As everyone knows, a lot of money goes into producing the Super Bowl. Companies pay up to $7 million for a 30-second commercial, players on the winning team pocket $157,000 each and, perhaps most notably, tickets to the game can set you back anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 for the “cheap” seats.
Good thing you can watch it for free from your living room. That’s the home-field advantage you get from handing off your cable box and catching on to digital antennas.
After a few years of viewers “cord cutting” from those pricey cable-bundle plans — only to find that they’re now paying just as much or more for multiple streaming services — the hot new move is to go old school and call your own signals through free TV with an antenna hookup.
Star Trek (Credit: Everett Collection)
Granted, thoughts of antennas carry visions of the old days, with rickety rabbit ears and snowy reception; however, more than 23 million Americans have already discovered that today’s models have kept up with next-level tech. And the biggest plus: Antennas give you access to the major broadcast networks, so you can be there when CBS cameras capture the opening kickoff for Super Bowl LVIII — and, perhaps more important, for Usher’s halftime show — at no additional cost beyond the unit itself. No insane streaming fees. No passwords you know you’re bound to forget. Connect whichever antenna you go with (see right), run a scan for channels through the Settings options on your TV, and boom, you’re ready for a full Sunday of pregame, followed by the most watched television event of the year, from every touchdown through the hoisting of the Vince Lombardi Trophy by the victors. If that’s not a win, we don’t know what is.
Enjoy Your PostGame Shows
The Jetsons (Credit: Everett Collection)
Once the Super Bowl is over, there are plenty of things to keep you cheering if you’ve chosen to make this switch, starting with the premiere, on CBS, of Tracker, the new drama starring Justin Hartley of This Is Us fame, which airs right afterward. An antenna keeps you tuned in to all the broadcast nets, so you’ll never have to miss The Voice on NBC, The Masked Singer on Fox, or Dancing With the Stars on ABC. But beyond that, most antennas pick up feeds carrying your local news, sports, and weather outlets, independent stations, and many more specialized channels that are perfect for TV fans of all ages. That’ll give you content way beyond the current primetime lineups, thanks to stations devoted to classic shows, beloved gems, and curated film libraries.
Among them are some seriously well-stocked services. The laugh-centric Catchy Comedy network serves up weekdays full of riotous female-led hoots such as The Carol Burnett Show, I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Mama’s Family, while the evening slate celebrates the great Norman Lear’s catalog of thought-provoking sitcoms. PBS Kids continues its legacy of combining entertainment and education with enduring preschooler hits like Wild Kratts and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Movies!, with its creatively curated collections of films, is a must-have for cineastes in the mood for themed mini-festivals. (Sunday Night Noir and Friday Night Frights are to die for!) And of course, for anyone looking to spend hours, if not days, basking in the best of years gone by, there is MeTV.
M*A*S*H (Credit: 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection)
The retro-fabulous “destination for classic TV” rocks a roster of titles, from golden oldies like The Three Stooges, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and The Andy Griffith Show and animated icons The Tom & Jerry Show, Bugs Bunny and Friends, and The Jetsons to eternal favorites M*A*S*H, The Love Boat, and The Wild Wild West. MeTV’s Saturday sci-fi lineup features Batman, Star Trek, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Lost in Space. All in one night — and again, for free. That’s almost wilder than anything Captain Kirk and Co. encountered on the Enterprise!
Step one in choosing the best channel is getting yourself set with the antenna that makes sense for you. Here are three top options with a nice price signal quality and strength.
The Right Pick
One for All
Stylish and affordable, the brand’s wide-ranging models can pick up signals up to 85 miles away — perfect for suburban locations — so you don’t need to worry about how close you are to broadcast stations. Whether you go with the orb-like amplified indoor HDTV antenna ($100) that looks like something out of Star Wars, or the fabric-covered concept ($45) that can be used flat, mounted, or standing, you’re in for flawless — and free! — 1080p and 4K broadcast TV. Antenna prices listed are for amazon.com
Antennas Direct
For ease of setup and versatility, this company’s ClearStream line of indoor HDTV antennas ($33–$120; the price depends on your choice of myriad features) includes peel-and-stick designs that attach directly to a wall or window and are paintable to blend in with your decor. Another discreet option is the Horizon antenna ($40), which looks like a high-end soundbar. Available at antennasdirect.com
Channel Master
Like One for All and Antennas Direct, Channel Master’s top-of-the-line indoor antennas stay under the $100 range yet deliver priceless quality. The FLATenna+ is a super-thin flexible unit that plugs right into the back of your set and amplifies signals from up to 50 miles away. Available for $49 at channelmaster.com
