on game day, and as soon as the game ends, members in the losing city will be able to enter the promo code into the Payment section of the app for a free ride of up to $50. Not bad for a consolation prize.