Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars and Rangers Without Cable: Every Option Priced (2026-27)

Where every DFW team plays in 2026-27

Each DFW team now airs somewhere different, and three of them use free over-the-air TV for part of the season. A regional sports network is a channel that shows a team's local games in its home area, like Rangers Sports Network. Here is the full map:

Team	Free over the air	Streaming	On IPTVZ
Cowboys	FOX 4, CBS 11, NBC 5; ABC (WFAA 8) for some Monday games	ESPN Unlimited, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+, Fox One, NFL+ on phones	Locals, ESPN, NFL Network, Cowboys channel
Mavericks	KFAA 29; at least 15 games on WFAA 8	MavsTV app (free), MavsTV+ $14.99 a month	KFAA 29, WFAA 8, Mavericks channel
Stars	17 games on FOX 4 and FOX 4+ (27)	Prime Video for all regional games	FOX 4, FOX 4+, Stars channel
Rangers	Select games on CW33	Rangers Sports Network on Fubo and DIRECTV	Rangers channel

Sources: Dallas Morning News (Mavericks, October 14, 2026), FOX 4 and the Dallas Stars (Stars), and the Rangers. For channel numbers and antenna tips, see our list of Dallas TV stations.

How to watch the Cowboys without cable

Most Cowboys games are free with an antenna. Sunday afternoon games air on FOX 4 or CBS 11, depending on the opponent. Sunday night games air on NBC 5. Monday night games are on ESPN, and some are also on ABC, which is WFAA 8 in DFW.

Thursday night games stream on Prime Video. Under the NFL's home-market rule, a Cowboys Thursday game also airs on a local DFW station. So an antenna alone gets you most of the season. The catch: WFAA 8 is the DFW station antennas lose most often. Our Dallas TV stations guide explains the 8.8 backup channel, and the FCC reception map shows which towers reach your address.

Streaming it all costs more than people expect. Here is what each service costs, from Consumer Reports' 2026-27 NFL streaming guide (September 4, 2026) and How-To Geek (September 9, 2026):

• ESPN Unlimited for Monday Night Football: $31.99 a month, or $320 a year.
• Peacock Premium for Sunday Night Football: $12.99 a month, or $130 a year.
• Paramount+ Essential for CBS games: $8.99 a month.
• Amazon Prime for Thursday games: $139 a year.
• NFL+ for live local and prime-time games, on phones and tablets only: about $7 a month or $50 a year.

FOX games stream on Fox One, which costs $19.99 a month. NFL Sunday Ticket does not help in DFW: it shows out-of-market Sunday games, and Cowboys games air on local stations here.

How to watch the Mavericks without cable

The Mavericks are the easiest DFW team to watch for free in 2026-27. Local games air over the air on KFAA, channel 29, and at least 15 are also on WFAA 8. According to the Dallas Morning News, nearly 70 games are free on the MavsTV app this season.

MavsTV+, the paid tier, costs $14.99 a month or $99.88 for the season. It covers all games not shown only on national TV, plus on-demand extras like press conferences and highlights. The season price also comes with a $60 Mavs merch gift card or two tickets to a select game.

National games are a different story. The DMN counts four Mavericks games on Prime Video, seven on ESPN or ABC, eight on NBC and two on Peacock. Worth knowing: KFAA broadcasts on UHF 30, so it is much easier to receive with an antenna than WFAA.

How to watch the Stars without cable

For most Stars games in 2026-27, you need Amazon Prime. The Stars moved their regional games to Prime Video for fans in the team's area, after Victory+ shut down on August 31. A Prime membership costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year.

Seventeen games stay free on FOX 4 and FOX 4+ (channel 27), as FOX 4 reported. Those are the only Stars games on local broadcast TV this season. National games air on ESPN, ABC and TNT.

Spoiler: plenty of DFW fans already pay for Prime for shopping. For them, the Stars cost nothing extra. For everyone else, it is $139 a year for one team.

How to watch the Rangers without cable

The Rangers produce their own channel, Rangers Sports Network. In 2026 it was carried by DIRECTV, Spectrum, U-verse and Astound, and a select package of games aired over the air on CW33. On streaming, TheStreamable lists it on DIRECTV and Fubo, but not on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV or Sling.

The network has also been sold as a standalone streaming subscription. The Dallas Morning News reported a price of $100 for a season when it launched in 2025. The Rangers have not announced their 2027 TV setup yet, so check the team's site in the spring before you pay for anything.

What a year of DFW sports costs

Following all four DFW teams on official streaming apps costs about $937 a year. YouTube TV plus Prime costs $1,134.88. Neither includes Rangers Sports Network. A year of IPTVZ costs $74.99.

Setup	Per year	What you miss
Antenna only	$0 after the antenna	Most Stars games, Rangers Sports Network, ESPN-only Monday games
IPTVZ, 12 months	$74.99	CW33 not confirmed in our lineup yet
Streaming apps: Prime, ESPN Unlimited, Peacock, Paramount+, Fox One	$936.76	Rangers Sports Network
YouTube TV + Prime	$1,134.88	Rangers Sports Network

Our finding: We added up the official prices for every service a DFW fan needs for all four teams. The app stack comes to $936.76 a year: Prime $139, ESPN Unlimited $320, Peacock $130, Paramount+ $107.88 and Fox One $239.88. That is before Rangers Sports Network, which none of those apps carry. A year of IPTVZ at $74.99 costs about 92% less than that app stack (official prices, October 2026).

IPTVZ plans start at $29.99 for 3 months, and the 12-month plan works out to about $6.25 a month. Our guide to IPTV in Dallas-Fort Worth explains how it works and what internet speed you need.

What happens in the playoffs

Playoff games move to national TV, so local channels matter less as the season goes on. NFL playoff games air on CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC and ESPN, with some on streaming services. NBA playoff games air on ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock and Prime Video under the league's new TV deals. Later rounds of the NHL playoffs air nationally on ESPN, ABC and TNT.

That means the free KFAA and FOX 4 deals mostly cover the regular season. If your team makes a deep run, plan on national channels like ESPN and TNT, which IPTVZ also carries.

The cheapest setup for your kind of fan

1. Cowboys only: an antenna. Add ESPN for the Monday games that are not on ABC.
2. Mavericks only: an antenna for KFAA 29, or the free MavsTV app.
3. Stars fan: Prime at $139 a year, plus FOX 4 for the 17 broadcast games.
4. Rangers fan: a provider or streaming plan that carries Rangers Sports Network.
5. All four teams, one app: IPTVZ at $74.99 a year, with the locals and the team channels.

Worth it if you follow more than one DFW team. For example, a home that follows the Mavericks and the Stars watches the Mavs free, then pays $139 a year for Prime before the first puck drops. Paying for one app per team adds up fast, and the remote collection grows with it.

DFW sports on TV FAQ

What channel is the Cowboys game on?

It depends on the week. Sunday afternoon games air on FOX 4 or CBS 11, Sunday night games on NBC 5, Monday games on ESPN and sometimes ABC (WFAA 8), and Thursday games on Prime Video.

Is MavsTV free?

Yes, for local games. Nearly 70 Mavericks games are free on the MavsTV app in 2026-27, through the team's partnership with KFAA 29. MavsTV+ costs $14.99 a month or $99.88 for the season.

What network are the Mavericks on?

Local games air on KFAA, channel 29, with at least 15 also on WFAA 8. National games air on ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock and Prime Video.

How can I watch the Stars without Prime?

Seventeen Stars games air free on FOX 4 and FOX 4+ in 2026-27. All other regional games stream on Prime Video. IPTVZ also carries FOX 4, FOX 4+ and a dedicated Stars channel.

How do I watch the Rangers without cable?

Rangers Sports Network streams on Fubo and DIRECTV, and select games air over the air on CW33. The network has also been sold as a standalone subscription, for $100 a season in 2025.

Can I watch the Cowboys on NFL Sunday Ticket in Dallas?

No. Sunday Ticket shows out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. In DFW, Cowboys games air on local stations like FOX 4 and CBS 11 instead.

Does IPTVZ have all four DFW teams?

IPTVZ carries the DFW locals that air the games, ESPN and TNT, plus dedicated Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars and Rangers channels. Test them during a game with the free 24-hour trial.

The short version

• The Mavericks are free on KFAA 29; the Cowboys are mostly free on FOX 4, CBS 11 and NBC 5.
• The Stars need Prime for most games; 17 are free on FOX 4 and FOX 4+.
• The Rangers need a provider or app that carries Rangers Sports Network.
• All four on official apps cost about $937 a year; IPTVZ is $74.99.

Test it during your team's next game. A free 24-hour trial takes a couple of minutes, and plans start at $29.99 for 3 months.