You will need a subscription to watch this NFL game in Week 7: exclusive ESPN+ in the Pacific Northwest

When the Seattle Seahawks host the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football in Week 7, most fans won’t be able to find it on ESPN or ABC. The game, kicking off at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on October 20, will be available exclusively on ESPN+, part of the NFL’s ongoing push toward premium streaming.

Why is ESPN+ the only option for Seahawks-Texans?

Since 2022, ESPN’s subscription service has received one Monday Night Football game per year. The inaugural paywalled matchup was the Denver Broncos vs Jacksonville Jaguars in London. A year later, it was the Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals. Now, it’s Seattle’s turn, with their only MNF appearance of the 2025 season landing behind the ESPN+ paywall.

But wait... For fans in the Seattle or Houston markets, the game will still air on local affiliates – a small consolation for those unwilling to pay another streaming fee.

The price of NFL MNF access

ESPN+ costs $11.99 per month or $119.99 annually, separate from ESPN’s newer All-Access bundle at $29.99 per month. The move mirrors the NFL’s broader shift toward platform exclusivity, joining Amazon’s Thursday Night Football and Netflix’s upcoming Christmas Day slate.

While some see it as a necessary step to fund broadcast rights, others view it as yet another layer of fragmentation in a sport once united by network TV. We’ll see how the end-of-season viewing figures compare.

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