Everyone knows the best accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey, and all the trimmings, is the one thing that makes this holiday truly special: wall-to-wall live sports!
I’m going to watch Thanksgiving Day sports on TV – and not just the NFL – around the clock and you can join me on my streaming odyssey with this, my (pretty ambitious) 24-hour Thanksgiving viewing schedule.
Below, I’ve compiled all the best Thanksgiving Day games, from Football to soccer, boxing, golf, snooker and cricket – along with the best Thanksgiving and Black Friday deals for each streaming service you’ll need. Ready? Here we go…
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2024
(All times ET)
2:30 a.m. South Africa vs Sri Lanka – Test Cricket
You’re not going to find much sports on TV at this crazy hour but if you insist on getting up seriously early on Thanksgiving because you’ve forgotten to brine the turkey or you just can’t sleep, then let’s try a little gentle Test cricket from sunny South Africa as we pull ourselves together. It’s Day 2 of the second Test but you probably don’t know how the game works anyway, so who cares? Just enjoy the sound of the clunk of leather on willow as you rub the sleep from your eyes. Don’t worry, the proper sports start soon.
Willow TV via Sling TV (save 50% – $10 for your first month)
5 a.m. Eastern SC vs Sydney – AFC Champions League soccer
Look, U.S. athletes are still asleep, so sports from the other side of the world are all we’re getting right now. You’ve just managed two and a half hours of cricket, how bad can a soccer match between a team from Hong Kong and Australia really be? Maybe don’t answer that. Look, it’s this or Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors vs Dynamic Herb Cebu. Believe me, this is the better option. Sydney F.C. have some players that used to be good!
Paramount+ (save 76% – $2.99/mo for your first two months)
6:45 a.m. Live racing from Taunton – U.K. horse racing
OK. Everyone else in the house is going to start getting up soon. This might be our last chance of watching some pretty fringe sports before the late evening. This race meeting from Somerset, U.K. (not far from where the summer Glastonbury Festival takes place) is going to take us to a seriously muddy corner of Great Britain while we eat our cornflakes. Just thank your lucky stars you’re not trackside in the cold and you can switch over whenever you like. If you need to spice things up, there’s always the option of checking out the odds…
Free on ITVX in the U.K. (save 71% on NordVPN and watch from anywhere)
8 a.m. Spanish Open – Ladies European Tour golf
I’d like to tell you that this is going to be a classic but it’s Day 1 of the Spanish Open and, with Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu or other U.S. athletes not involved, it’s going to be one for the purists. If British horse racing didn’t put you to sleep, then this one might. That or maybe get to peeling the potatoes. You’ve got an hour. There’s a big fight next…
Fox via Sling TV (get your first month from only $20)
9 a.m. Gib vs Slim – Misfit boxing
The biggest YouTuber beef since KSI vs Logan Paul gets underway at Misfit 019 in Qatar today. American Slim Albaher is unbeaten (7-0) and fights, having served up a plateful of punches against Salt Papi (Nathaniel Bustamente to his friends) last time out. Saudi AnEnson Gib, with just the one defeat to Jake Paul on his record, returns after a unanimous decision vs Jarvis back in 2023. The sport of kings or boxing’s latest freakshow? Not sure, but it’s a great excuse to crack into the drinks and snacks supplies.
DAZN (save up to 50% for Black Friday)
11 a.m. UK Championship Snooker – Last 16
The Gibs vs Slim main event doesn’t actually get into the ring until 5 p.m.. If the quality of the undercard has the consistency of my mother-in-law’s gravy, then we might want to switch between the boxing and the snooker championships in the U.K.. It’s one of the big three events in the snooker calendar and, if you’ve never watched the masters of the baize before, then give it a try. It’s a game of extreme skill like no other and a very nice pace for background viewing if your guests are insisting on actually talking to you.
Matchroom.live (Fans in the U.K. can watch for free on BBC iPlayer)
12:30 p.m. Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions – NFL
Ah, finally, an American sport! Customarily little more than stuffing, the Lions are the best team in the NFL right now, and look primed to break a seven-year Thanksgiving Day losing streak this time around. While Thomas Brown has already had a positive impact on Caleb Williams, it’s the Bears defense that’s largely to blame for their five-game skid. You might want to think about putting the turkey in the oven…
CBS your Fubo (reduced from $79.99 to $49.99 for Black Friday)
1:30 p.m. South Carolina vs Iowa State – College Football
Or, you could watch College Football. UCLA ended top-ranked South Carolina’s historic winning streak last weekend courtesy of a 77-62 stunner, which means the body-language and hindsight merchants will be out in force for the Thanksgiving clash with No.8 Iowa State. This is a whole different kind of pressure for the national champions.
Fox via Sling TV (get your first month from only $20)
3 pm Man Utd vs Bodo/Glimt – Europa League soccer
Talking of turkey, never underestimate Manchester United’s ability to gobble up a smaller team. Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt will be dreaming of stuffing the Red Devils but new coach Ruben Amorim, who led Sporting Lisbon to a sensational 4-1 thrashing of Man City a matter of weeks ago, will want to improve on his first game in charge which was a rather bland 1-1 draw against Ipswich.
Paramount Plus (save 76% – $2.99/mo for your first two months)
3 p.m. Tottenham vs Roma – Europa League soccer
Getting hungry? There’s yet more European football to be served up – namely a mouthwatering showdown between England’s Tottenham Hotspur and Italy’s Roma. Spurs’ last six games have included wins over Man City (twice) and Aston Villa, and defeats to Ipswich, Crystal Palace and Galatasaray. My point? Ange Postecoglou’s men aren’t so much inconsistent as mind-bogglingly volatile. There’s no telling what we’ll see today but expect some great entertainment!
Paramount Plus (save 76% – $2.99/mo for your first two months)
4:30 p.m. Giants vs Cowboys – NFL
My turkey is burnt to a crisp but that’s ok, because my butt is well and truly glued to the couch for another helping of NFL. Dallas might be the 14th seed in the NFC (a distant 3rd in the NFC East) with seven games to play, but their near-miraculous victory over the Commanders has given them a huge lift. Better yet for Texas, the hapless Giants have incomprehensibly picked Tommy DeVito ahead of Drew Lock in the aftermath of Daniel Jones’ departure.
Fox via Sling TV in selected cities (get your first month from only $20)
8:20 p.m. Dolphins vs Packers – NFL
The Dolphins looked as lifeless as my half-eaten sweet potato pie a month ago. But Tua Tagovailoa’s return has been the ultimate second helping, delivering three straight wins and reviving their playoff hopes. Now the 8th seed in the AFC, they’re preparing to face the NFC’s 6th-seeded Packers in what’s shaping up to be the Thanksgiving Day game of the year. But while the Dolphins are heating up, there’s one thing they can’t seem to handle: the cold. And Lambeau Field? That place is going to be colder than my Aunt Linda’s casserole that she insists on bringing every year.
NBC via Sling TV (first month half-price) in selected cities / Fubo (save $30)
11: 30 p.m. Australian Open – DP World Tour golf
If the game winds down in the fourth quarter with either the Dolphins or Green Bay running away with it, you might want a change channel ahead of the final whistle. The good news is that sports on the other side of the planet are picking up about now. The DP World Tour is Down Under for the Australian Open. Ryggs Johnston, of the USA, is one of the early tees on what’s Friday over there. The 24-year-old former Arizona Sun Devil is a relative newbie to the pro tour but it’s been a season of promise so far. Maybe a little Thanksgiving spirit on his side is all he needs to push for something special?
Peacock (save 76% – get a whole year for $19.99)
12 a.m. Katompa vs Sabelo – South African boxing
Still with me? Good, because South African boxing is about to be the best thing you’ve never watched. ‘African Nights’ pitches undefeated Congolese prodigy Ardy ‘The Eagle’ Katompa (6-0) against South Africa’s Sabelo Ngebinyana (15-9-2) in a huge super-bantamweight bust-up at Sandton Shui Hall, Johannesburg. A win for Katompa could set the young buck on the path to boxing superstardom.
DAZN (save up to 50% for Black Friday)
Ok, it’s bedtime. But there’s a ton more Thanksgiving sports on TV this weekend and like ‘The Eagle’, I don’t plan on throwing in the towel. Join me tomorrow if you think you can go again…
More from Tom’s Guide
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